Caring Hearts, a Regina-based nonprofit organization that provides grief and trauma support, is hosting an evening of remembrance, awareness and hope on World Suicide Prevention Day.
The organization will hold the event at 6 p.m. on September 10 at Central Park, located at 15th Avenue and Scarth Street in Regina. The evening will include a candlelight vigil and memorial walk to honour those whose lives have been impacted by suicide and to help change the narrative surrounding suicide.
“In Canada, 12 people die by suicide every day,” said Keely Wight-Young, Executive Director of Caring Hearts. “That’s over 4,500 lives annually.”
The event will begin with a blessing from an Elder, followed by remarks from Lori Carr, Minister of Addictions and Mental Health. Speakers with lived experience will also share their stories, including people who have lost loved ones to suicide and those who have experienced suicidal ideation and survived.
“Here in Saskatchewan, the situation is especially urgent. Our province has the highest suicide rate of any province in Canada, and among our youth, rates are nearly double the national average,” said Wight-Young. “In our Indigenous community, the risk is even higher. Indigenous people account for 35 per cent of suicides in our province, though only 17 per cent of the population is Indigenous.”
Wight-Young suggests these stats point to a public health crisis and said, “The crisis is worsened by the fact that many who reach out for help are turned away or cannot access the support that they need.”
While there are many factors that contribute to suicide, Wight-Young emphasized the significant impact of intergenerational trauma. Other contributing factors can include socioeconomic challenges, isolation and limited access to mental health, addictions and treatment services.
“Caring Hearts provide a lot of support to people who have lost loved ones to suicide,” said Wight-Young.
They offer support groups throughout the community, as well as counselling services. The organization also operates Saskatchewan’s only biannual grief and trauma camp for children and youth, helping young people navigate grief and loss.
In addition, Caring Hearts provides education and training to organizations in the private sector and across the province. The training helps organizations better understand grief and trauma while developing tools and resilience to support those experiencing loss.
The services offered by Caring Hearts are based on a “Two-Eyed Seeing” approach, combining Western therapeutic practices with traditional Indigenous knowledge and healing.
The organization’s community wellness facilitator also travels throughout Saskatchewan to provide in-person support to Indigenous individuals and families experiencing grief and trauma who prefer to meet with someone face to face.
Wight-Young says this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day theme is focused on changing the narrative around suicide and reducing the stigma that can prevent people from seeking help.
“A lot of people suffer alone and feel shame,” said Wight-Young. “The more we work together to reduce or completely remove the stigma, and talk to one another, and let them know that help is available, hopefully we can have more recovery through the process.”
Caring Hearts offers suicide-loss support groups and counselling services both in-person and virtually to individuals across Saskatchewan.
Anyone in Canada experiencing suicidal thoughts or in need of immediate crisis support can call or text 9-8-8, the national Suicide Crisis Helpline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.