Suicide prevention organizers have planned an event to honour and remember people affected by suicide by taking part in a World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) and memorial event to be held this weekend at Bell Park, at the Elizabeth Street Gazebo.
The event is planned for Sunday, Sept. 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The local Suicide Safer Network (SSN) is hosting the day for people and families whose lives have been affected by suicide and to honour and remember friends and loved ones, said a news release from the SSN group.
World Suicide Prevention Day is observed every year on Sept. 10 with the goal of raising awareness about suicide, its impact, and the efforts underway to destigmatize suicide, said the release.
Suicide Safer Network’s World Suicide Prevention Day event offers community members the opportunity to learn, heal, and memorialize in a welcoming setting. Throughout the event, the aim is to spark conversations around mental health and suicide by learning from community partners and speakers.
The theme for WSPD 2024-2026, as selected by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide.”
With this, the IASP is issuing a call to action to “Start the Conversation.” This call encourages individuals, communities, organizations, and governments to engage in open, honest discussions about mental health and suicide, by learning from community partners and speakers, said the release.
Locally, the need to start the conversation is crucial, said the organizers.
In Greater Sudbury and Manitoulin Districts the suicide rate is 17.4 per 100,000, a significantly higher rate than the average for all of Ontario, which is 11.4 deaths per 100,000.
Of those deaths, 6.3 per cent were among youth aged 10 to 19, a rate 86 per cent higher than the province-wide youth suicide rate for all of Ontario.
"Many underestimate the profound impact suicide has on a community,” said Mark Fraser, Chief Executive Officer at Compass and co-chair of the Suicide Safer Network.
“It is more important than ever to raise awareness of suicide prevention, intervention and post-vention, highlighting the critical need to recognize warning signs and intervene early. Today is also a time to support those affected by suicide and remind us all that by fostering understanding and open dialogue, we can save lives and strengthen our community.”