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‘we don't talk about it’: vancouver father’s story reflects growing men’s health crisis in canada
a new national report shows outdated views that can cause men to delay seeking help, paired with gaps in health care, are driving up premature deaths.
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chris ho (r) with his family —sons caden and liam and wife maggie (l). chris ho was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 32.
chris ho didn’t grow up talking much about health.
“my dad was a traditional chinese guy, born in vietnam. you didn’t go to the doctor unless you had to,” said ho, a 44-year-old father who lives in vancouver’s river district.
that changed in 2013, when ho, then 32, noticed a lump on one of his testicles. at the time, he didn’t have a family doctor. his then-girlfriend, now wife, maggie, encouraged him to find one. he did — an asian male physician who made him feel understood.
that decision, ho says, helped save his life.
after multiple recurrences of the disease and the removal of both testicles, ho beat the disease. but his story is about more than that — it’s about breaking down stereotypes of what it means to be a man.
“it takes strength and bravery to reach out and ask for help, more than it does to just suck it up.”
a new national report shows outdated views that can cause men to delay seeking help, paired with gaps in health care, are driving up premature deaths among canadian men, hitting racialized and lower-income communities hardest, where stigma, financial issues and limited access to health-care services make getting help a real struggle.
the report, titled the real face of men’s health, was released this week by the movember institute of men’s health and co-authored by the university of b.c.’s men’s health research program. it found that roughly 75,000 canadian men died prematurely in 2023. the two leading causes were cancer and heart disease, followed by accidents and suicide.
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john oliffe, co-author of the report and a professor at the university of b.c.’s faculty of applied science, says the findings shed light on a long-known but troubling reality.
“we’ve long known men don’t live as long as women,” he said. “but this report helps explain why 44 per cent of canadian men who die are doing so before age 75 and how we can focus on preventing it.”
vancouver, b.c.: jeff ho (l) holds his grandson sitting beside his son, chris ho (r).
the national survey, which polled more than 1,500 men across canada, found nearly 60 per cent rated their mental health as only fair or poor. one in three reported feeling isolated or lonely, with a similar number showing symptoms of depression.
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yet most hadn’t reached out for help.
“even though ideas of masculinity are changing, there are hangovers from the ’90s and 2000s that men are still conflicted about,” oliffe said. “a lot of guys still want to be a protector, a provider, and that puts a lot of pressure on them to fulfill those roles.”
the report found that many men still view mental illness as a weakness. sixty-one per cent of those surveyed said stereotypes like “toughing it out” negatively impacted their health decisions or experiences in health care.
while some resist care to appear self-reliant, others are motivated to stay healthy to continue providing for loved ones.
in extreme cases, “rigid beliefs around masculinity can increase the risk of self-harm,” the report states.
suicide, the fourth-leading cause of premature death among canadian men, affects men at nearly three times the rate of women. indigenous men experience the highest rates across all five leading causes of early death.
oliffe said one promising approach to combat loneliness and isolation comes from men’s sheds, informal groups where men gather for woodworking or social projects. “they offer that social connection because loneliness can be a big killer for men.”
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men are also disproportionately affected by canada’s toxic drug crisis, accounting for 72 per cent of accidental opioid overdose deaths and 63 per cent of opioid-related hospitalizations.
these negative health impacts also have ripple effects on caregivers.
“when a man isn’t doing well health-wise, the burden often falls on the caregivers in his life, such as his mother or wife,” oliffe added. “but data shows when he’s healthier, he better supports the women around him — everyone benefits.”
ho, who is featured in the report, knows that kind of shift starts at home.
when his 63-year-old father, jeff, was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer in 2016, it was the first time he ever saw the man cry. “it changed how i thought about emotion and strength,” ho said. ho’s father died shortly after meeting his first grandson.
today, ho openly talks about health with his two young sons, caden and liam, ages three and seven. “they’ve both seen my scars, and i make it a point to talk with them as much as i possibly can about both my health and emotions.”
he hopes his story will help other canadian men rethink what strength means.
“i’ve never felt more courageous or strong than i do now,” he says.
chris ho (l) with his family — sons caden and liam and wife maggie (r).
this article was originally published in the vancouver sun on july 18, 2025.
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