This September, during Suicide Prevention Month, we are reflecting on some of the personal conversations our members have shared and the lessons they offer our industry.
A few years ago, during a CDDA Eastern Safety Meeting, a conversation about mental health began among members of the diamond drilling industry. During that discussion, one member stood up and said something that has stayed with us ever since:
“I live at work and visit home.”
For an industry built around remote projects, long rotations, camp life and extended shifts, the statement immediately resonated. Our crews work together, travel together, eat together and at times spend more waking hours with one another than they do with their own families. It was also an important reminder: if we spend that much of our lives together, we need to look out for one another.
That conversation helped reinforce what has become central to the CDDA’s Bring It to the Surface initiative: mental health and wellness is key to promoting safety in our industry.
At the 81st CDDA AGM & Convention, industry leaders spoke candidly about mental health during a panel discussion on safety, mentorship and leadership.
David Bradley, President of Forage RJLL Drilling and a member of the CDDA Board of Directors, stressed the importance of asking a real “How are you?”
Not the automatic question asked while passing someone at the beginning of a shift, but a genuine check-in followed by actually listening to the answer. David encouraged workers and leaders to know their teams and recognize when something seems different. If a coworker does not seem like themselves, ask another question. Listen. If their answer causes concern, continue the conversation and take action when needed. Sometimes it begins with something as simple as: “You don’t seem like yourself today. Are you okay?” David has been a strong advocate for mental health within the diamond drilling industry and was recognized with a Bring It to the Surface Ambassador Award in 2025 for his leadership.
During the same discussion, Dwayne Ross, President of Hy-Tech Drilling and President of the CDDA Board of Directors, offered another important reminder: there are not always obvious signs when someone is struggling.
Someone may continue coming to work, laughing with their crew and doing their job while facing something incredibly difficult privately. That is why we cannot wait until there appears to be a problem before checking in.
Dwayne also spoke about taking care of a crew when tragedy happens. Our industry can face serious incidents, injuries and loss, and supporting employees should not end once the immediate emergency is over. Continue checking in. Make support available. Give people time to process what has happened and remember that grief and trauma affect everyone differently.
Shannon Austin-Nault, Human Resources with Foraco North America, also brought a deeply personal perspective to the Convention discussion when she shared her family’s experience with suicide. During an incredibly tragic time, Shannon remembered how Foraco was there for her and her family.
Shannon’s story demonstrated that workplace mental health is about much more than programs, policies and posters. Sometimes it is the phone call, giving someone room to grieve, asking a family what they need or checking in again weeks later. It is knowing that when something devastating happens in your life, the people you work with will be there.
Shannon’s commitment to mental health and employee well-being was recognized at the 81st Convention when she received the 2026 Bring It to the Surface Ambassador Award. Foraco’s experience is also closely connected to the history of Bring It to the Surface.
In 2022, following the devastating loss of a valued member of the Foraco team to suicide, Rob Steadman, Vice President – North America at Foraco and a member of the CDDA Board of Directors, contacted CDDA Executive Director Louise Lowe. His message was clear: our industry needed to talk about mental health, and we needed to address it together. That conversation became an important catalyst for Bring It to the Surface and helped turn a difficult discussion into an industry-wide commitment to do better. Rob was later recognized with a Bring It to the Surface Ambassador Award for his leadership in advancing mental health awareness within our industry. 
These experiences remind us that suicide and mental health challenges are not issues happening somewhere outside our industry. They touch our companies, our crews, our coworkers, our families and our friends. Bringing Lived Experience to the Workplace. Bring It to the Surface continues these conversations by bringing speakers and resources directly to the industry.
Clint Gore, Bring It to the Surface Speaker and Mindset Life Coach, speaks openly about his own experiences with anxiety, depression and addiction and how he rebuilt his life through healthier routines, mindfulness and a willingness to confront what he was experiencing.
His lived experience allows him to have honest conversations with workers without judgement and to remind people that asking for help can be part of moving forward.
The program also works with Angèle Poitras, a CMHA-certified Psychological Health and Safety Advisor with extensive experience in occupational health and safety, workplace mental health, remote operations and rotational workplaces.
Companies interested in having Clint Gore or Angèle Poitras speak at an upcoming safety meeting, workplace event or industry gathering can contact the CDDA at office@cdda.ca.
This Suicide Prevention Month, Bring it to the Surface encourages our industry to Start the Conversation. The statement we heard at that Eastern Safety Meeting several years ago continues to resonate:
“I live at work and visit home.”
In diamond drilling and mining, we spend an extraordinary amount of time together. That gives us an opportunity to notice one another, support one another and create workplaces where talking about mental health is accepted. You do not need to be a mental health professional to check on someone. Start with a real “How are you?” Listen to the answer. If something does not seem right, ask another question. If someone needs help, help them connect with it.
This Suicide Prevention Month, the CDDA Bring it to the Surface Initiative in Partnership with the Ontario Mining Association encourages our industry to keep checking in, keep listening and keep talking. Bring it to the Surface.
Learn More About the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Resources Available to you:
- 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 anywhere in Canada, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also contact 9-8-8 if you are worried about someone else. Visit 988.ca.
- Emergency Assistance: If someone is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department.
- Mental Health Commission of Canada: The Suicide Prevention in the Workplace guide provides practical information for employers, managers and workers. Access the guide.
- Government of Canada: Access national, provincial and territorial mental health and suicide prevention supports. Find mental health support.
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