Thursday, September 19, 2019
VOLUME 2 I ISSUE 12
MERIDIANSOURCE.CA
Remembrance walk for life TAYLOR WEAVER
EDITOR
..................................
It’s important to remember you never know what someone standing next to you might be going through and to be kind to thy neighbour. In a salute to World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), which was Tuesday, Sept. 10, Border City and surrounding area residents came together on Saturday afternoon to take a lap around the lake at Bud Miller All Seasons Park as part of the 9th Annual Walk of Remembrance. The main goals of the walk were to remember those who have taken their lives as well as being there for those who have lost a loved one due to suicide. WSPD is an opportunity for everyone in a community, including those who have personal experience with suicide attempts or loss, and interested groups and citizens to come together to promote understanding about suicide, highlight effective prevention activities as well as
eliminate the stigmas associated with suicide. In Canada, it is estimated that a total of 10 people end their life and 250 people attempt suicide daily. Suicide occurs in all age ranges, economic, social and ethnic backgrounds, but in recent years the number of men between the ages of 25 and 50-years-old taking their own lives has increased dramatically. “This is a chance for the community to come together every year and for friends and family who have lost loved ones to suicide, to get together and share that collective loss, and remember the person they’ve lost in an open area,” said Neil Harris, co-chair of the planning committee with the Walk of Remembrance. “A big part of this event is people can get together and realize they’re in this together and walking a similar journey or share a similar loss.” Harris has been involved in the annual Walk of Remembrance for the past eight years and explained how over
the years the radius of attendees continues to grow as the topic of mental health becomes more talked about. “Talking about this is a great first step and it reduces the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide, and sadly, suicide is much more common than we know, so just raising awareness is important,” he said. “There’s a lot of awareness in our community about mental health and about suicide awareness.” Local dignitaries at Saturday’s event included Saskatchewan MLA Colleen Y oung, Alberta MLA Garth Rowswell, and Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers, who all delivered heart-felt messages regarding the importance of such events. Soothing music was provided by Sarah Davis and Kevin Kraft of the Church Keys as a panel of four guest speakers prepared to take the stage prior to the walk. Shirley Scott, Paul Laberge, Wendy Foth-
Taylor Weaver Meridian Source
Wendy Fothergill and Paul Laberge took the lead on Saturday afternoon as ambassadors for the 9th Annual Walk of Remembrance at Bud Miller All Seasons Park.
ergill and Bernadette Yelland, all area locals who either have personal experience with suicide or work in the field to prevent or help people cope with suicide, shared their powerful stories and personal experiences with the crowd. Paul Laberge recently became a fairly wellknown name in the area after he completed a walk from Saskatoon to the Border City to raise mental health awareness and funds for the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation’s
mental health initiative Project Sunrise. Laberge found his father’s body after he had taken his own life almost one year ago to the day, which motivated him to stop letting life kick him in the butt and get out and do something to stop the stigma associated with mental health and suicide. “For me, I don’t come out and talk about my experience and my walk to get the attention, I do it because it’s my therapy of releasing everything I have inside, and my mission
is to make the uncomfortable, comfortable,” he said before the panel discussion. “I feel that you’re not going to make things comfortable if you’re not talking about it, and small steps like simply talking about what’s going on in your life can make all the difference. “There’s a reason the rearview mirror is the size it is and the windshield is as big as it is in a vehicle … it’s because you’re supposed to move forward and keep your eye on the bigger picture and not the past.”