Several labour ministers from across Canada gathered at the Coast Inn of the North Friday.
"This wasn't my first federal, provincial, territorial meeting but it was my best," began MaryAnn Mihychuk, Canada's minister of employment, workforce development and labour.
There was meaningful improvements made to the work/life balance for the Canadian worker, said Mihychuk.
"I think often times people underestimate the important role that labour ministers have and Minister Mihychuk's role in particular at the federal level," said Shirley Bond, B.C.'s minister of jobs, tourism and skills training. "Making sure that men and women have safe work places, making sure that there is equity and parity and there is opportunity for all Canadians to have effective work where they are happy in their job... and the discussion today was very meaningful. It was about the changing face of the workplace in Canada, it's how do we grapple with issues in terms of safety but also well being."
The labour ministers had a significant discussion about mental health in the work place, Bond added.
"We certainly as a province have made significant progress in terms of recognizing bullying and harassment and the impact of trauma on first responders in the workplaces in British Columbia," said Bond. "I think British Columbia has a strong set of processes to deal with those things but we can always learn more."
There was discussion that included poignant stories that emphasized the importance of looking at mental health more extensively in Canada, making sure there are proper supports in place, especially those in a first responder position dealing with post traumatic stress disorder, said Bond.
"There was a lot of discussion about reducing the stigma that's attached to mental health and making sure people have a place of comfort," said Bond.
There was an emphasis on addressing the issue of mental health in the work place on a federal level, said Mihychuk, who added there are different standards of practice from one province to the other and clearly it needs to be a set standard across the nation.
"We talked about the work place of today and that of the future," said Bond.
With the focus on small communities the talk turned to the economy.
Minister Bond said in B.C. there has been an effort made to diversity to keep the economy stable.
"There is variance across the province and it's because we've invested our time and effort into things like the creative sector, technology, tourism and making sure that when we have those cyclical downturns in the resource commodities that there is something else to help that economy to continue to thrive," said Bond.
The biggest takeaway from the labour ministers meeting for Mihychuk was a renewed sense of cooperation among the nine politicians gathered together.
"The federal government of the past was perhaps less engaged or if not engaged at all many times and a confederation doesn't work unless we're equals and working together," said Mihychuk.
