A strong economy requires a healthy workforce. As the Government of Canada works to finish the fight against COVID-19, ensuring Canadians are vaccinated continues to be top priority. At the same time, nearly half of Canadians reported that their mental health worsened during the pandemic.
Join Canadian Club Toronto on February 10 when we host the Honourable Seamus O’Regan for a conversation about the government’s plan to support workplace mental health, strengthen Canada’s social safety net, and position Canada for a strong recovery and a low-carbon future. Minister O’Regan will be joined in conversation by Canadian Club Toronto President, David Simmonds.
**A link to the live stream will be provided closer to the event date**
The Honourable Seamus O’Regan
Minister of Labour
Seamus O’Regan is the Member of Parliament for St. John’s South-Mount Pearl, elected in 2015. In 2021, he was appointed Canada’s Minister of Labour, having served in the roles of Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Indigenous Services, and Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence.
Seamus was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and raised in Goose Bay, Labrador. He studied politics at St. Francis Xavier University and University College Dublin, and marketing strategies at the INSEAD Business School, near Paris. He earned his Master of Philosophy degree from the University of Cambridge, studying Indigenous participation in natural resource development.
He began his career in the Government of Newfoundland & Labrador, where he served as Executive Assistant to Minister of Justice and Attorney General Edward Roberts, and later as Senior Policy Advisor to Premier Brian Tobin.
Seamus is known to many Canadians for his ten years as co-host of CTV’s Canada AM, where he travelled across Canada and around the world, from Random Island to False Creek, and from Antarctica to Afghanistan. In 2007, he became the first journalist named to Canada’s Top 40 Under 40.
Seamus is proud to have been an Ambassador for Bell Let’s Talk, eliminating the stigma surrounding mental illness. He has served on the Board of World Wildlife Fund Canada, and continues to champion causes dear to him, including mental health, sustainable jobs, the environment, and the arts.
As part of his mandate as Minister of Labour, he is tasked with making mental health a part of occupational health and safety, advancing pay equity, providing Canadians in the federally-regulated private sector with 10 paid sick days, building a federal “right to disconnect,” and lead a comprehensive plan to lower emissions and create more sustainable jobs for Canada’s workers.
David Simmonds
Senior Vice-President, Global Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer, Great-West Lifeco and Canada Life
David Simmonds is Senior Vice-President, Global Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer, Great-West Lifeco and Canada Life and a member of the executive management committee.
David drives the organization global communications strategies, which includes external engagement, investor communications and sustainability efforts.
In addition, David supports the company’s strategy and the development and execution of programs related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), sustainability, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), social impact and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
David joined the organization in April of 2021 as Senior Vice-President, Office of the CEO, Corporate Initiatives.
He has deep experience with reputation, brand strategy, financial communications, and corporate affairs across regulatory environments, with advisory experience to senior leaders in a variety of sectors.
David is a member of Western University’s Board of Governors; Director and President of Canadian Club Toronto; a Governor of the Stratford Festival and, an Advisory Board Member at Catalyst Canada. A graduate of Western University, he has completed the executive development program at the Wharton School. In 2015, the Diversity Advancement Network named David one of Canada’s Top 100 Black Canadians.
