The Calgary Construction Association (CCA) and the City of Calgary hope to build a stronger bridge to substance abuse prevention and mental wellness in the new Tailgate Toolkit program.

The pilot program, funded with a $283,000 grant from the City of Calgary’s Mental Health and Addiction Investment Framework, will provide information, outreach and support to thousands of Calgary-area construction workers.

The program, originally developed by the Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA), uses daily tailgate talks on construction worksites, along with training and engagement, to raise awareness about mental health and substance abuse issues, and connecting workers with recovery and support services.

Bill Black, president and CEO of the CCA, said that in the US, construction workers are five times more likely to die by suicide than in other industries, and they have a suicide rate three times higher than that country’s national average. In Ontario, construction workers make up 7.2 per cent of the employed population and accounted for 7.9 per cent of opioid toxicity deaths.

In Alberta, Black indicated that Health Canada statistics have shown that 53 per cent of drug overdose deaths in employed individuals were among trades, transport and equipment operators.

“They are staggering representation going off the stats that are showing just how significantly this social issue is manifested in our own industry,” Black said.

Black said factors that lead to this include being away from home for work, economic cycles that includes regular layoffs that lead to stress and livelihood issues, and physical demands of the job that lead to chronic pain.

“Overall, our workforce culture is a role. It’s a high stress environment marked by job insecurity and stigma surrounding health, especially in that male-dominated demographic, and it deters many workers from seeking the real help that they actually need,” Black said.

A workforce facing challenges

The CCA has been sounding the alarm over a shortage of construction workers for some time. They’ve been developing different programs to help stimulate the interest in trades and construction work to fill important workforce roles.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said this partnership is a shared commitment toward fostering healthier and safer workplaces.

“The construction industry has long been a critical driver in Calgary’s economy and supporting our growth, but it’s also a workforce that is facing some pretty challenging times right now,” the mayor said.

She said the health and social service system often fails to meet men where they are at, compounding feelings of isolation and lack of support.

“Men are dying in alarming numbers all around us, and that can’t just be a statistic. That needs to be a call to action, and that’s what we are doing today,” she said.

“The Tailgate Toolkit aims to change this reality by creating a pathway towards support that meets workers where they are, that addresses mental health and substance use challenges with compassion and with practicalities.”

VICA CEO Rory Kulmala said that when they began looking at developing a program after a 2016 BC coroner’s report that showed construction workers disproportionately represented in drug deaths, there was nothing available and no funding for it.

He said others in their sector told them not to do anything about it because it wasn’t a problem.  Yet, one in four workers was dying.

“If we had any other incident in our sector, crane problems, somebody fell off a roof, working with chemicals, you can guarantee there would be a campaign to address that one death, and that’s significantly more than one (death),” he said.

It takes the typical safety meeting and uses it to provide information in a non-threatening setting. They provided training, a support group and a resource package.

“It’s not a recovery program. It’s not a therapy. It’s an information platform. It’s about letting people know that, ‘hey, we’re thinking of you. Here’s some help, and here’s what’s good, here’s how we can help you,’” Kulmala said.

Ryan Vanderputten with the City of Calgary said they’re trying to ensure there’s an environment where workers can thrive.

“We want people who work on-site to get home safely each and every day, and the Tailgate Toolkit helps provide construction workers with the resources and support that they need to lead healthy and rewarding lives, whether they are city of Calgary employees, contractors or otherwise,” he said.

“The people that work on construction sites help put the city’s plans into action as we build infrastructure needed for all Calgarians. The hard work of construction workers is vital building the infrastructure that keeps our city moving forward.”

The program is open to all construction workers, contractors and construction businesses. Find out more information at the CCA website.