CMHA mourns the loss of Mike MacDonald

CMHA Ontario joins Canadians across the country in mourning the loss of comedian Mike MacDonald.

MacDonald died Saturday of heart complications. In addition to a renowned comedian and actor, he was an ardent mental health advocate. He spoke openly about his own mental health challenges with drug addiction and bipolar disorder, and often performed to benefit mental health charities, including several CMHA branches.

In 2013, he was honoured with a Canadian Comic Legend Award from his peers at Cracking Up The Capital, a comedy festival in Ottawa which raises awareness and money for mental health issues.

“What bothers me about the mental health thing is the people who say stuff like, ‘It’ll get better, don’t worry.’… What I advocate is it can get better and I’m living proof of that,” he told CBC News in 2016.

To learn more about MacDonald’s 40-year career and numerous accomplishments, visit the Toronto Star website.