Earlier today, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health announced a panel of distinguished Canadian political, corporate and academic leaders would be joining forces to raise awareness about the burden of mental illness of Canadian society. A worthy cause to be sure. But, interestingly, four out of the ten distinguished Canadians (Remi Bujold, Otto Lang, Don Mazankowski and David Peterson) are already members of the same force - each one a senior counsel with government relations firm GPC International Inc. And the panel chair is none other than firm president and chief executive officer Jim Roche. The following is a copy of that release.

Attention News/Health Editors:

Distinguished Canadians to Help Fight Mental Illness Mental Illness Awareness Week establishes Senior Advisory Panel

OTTAWA, July 11 /CNW Telbec/ - The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) today announced a panel of distinguished Canadian political, corporate and academic leaders who have joined forces to help raise awareness about the significant burden of mental illness on Canadian society.

This Senior Advisory Panel will volunteer their time and effort to secure corporate support for Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), taking place October 3-10, 2005, and the third annual Champions of Mental Health Awards on October 5. The goal of these events is to raise awareness that something can be done about the stigma and many other challenges encountered by the millions of people who face a mental illness in Canada.

Panel members include:

- James Roche, CEO, GPC Public Affairs (Panel Co-chair)
- Phil Upshall, National Executive Director (Panel co-chair)
- Hon. Remi Bujold
- Moya Greene, President and CEO, Canada Post
- (John Hunkin, CEO, CIBC - TBD)
- Hon. Otto Lang
- Rt. Hon. Don Mazankowski
- Hon. David Peterson
- Dr. Remi Quirion, Scientific Director; Douglas Hospital Research Centre and the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction of Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Professor, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
- Ida Teoli, Senior Vice President, National Markets, Bell Canada
- Hon. Michael Wilson

"Mental illness is often treated as a poor sister in health care," says Phil Upshall, CAMIMH's National Executive Director and Co-chair of the Panel. "These distinguished Canadians will help us raise awareness about mental illness - which affects so many Canadians and their families and costs the Canadian economy millions of dollars each year."

Experts agree that depression will be the leading cause of disability in developed market economies by 2020. Mental illnesses and addictions already contribute to 6 out of the 10 leading causes of disability and premature death.

"I am extremely grateful to the panel members for donating their time and expertise in helping us reach more and more Canadians with a message of hope. Mental illness can be faced successfully but Canada very much needs a coordinated action plan to deal with the growing burden of mental illness on our society," says Mr. Upshall."

Establised in 1998, CAMIMH is an alliance of national organizations representing all elements of the mental health continuum: practioners including physicians, psychologists and psychiatric nurses; researchers and consumers and the families that support them. CAMIMH's mandate is to ensure that mental illness prevention and mental health promotion are placed on the national agenda so that the mentally ill and their families receive appropriate access to care and support.

For further information: contact: Sue Granville, GPC Public Affairs, (613) 238-2091 ex. 239, www.miaw.ca