Ottawa is where Health Canada launched its national conversation on men and boys' health, and the department's own figures now point to a steep drop in how young men rate their mental health. According to Health Canada, the share of young men who reported 'very good' or 'excellent' mental health fell from 70% to 52%.
What Health Canada reports
The 70% to 52% figure comes from Health Canada's page on improving the health of men in Canada. The same page says young men who are not in employment, education or training face higher risks of mental illness and substance use.
Health Canada also says men are three times more likely than women to die by suicide. That statistic appeared in the department's release announcing the national conversation, which was datelined Ottawa, Ontario, on February 23, 2026.
The same release names what it calls concerning social trends. Health Canada lists harmful online spaces, such as the 'manosphere', and social isolation as factors increasing health risks for boys and men. The material reviewed does not say how much each factor contributes, so those should be read as the department's stated concerns, not measured causes.
How the national conversation unfolded
Health Canada announced the national conversation in February. The input gathered was meant to inform Canada's first Men and Boys' Health Strategy, which the department said would be released later in 2026.
By June, as Men's Health Month began, Health Minister Marjorie Michel marked the completion of the national engagement process. Health Canada says more than 5,000 people completed the online survey. Hundreds more gave input through roundtables or written submissions.
What happens next
The strategy is now scheduled for release in fall 2026, according to Health Canada's June announcement. A specific release date has not been announced.
What the strategy will contain is also not yet known. Health Canada has not said what actions, funding or targets it will include. It has not said whether it will respond directly to the drop in young men's self-rated mental health, or to the risks it links to being out of work, school or training.
The figures are presented as a national picture. No breakdown for Ottawa or Ontario has been announced, so there is no local number to compare against.
Why the numbers matter
Self-rated mental health is a measure of how people describe their own wellbeing, not a count of diagnoses. A fall from 70% to 52% still means that, by Health Canada's figures, roughly half of young men no longer put their mental health in the top categories. The material reviewed does not give the years the change covers, so the length of the decline is not established here.
For readers in Ottawa, the practical next step is simple. The strategy is expected this fall, and Health Canada's men's health page is where the department publishes its figures on the topic. When the strategy is released, ottown will report what it says.
Sources: Health Canada
