Why Ottawa must make 988 funding stable and secure

Mental health care must be accessible, reliable, and permanent regardless of who is in government. Lives depend on it.

Conservative MP Todd Doherty, left, and NDP MP Gord Johns have rightly called on Ottawa to make federal funding for 988 permanent, writes Andrew Perez. The Hill Times photographs by Jake Wright and Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY ANDREW PEREZ

February 25, 2026

When Canada launched the 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline in November 2023, it marked a historic step forward for suicide prevention and mental health care in this country. For the first time, Canadians experiencing suicidal thoughts or emotional distress had access to a simple, ...

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