Ottawa, ON — The Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF) is proud to support the creation of Ajuinnata: The Mary Simon Catalyst for Mental Wellness that will help to strengthen community-based mental health services across the Canadian Arctic.
Inspired by the Governor General’s longstanding commitment to mental health and wellness, Ajuinnata will help build a stronger ecosystem of peer-led, locally rooted services across the North, with an initial focus on Inuit Nunangat.
Ajuinnata builds on key insights gathered during the Governor General’s Mental Health Learning and Listening Tour, launched in 2024 with support from the Rideau Hall Foundation. Through conversations with community leaders, practitioners, organizations, and individuals with lived experience across Canada, a clear message emerged: communities, particularly northern, rural and remote communities, need greater support for peer-led, culturally relevant mental health services rooted in local relationships and knowledge.
Drawing on the legacy of Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon’s tenure as Governor General, and her enduring leadership and advocacy for mental wellness, the Government of Canada is investing in Northern mental health. This includes an initial commitment of $5 million, with up to an additional $10 million in matching funds, alongside philanthropic support to be raised by the Rideau Hall Foundation.
This investment will help expand access to culturally grounded, community-based services. It reflects a shared commitment to ensuring Northern communities have the resources and support needed to thrive.
“Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon’s lifetime of advocacy for Indigenous rights was not only monumental in its impact, but transformational – creating lasting change that will be felt generations from now. Our government is honouring her legacy by helping establish Ajuinnata: The Mary Simon Catalyst for Mental Wellness. We are proud to carry on the work to which she dedicated her life, and which is close to her heart. On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I want to thank Her Excellency Mary Simon for her extraordinary service to our country.”
– The Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada
“Healing flourishes through connection and culture. That is why this program will focus on supporting community-based mental health counsellors with lived experience—individuals who, with the right training and adequate financial support, can make a meaningful difference. It is one of the most effective ways we can help build a strong and vibrant Canadian North for the future.”
– The Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada
“The Governor General’s Mental Health Learning and Listening Tour, launched in 2024 with support from the Rideau Hall Foundation, made clear that lasting change grows from within communities. Through Ajuinnata, we are honoured to work alongside Northern partners and carry forward the Right Honourable Mary Simon’s legacy of listening and acting with purpose. This means investing in community-led solutions, strengthening peer networks, and supporting those already doing this work, often quietly and with limited resources. We invite partners across philanthropy, the private sector, and civil society to help sustain and expand this work across the North.”
– Teresa Marques, President and CEO of the Rideau Hall Foundation
About the Rideau Hall Foundation
The Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF) is a non-political national charity that brings together ideas, people and resources to celebrate what is best about Canada. The RHF works closely with many partners, including the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, to meaningfully improve lives and foster the conditions for more Canadians to succeed and thrive. The RHF manages all aspects of the Governor General’s Innovation Awards.
Media Contact
Allison MacLachlan
Chief External Affairs and Communications Officer
Rideau Hall Foundation
allison.maclachlan@rhf-frh.ca | 613-316-3473
