Funds will be used to support two new health initiatives

REGINA, Saskatchewan, Dec. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following its 100^th celebrations that took place in Regina as part of the Canadian Western Agribition, CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) announced it is making two donations totalling $70,000 in support of the Saskatchewan community. Mobile Crisis Services Inc. (MCS), based in Regina, will receive a donation of $50,000, and 4-H Canada, a national youth organization, will receive an additional $20,000. Both donations will help fund developing initiatives to increase awareness of and effective responses to health problems in the community, including mental health.

These donations are a further step to support Saskatchewan farmers and local communities. CN understands the role it plays in the supply chain as well as the importance of farmers to the Canadian economy. Recently, CN announced the creation of an Agricultural Advisory Council, a first for a Canadian railway. This council will provide CN with advice on its annual Grain Plan and feedback on its Winter Plan.

“For over 100 years, CN has had strong relationships with Canadian farmers and the Saskatchewan communities in which it operates,” said Sean Finn, executive vice president of corporate services and chief legal officer of CN. “We believe strongly in giving back to the communities we serve and we believe that by financially supporting them, these organizations with deep roots in Saskatchewan and in Canada will be able to make a real difference.”

“The generous donations CN is making to Mobile Crisis Services and 4-H Canada are great news for Saskatchewan people,” said the Honourable Warren Kaeding, Minister Responsible for Rural and Remote Health and MLA for Melville-Saltcoats. “Raising awareness about Mental Health is important and this contribution will enhance access to services for farmers through the Farm Stress Line.”

MCS is a registered charity and operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Through its various helplines and mobile service, MCS responded to 31,194 calls in 2018-2019, and more than 30% of these calls had a mental health component. The funds provided by CN will allow the organization to create a usable and manageable farm stress support web application to facilitate communication between farmers and crisis workers. Services such as these are critical in the modern world and allow MCS users to seek help using the platforms on which they feel most comfortable.

“Calls to the Farm Stress Line have increased 133% in the last year,” said John McFadyen, executive director of MCS. “We would like to thank CN for this donation that will make a significant impact on individuals and families in rural Saskatchewan. It will encourage people to reach out for help. The website and outreach program will bring more awareness of the resources that are available, promote a continued conversation around mental health, stress, and healthier rural communities, and help reduce the stigma around issues of mental health.”  

CN will also give an additional $20,000 to 4-H Canada to support the new Healthy Living Initiative. The goal of this initiative is to create resources to increase the knowledge and capacity of 4-H volunteer leaders working with youth in the areas of mental, physical, and nutritional health, as well as increase support for youth within their rural communities across Canada.

“The goal of the Healthy Living Initiative is to offer youth not only the tools and resources to face challenges but also opportunities to reach their full potential and make positive contributions to their community,” said Shannon Benner, 4-H Canada CEO. “As a positive youth development organization, 4-H Canada continually strives to understand its members and develop programming that meets their needs, and we are grateful to CN for working alongside us in making that a reality.”

CN and 4-H Canada are long-time partners, and CN is already one of its major sponsors, contributing $600,000 to the organization over four years. CN’s commitment allows 4-H Canada to recognize exceptional 4-H senior youth members and showcase their accomplishments in the area of leadership excellence through the 4-H Canada Leadership Excellence Awards of Distinction (L.E.A.D.).

About Mobile Crisis Services Inc.
Mobile Crisis Services, Inc. is a non-profit community-based organization that has been providing crisis intervention services to Regina and the province of Saskatchewan since 1974. The overall purpose of the agency is to provide integrated and comprehensive social and health crisis intervention services.

About 4-H Canada
For over 100 years, 4-H Canada has been one of the most highly respected positive youth development organizations in Canada. 4-H Canada has close to 24,000 members and more than 7,600 volunteer leaders. Their goal is to help young Canadians “Learn To Do By Doing” in a safe, inclusive and fun environment. They believe in nurturing responsible, caring, and contributing youth leaders who are committed to positively impacting their communities across Canada and around the world. To learn more about 4-H Canada, please visit 4-h-canada.ca and follow their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. More information on the Healthy Living Initiative is available at 4-h-canada.ca/healthyliving.

About CN
CN – Canadian National Railway Company – is a true backbone of the economy, transporting more than C$250 billion annually for a range of business sectors, from resource and manufactured products to consumer goods, across a rail network of approximately 20,000 route-miles spanning Canada and mid-America. Along with its operating railway subsidiaries, CN serves the cities and ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, BC, Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, Mobile, AL, and the metropolitan areas of Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Chicago, Memphis, Detroit, Duluth, MN/Superior, WI, and Jackson, MS, with connections to all points in North America. For more information about CN, visit the company’s website at www.cn.ca.