Suicide rates in northern Ontario are significantly higher when compared to southern Ontario communities.
Today in Sudbury, community partners gathered for a Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention Summit.
In a brainstorming session, people were asked to come with ideas about how to make the Sudbury and Manitoulin Districts suicide-safer areas.
Michael Cullen is the Executive Director of United Way Centraide North East Ontario.
“It all starts with a conversation. It's being brave to stand up and say there is an issue. It's being brave to recognize the issues and just being brave enough to tackle them. So, today is about setting the stage.” said Cullen.
Organizers say it's a stage to promote life and share ideas about suicide prevention, intervention, peer support and how to connect people to services.
They say the need is real in an area where suicide rates are higher.
Mark Fraser is the director of information and system performance for Child & Family Centre.
"They are almost double here in the north according to the latest I.C.E.S. report. I think there are many reasons: services, lack of services, lacks of funding for our geographical region, our rurality, there are many issues." said Fraser.
Shana Calixte is the mental health and addictions manager at Public Health Sudbury& Districts.
"It's very similar to mental health, a big stigma about talking about whether or not you have thought about suicidal ideation or thought about dying by suicide. So, I think it's important to have a conversation so we can bring that out of the shadows, as they say." said Calixte.
People taking part in the summit agree the more suicide is talked about, the more it can be prevented.
Ontario suicide prevention services
Crisis Intervention Service (Sudbury area)
FREE youth walk-in mental health services (Sudbury and Espanola)
