Have you ever felt that you didn’t quite “measure up” as a man? What if you were to step back for just a moment and ask yourself: “How many times today and in what ways did I hear “what men are like”? Think of the billboard advertisements, the social media posts, the meetings and conversations at work, the interactions of people on public transit, the messages above the urinals in public washrooms, the comments around your supper table and the playful joking with your buddies. But have you ever thought that “something just doesn’t seem quite right” about expectations surrounding what it means to be a man?

The relationship between men and mental health has often been referred to as a silent crisis. In an effort to avoid being perceived as weak or vulnerable, many men have a tendency to bury their emotions deep within.

Based on Allan’s bestselling book MENtal Health: It’s Time to Talk, this keynote features men who have persevered through their own mental health challenges. These lived experiences will provide a better understanding of topics relating to: masculinity, mental illness, addiction, sexual abuse, suicide, and ultimately wellness.

Somewhere around the middle of his undergraduate education, Drew realized engaging with the world was a lot more fun than writing papers about it.

While still a student he became heavily involved in Canada’s largest post-secondary charitable initiative in support of Cystic Fibrosis Canada, eventually serving as the National Chair of the organization. As he moved into his career, he took on the challenge of creating and building the Leadership Development Program at the University of Toronto, which became the largest and most dynamic in the country.