Angus By Design

06/01/2026

One of the certifications I hold is Mental Health First Aid, and today I received this information:

June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month in Canada

1 in 2 Canadian men report lacking strong social support networks. Men are less likely to reach out for support early or at all. I've organized and delivered many social-first fellowship events including shared activities, coffee, and brunch socials. Let me know if you'd like to get together with some other guys informally, and I'll be happy to do it again.

Being open with a trusted person is being strong. Expressing emotions with someone who is grounded and with you is healthy and safe. Meaningful support makes a world of difference.

Check in with me anytime. Let's talk about stuff. Let's build a connection.

988 is a great resource and widely available.

Angus Wright

05/29/2026

Hey! I'm Angus, and I've been a Buddy Up Champion since 2024.

I'm gearing up for the Buddy Up June Challenge. To promote mental wellbeing and drive connection, I'm inviting you to participate by connecting with me to have a discussion, enjoy an activity, or to spread the word about this resource to folks in order to support guys who may need a little bit of extra support, or a safe place to go to recover.

Middle-aged men (45-64) die by su***de more than anyone else, including young people and women (Statistics Canada, 2024).

Men are often socialized not to talk about their emotions, and therefore, men as a group may mask their stress and deal with emotional pain through harmful behaviours and actions, and sometimes su***de, instead of seeking help (Ogrodnickzuk & Oliffe, 2011).

Even before a person displays warning signs, we can learn something about their su***de risk by considering different factors in their lives. We all have characteristics or traits that may contribute to or diminish our risk of su***de.

“Risk factors,” those factors that contribute to su***de risk, are always balanced by factors that build and maintain resilience, “protective factors.”

Individually, we can create a safe space, through open, non-judgmental conversation and gentle questioning for men to share and express emotions. If you’re worried about someone, reach out.

Men can maintain life-saving social connections by prioritizing friendships and good relationships with their loved ones. They can participate in peer support programs at school, in the workplace, or in the community. Social engagement such as joining a sports team or a music group can create belonging and connectedness for men and prompt interaction with other men who have similar interests, experiences, or struggles.

Men who are struggling with thoughts of su***de may find that asking for and receiving help is not easy. Finding ways to lessen the intensity of these thoughts may take time. Be courageous. Be persistent – help is available.

Here's to a month of getting connected, and staying connected!

05/29/2026

Recent controversies include:

Air Rights Settlement: Metrolinx settled a massive, half-billion-dollar expropriation dispute for the air rights above downtown Toronto rail lines with Craft Kingsmen Rail Corp—a development group that includes Carmine Nigro, a close friend of Premier Doug Ford. The Ford government and Metrolinx faced criticism for keeping the final, taxpayer-funded settlement amount completely confidential.

Scrapped GO Expansion Contract: Metrolinx abruptly terminated a massive 23-year, multibillion-dollar contract with the ONXpress consortium (led by German operator Deutsche Bahn) to operate the GO train network. This sudden cancellation sparked demands from the Ontario Liberals for an Auditor General investigation into how millions of dollars in taxpayer money were spent on the failed project before its scope was heavily downgraded.

SmartTrack Debacle: The agency was scrutinized after confidential reports revealed it spent nearly $100 million on initial preparations for two SmartTrack stations before the projects were quietly cancelled.

Eglinton Crosstown LRT Delays: Years of endless delays and blown budgets on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT have fueled ongoing calls from municipal leaders and opposition politicians for a full, comprehensive public inquiry into Metrolinx's management of the line.

Infrastructure Costs: There is widespread public concern regarding skyrocketing transit price tags, with the projected cost of the Ontario Line ballooning to over $27 billion.

Service Failures: The agency faced intense pressure and CEO apologies following major GO Transit disruptions caused by severe track deterioration and missing rail screws near Union Station.

Angus Wright, Operator 5946 with OC Transpo

Member of ATU 279, ATU Canada, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) since 2007 - dues paid for 2026

Creator of Next Stop Transit: Operator First since 2017, co-originator of OC Pride since 2010

Artist - Angus By Design, producer of Speak Up - Improv Comedy Activism, Embassy Q, Cruise Control: A Prideful Comedy Collective, Trigger Morris

Consumer/Ex-patient Survivor, Advocate, and Trauma Informed Advanced Level Peer Specialist

🚨 : Ontario Liberals are calling on to reveal how much his close friend received in a settlement with Metrolinx.

You deserve to know how much the government paid a Ford insider for air.

✍️Sign our petition to learn the truth. You can find it on our website!

05/28/2026