University of Guelph-Humber

Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Stéphane Grenier MSC, CD, veteran of the Canadian military and known for his work on posttraumatic stress disorder and mental health innovation, has been named the recipient of the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.  Mr. Grenier will be the principal speaker at the University of Guelph-Humber’s convocation ceremonies to be held June 15, 2015. 

Stéphane Grenier retired as a Lieutenant Colonel following 29 years of service.  He served in numerous overseas missions including Cambodia, Haiti, Lebanon, and Kuwait. Most notably, he deployed for 10 months in Rwanda in 1994-1995, and six months in Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2007.

Upon return from Rwanda, Mr. Grenier says he faced undiagnosed PTSD and depression.  He took a personal interest in the way his workplace was dealing with mental health issues; a mission he has now decided to broaden to the entire Canadian workforce through his work in developing non-clinical mental health interventions as a complement to traditional clinical care. In 2010 he was seconded to the Mental Health Commission of Canada to develop national guidelines for peer support and retired in 2012. 

Dr. David Danto is the program head of Psychology at UofGH:  “We know that only a fraction of those who require psychological services receive them.  Colleagues and peers of an individual in distress can significantly contribute to needed referrals.”

He continues:  “Stéphane Grenier has used his experiences in order to better the human condition.  In serving to decrease stigma, he is contributing to a national conversation focused on mental health promotion – above and beyond a reactive approach to mental illness.”

Since his retirement, Mr. Grenier has founded a charity and created Mental Health Innovations, a social enterprise dedicated to humanizing workplaces in Canada.  He was awarded a Meritorious Service Cross by the Governor General of Canada and received a Champion of Mental Health award for his work in the field. 

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