Last updated May 7, 2026. Press, media, and partnership inquiries for MenTELL Health, a Canadian grassroots men’s mental health movement. Founded in Calgary, Alberta by Zak Hussein with a group of everyday Canadian men. Now in our fourth year. Spearheading the national #BeTheFlare initiative for Men’s Mental Health Month 2026.
Direct contact: Zak Hussein, Founder · [email protected] · Available for interviews throughout May and June 2026.
The story
Zak Hussein founded MenTELL.ca in Calgary, Alberta with a group of everyday Canadian men. No budget, no institution, no corporate filter. The mission for June 2026: reach one million Canadians during Men’s Mental Health Month through #BeTheFlare, a peer-to-peer chain that asks men for voices, not money. One short video. One honest sentence. Two brothers tagged. Pass it in 48 hours.
Why now
About 75% of suicide deaths in Canada are men (Mental Health Commission of Canada). 67% of Canadian men have never sought professional help, and roughly half report social isolation (Canadian Men’s Health Foundation 2025 Canadian Men’s Health Study). Manitoba is now the first Canadian province with legislated recognition of Men’s Mental Health Awareness Week (Bill 217, Royal Assent November 2024). Health Canada is consulting on Canada’s first federal Men and Boys’ Health Strategy in 2026.
Founder bio
Zak Hussein is the founder of MenTELL Health, a Canadian grassroots men’s mental health movement based in Calgary, Alberta. He started MenTELL in June 2023 with a group of everyday Canadian men from all walks of life. He is not a therapist. He is not a clinician. He is the bridge that encourages Canadian men to break the stigma, find a circle of trust, and get the professional help they need. There is no shame in asking.
Boilerplate (short)
About MenTELL. MenTELL Health (mentell.ca) is a founder-led, grassroots Canadian men’s mental health movement. Founded in Calgary, Alberta in June 2023 by Zak Hussein with a group of everyday Canadian men. Now in our fourth year. We lead the national #BeTheFlare campaign for Men’s Mental Health Month each June. We are not a clinic, charity machine, or corporate campaign. We are everyday men helping other men speak before silence gets too heavy.
Boilerplate (long)
MenTELL Health (mentell.ca) is a Canadian grassroots men’s mental health movement, founded in Calgary, Alberta in June 2023 by Zak Hussein with a group of everyday Canadian men from all walks of life. The movement has roots in Calgary and is national in reach. We are not therapists. We are not experts. We are everyday Canadian men who looked around and saw too many men in our lives carrying something alone, and too many of them not making it. We are the bridge that encourages men to break the stigma and shatter the silence around speaking up, finding their circle of trust and community, and getting the professional help they need. There is no shame in asking. For Men’s Mental Health Month 2026 (June 1 to 30), MenTELL is leading the national #BeTheFlare campaign across Canada with one goal: reach one million Canadians.
Key facts and statistics (verified Canadian sources)
- 75% of suicide deaths in Canada are men (Mental Health Commission of Canada).
- 67% of Canadian men have never sought professional help (Canadian Men’s Health Foundation 2025).
- 50% of Canadian men report social isolation (CMHF 2025).
- 23% of Canadian men at risk of moderate-to-severe depression; 43% in the 19 to 29 age group (CMHF 2025).
- 1 in 10 new fathers experience postpartum depression (Paulson and Bazemore meta-analysis, JAMA 2010).
- Manitoba is the first Canadian province with legislated Men’s Mental Health Awareness Week (Bill 217, Royal Assent November 2024).
Campaign at a glance
- Men’s Mental Health Month in Canada (2026): June 1 to 30, 2026.
- MenTELL’s Men’s Mental Health Week 2026: June 9 to 15, 2026 (week before Father’s Day, aligned with Manitoba Bill 217).
- International Men’s Health Week 2026: June 15 to 21, 2026.
- Men’s Mental Health Awareness Day: June 13.
- Father’s Day in Canada: Sunday, June 21, 2026.
- Campaign hashtag: #BeTheFlare.
- Goal: reach one million Canadians.
Suggested founder quotes
“75% of suicide deaths in Canada are men. We are not asking Canadians for money. We are asking for voices. One video. One honest sentence. One man tagging two others. That is how we reach one million Canadians.”
“MenTELL is not a clinic, a charity machine, or a corporate campaign. We are everyday Canadian men helping other men speak before silence gets too heavy.”
Suggested story angles
- Canadian-specific Father’s Day mental health story for Sunday June 21, 2026.
- Why Manitoba’s Bill 217 matters and what other provinces should do next.
- The peer-to-peer chain that bypasses the Canadian therapist shortage.
- Why a Calgary founder built a national movement with no budget.
- Year four of MenTELL and what Canadian men are actually saying when they finally speak.
Direct contact
Zak Hussein, Founder
MenTELL Health, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Web: mentell.ca
Instagram: @mentell.ca
Available for interviews and panel appearances throughout May and June 2026, in person in Calgary and remote nationally.
