VISION:
Connecting communities, governments, the private sector, and research centres of excellence in a unified effort to make a difference
In Memory of Edgar F. Kaiser Jr. OBC, LL.D (Hon)
The Kaiser Foundation is deeply saddened to announce that its Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Edgar F. Kaiser, Jr. passed away on Wednesday January 11, 2012.
Over the course of a distinguished career as a businessman and entrepreneur, Edgar Kaiser demonstrated a remarkable commitment to public service. He formed the Kaiser Foundation in 1986 to promote a better understanding throughout Canada of the issues relating to addiction and mental health, and for the past 26 years he has led the Foundation to become a leader in its field. His achievements were recognized by an award of the Order of British Columbia in 2003 and in 2005, an honorary doctorate of laws by the University of Victoria.
Mr. Kaiser also served on the Board of the Ottawa-based Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and on the Advisory Board of the B.C. Centre for Addictions Research.
The Foundation's National Awards for Excellence Program commenced in 2005 under the direction of Mrs. Susan M. Kaiser, which celebrates each year the extraordinary work on the part of Canadian organizations, communities, individuals and media in the mental health and addictions field.
The Kaiser Foundation
Mental health and addictions are not moral issues.
They are public health issues.
Mental health and addictions are complex issues, affecting all levels of society. Did you know that the conservative estimated total annual expenditure on mental health and addictions exceeds $70 billion in Canada alone. Combined, they constitute the largest single cause of morbidity for ages 14 to 45.
To date, governments fund the vast majority of initiatives addressing mental health and addictions. Governments alone cannot solve these problems. The Private Sector needs to be actively aware of and involved in helping find solutions to these issues. Community-based programs do exemplary work but need more funding and too rarely have the opportunity to work with and learn from each other.