BCAA commits $750,000 to wildfire recovery mental health program

BCAA is investing $750,000 over three years in a new partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association BC aimed at supporting communities affected by wildfires across British Columbia.

The initiative, called BCAA & CMHA BC Beyond Wildfires, will expand mental health supports in wildfire-affected communities and help residents build resilience during long-term recovery efforts. According to the organizations, the program will initially focus on communities in Vernon, the Cariboo Chilcotin region and Northern B.C.

The funding will support youth engagement programs, family wellness initiatives, low-barrier counselling services and community preparedness activities. The partnership also expands access to CMHA BC’s Resilient Minds mental health resilience training program for volunteer firefighters.

“When we learned how mental health needs evolve as communities move from immediate emergency response into recovery, we knew we wanted to commit to a major, multi-year investment,” said Shawn Pettipas, director of corporate purpose at BCAA.

Jonny Morris, CEO of CMHA BC, said the partnership will help communities address the long-term mental health impacts that can follow wildfire events, including anxiety, grief and post-traumatic stress.

The organizations said the program builds on previous wildfire resilience initiatives, including BCAA’s Fireweed Pin campaign, which raised more than $165,000 this year for wildfire-related community support programs.