This week on Blue Monday, one of what is supposed to be the gloomiest days of the year, was full of warmth and joy at the Cadillac Fairview offices. With dogfluencers galore and warm coffee and tea served, tenants were joyously racing to their lobbies in hopes of embracing these furry friends.
Inspired by The Centre of Addiction and Mental Health, or CAMH for short, where dogs are often used within occupational therapy practices, CF aimed their efforts to drive awareness on mental health while uplifting the moods using canine support. And this isn't the first time they've done it.
Building on the success of last years initial program and a number of health and wellness focused initiatives they deliver yearly, Cadillac Fairview brought a crew of adorable, ready to play pups to their downtown offices. Patrick Nurse, Manager of Tenant Relations, stated "this year we've expanded. Last year we had the event in 3 office buildings and this year we're having this great puppy park event in 6 of the CF buildings." Nurse went on, "CF introduced this Blue Monday program last year as a pilot program. It went really well and we got some great feedback from our office clients. It's really a celebration - I mean look how cute they are!"
And what a great initiative it is. Over the past several years, mental health has become a major topic of discussion. The number of individuals who suffer from issues pertaining to mental health has been staggering - especially in Canada where 1 in 5 people will personally experience a mental health problem or illness" and where, "by age 40, 50% of the population will have or have had a mental illness". The profound quantity of both national and global populations affected make it an important topic for both individuals and brands to acknowledge and work towards reducing - especially within the workplace. Because whether it's indirectly or directly, the effects that mental health can have on any person can be life-altering.
Now although Blue Monday has come to an end, I think the overall message of this dog-filled day is everlasting. Throughout the interview, Patrick's phrase "we just want to brighten everyone's day" resonated with me. Regardless of if it is a Monday, a Tuesday or a Wednesday, making an effort to brighten someones day is a small step with a very large impact. In a digitally entrenched world with a lot of isolation and battles fought that we don't know about, spreading happiness and elevating someone's mood through a compliment or even a puppy is a step towards a healthier and overall happier world.
As part of CF’s Blue Monday pilot initiative, Cadillac Fairview will be donating $5,000 in support of CAMH’s Pet Therapy Program.
For more information on Cadillac Fairview’s social responsibility program, visit cadillacfairview.com.