Embedding Mental Health into the Safety Framework: The EllisDon Approach

In a sector where safety has long focused on physical protection, EllisDon has taken a decisive and progressive step forward: making mental health a core part of its safety strategy.

The numbers speak for themselves:

• 33% of male workers in the construction industry report poor mental health (Statistics Canada).
• 78% of construction workers avoid seeking mental health care due to shame and stigma. (2021 Pulse Survey Results and Report American Psychiatric Association).
• In Ontario construction (2016-2023), suicide was 3x more likely than a workplace fatality (Institute for Work & Health)

These aren’t just statistics. They reflect the lived experiences of people we work with every day who show up, do the job, and often carry invisible burdens. At EllisDon, we are committed to recognizing those risks and supporting our people through those challenges, and that commitment led us to establish one of the first dedicated Mental Health teams in the Canadian construction industry. But this isn’t about being first. It’s about doing what’s right.

This work is grounded in the belief that impacting mental health begins at the grassroots level. It’s not just a corporate priority; it’s a shared responsibility. When every person at EllisDon sees mental wellbeing and psychological safety as part of their role, we build a culture where people feel safe to speak up, ask for help, and support one another. Led by Connie Ellis, Director of Mental Health, and Nadina Holca, Mental Health Specialist, EllisDon continues to be committed to creating a culture where people feel safe to speak up, ask for help, and support one another. 

Shifting the Culture: Normalizing Mental Health

In EllisDon’s mental health training sessions, Connie Ellis often begins with a simple but powerful question: “How many of you know someone who’s struggled with mental health?”

Almost every hand goes up.

It’s a reminder that this work is personal. It affects all of us, regardless us gender, sexuality, class, culture, religion.

Over the past two years, the company has taken tangible steps to embed mental health into its culture:

• Partnering with evidence-based firms like Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the Cleveland Clinic to help us establish baseline assessments, develop tailored programs, provide clinical expertise and best-practices across the company
• Delivering resources proactively to job sites, ensuring support is accessible not just in times of critical events.
• Skill-based training equips frontline leaders to recognize signs of distress, respond and refer to supports and resources with empathy, and create psychologically safe environments.
• Built a Mental Health Microsite, accessible to employees and subcontractors, promoted via QR code helmet stickers.
• Launched a Mental Health E-Learning module for all employees, with practical tools to manage stress, build resilience, and support others.
• Launched communications and awareness campaigns for key recognition days like Mental Health Week, Bell Let’s Talk Day, Suicide Prevention Day, and World Mental Health Day, using storytelling, interactive content, and employee engagement to reduce stigma and promote access to support.
• Developed custom leader workshops and webinars to embed psychological safety into the workplace.

By embedding mental health into the rhythm of daily work, EllisDon is removing barriers to access and making support a visible, routine part of the job. By integrating support into core workflows—training, meetings, and site visits—we ensure that mental health is not a peripheral concern but a standard practice of psychological safety. The strategy is designed to be measurable, repeatable, and responsive to the realities of construction work. It’s not just symbolic, it’s systemic.

These efforts have earned EllisDon national recognition:

• Silver Award for Psychologically Safe Workplace (2025) from OHS Canada Honours.
• Honourable Mention for Workplace Mental Health (2025) from Construction Safety Nova Scotia.

EllisDon is committed to raising awareness and reducing stigma around mental health. We’re investing in a strategy that considers the systems, structures and programs that make a difference for our employees and our site workers. As we look ahead, we’re committed to making that difference impossible to ignore.

Redefining Safety, One Conversation at a Time

EllisDon’s mental health strategy is reshaping how safety is defined, not just within our company, but across the industry.

By prioritizing psychological wellbeing, we’re building a more resilient workforce. It’s grounded in a simple idea: mental health in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility. When we take ownership, we create a workplace where people can show up as they are, and where safety means more than just physical protection.