Hundreds come out in Sudbury to help 'defeat depression'
It was a moving scene in Greater Sudbury Saturday morning as hundreds made it out to take part in the 10th Annual Defeat Depression Walk/Run at Bell Park.
The annual event raises funds for the Northern Initiative for Social Action (NISA) and the Mood Disorders Society of Canada.
Sudbury MPP Jamie West had many in the crowd moved as he told a story about his own personal struggles with mental health and how it was family who helped recognize there was an issue that had to be addressed.
"I want to congratulate each and every one of you who are here today because you are a lighthouse for people in the dark, he said.
“You are somebody they can reach out to, to have a conversation."
The city’s Ward 5 councillor Mike Parent told CTV News it was a great turnout.
“It shows the level of community support for something like mental health, illness and depression," said Parent.
"Coming out of the pandemic, we know this is an issue in all communities so I'm really pleased to see the turnout and the support for this."
- Download the CTV News app now and get local alerts on your device
- Get local breaking news and updates sent to your email inbox
Sudbury has become one of the top markets for the 'Defeat Depression' campaign with almost half the funds raised in the city making up what they raise on the national level.
"Fundraising is nice and it's a good fundraiser but really, to see 350 and that's my estimation, 250 people walking around here and being okay with saying 'hey mental health is here and it's not something to be ashamed of' is amazing," said NISA Executive Director Martin Boucher.
"I've had the pleasure of hearing stories through my tenure here with NISA and I've had stories from all walks of life, all ages and we all know someone or are affected ourselves with mental health," said event organizer Lindsey Chamberland.
Shirley Rajotte is the peer coordinator for the NISA Older Adult Peer Support Program. She came out, all decked out in her NISA gear and made sure to get herself a seat in the front row.
Hundreds descended on Sudbury's Bell Park Saturday morning in a bid to 'defeat depression." The 10th Annual Defeat Depression Walk was held with funds being raised for the Northern Initiative for Social Action and the Mood Disorders Society of Canada. (Ian Campbell/CTV News Northern Ontario)"People are afraid to talk about their mental health because they're afraid there is something wrong with them, but there's not,” she said.
“There is nothing wrong with them,"
Participants said every little bit helps. Passersby, likely, no doubt felt the optimism from many of them that 'defeating depression' is possible.
"Sometimes we have good mental health, sometimes we have poor mental health and it's a really important cause to raise money for," said participant Karen Henze.
Officials said the goal here, if anything, is to show people 'it's okay, not to be okay;' adding one in two adults will have experienced some sort of mental health challenge at some point in their lifetime.
For more information on the event, visit their Facebook page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.