Stand Up For Mental Health (SMH) 2008-2009 Update

On Tuesday March 3, SMH visited the BC Legislature in Victoria, where the government officially proclaimed it “Stand Up For Mental Health Day”. We performed for MLAs and Staff, and enjoyed a genuinely warm and enthusiastic bi-partisan reception.

Official Report of
Debates of the BC Legislative Assembly
(Hansard)

Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Afternoon Sitting

J. Kwan: At a rare moment of bipartisanship today, the Minister of Health and I held a joint event at the Ned DeBeck Lounge. We welcomed the Stand Up for Mental Health group, who made a presentation for the members that attended. In the gallery today are six members of them. Individual MLAs will be introducing those who came.

From my particular riding I want to make welcome Paul Decarie, who is also a comic with the Stand Up for Mental Health group. He lives in the Downtown Eastside community, is a mental health consumer and has been performing for eight years. Would the House please make him feel very welcome.

S. Simpson: I'm pleased also to join the member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant in a couple of introductions in regard to Stand Up for Mental Health.
This is a remarkable program that I've come to learn about that uses stand-up comedy to help people through therapy with mental health. The founder of this program is David Granirer, who is a constituent of mine and a stand-up comedian and somebody who also has met the challenges of mental health illnesses himself. He's here today, and the true stand-up comedian in the family, his son Jonathan, is with him. I hope that everybody will make David and their friends welcome.

Hon. L. Reid: I, too, would like to extend my very best welcome to a dear constituent of mine, Melanie Rose. She, too, is part of Stand Up for Mental Health. I am delighted they brought their message to Victoria today, and I'd ask the House to join me in welcoming them.

A. Dix: It's my honour to introduce Joan Stone and Pat Bayes, who are involved in Stand Up for Mental Health. It's an extraordinary mission that they have — an extraordinarily fun mission, as well, for those of us who have the opportunity to see the events, as we did today. I want to wish Joan and Pat and the whole group a great welcome here to the Legislature.

Hon. G. Abbott: I, too, want to echo the comments from across the House in respect of the Stand Up for Mental Health comedy troupe. They provided us with a wonderful noon hour presentation, a great presentation, and I want to thank them on behalf of the government side of the House for their great work this afternoon.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me for more information,
to support SMH with a donation, or with comments or ideas.

Pat Bayes,
Executive Director
Tel. 604-707-0483 Email pat@standupformentalhealth.com
Visit www.standupformentalhealth.com

Stand Up For Mental Health
3633 Triumph Street
Vancouver
British Columbia V5K 1V4
Canada