EMILY HSUEH
PONTIAC Feb. 3, 2021
The Pontiac has a new mental health worker to offer free and confidential aid to farmers.
Mathieu Brûlé began his new position as a farmer wellness worker with Écoute Agricole in December 2020. Écoute Agricole has existed in the Laurentides for a few years, but recently established itself in the Outaouais as well. Brûlé is the organization’s representative for the Pontiac, Gatineau and the MRC des Collines, and will be helping farmers and anyone in the agricultural sector with any problems they experience.
“Now with COVID it complicates the situations a little bit. Normally, we would ideally visit each farm of the region to be able to present ourselves and to be able to offer our services. Now out of respect of people who have health problems we won’t be doing direct visits to the farm,” he explained. “They can call us to discuss . . .
different problems that they’re having, whether that be directly on the farm, whether it be with a spouse or loved one, children or people taking over the farm, it could be any problem they could be going through from sickness with the herds to dry season either to just talk about it or to be able to look for help.”
Brûlé himself grew up in a farming community in Des Collines, and has always been around the agricultural industry. He worked in construction for seven years, gaining experience in working with machinery and honing his interpersonal skills. He enjoyed forming connections with the people around him and realized it was time for a change in career, so he returned to Cégep to study social work.
“I’m someone who’s very manual, so driving the truck and operating machinery is something that’s very natural,” he said. “But I found I was missing a lot of contacts and I wanted to test myself in a new way and be able to push myself to learn more and be able to give back more to people. So I went back to challenge a bit of that natural talent I have to talk with people and be able to help them.”
Previously, Brûlé also worked in an outreach position, working with a group called Donne-Toi Une Chance — a similar organization to AutonHomme in Campbell’s Bay, he explained — which helped men going through difficult times or who were dealing with violent behaviour. He hopes to take his experience from his time with that group to benefit more people in the region.
While the services Écoute Agricole offers are directed to farmers and others in the agricultural industry, Brûlé wanted to emphasize that anyone who reaches out to them will not be dismissed. He also encourages others to call in on behalf of those who may not be able to so he will not miss any one who could benefit from help.
“Basically anybody who contacts us, we’ll never turn them away,” Brûlé said. “Whether it’s fish farming, whether it’s beef or pork or chicken, vegetables, trees, any type of agricultural is where we [specialize] more in because of the realities that they face … living on the farm, living in the work area, the isolation that can come with it too sometimes or just living further away from the cities. But anybody who does give us a call, we will refer them to the proper services for them too.
“Écoute Agricole is now here, we’re ready, willing and well able to help anyone that’s in need and [don’t] be afraid to call.”
Brûlé can be reached on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. by phone at 873-455-5707, by email at tr.outaouais.ouest.ea@gmail.com or through his official Facebook page.
