Mr. Chairman and committee members, it's great to be back with you after many years.
Let me talk a bit about suicide prevention. Today, more than 10 people will die by suicide, and many more will attempt to do so. Suicide is a top ten cause of death in Canada and is devastating for the families and communities who are left behind.
But thankfully, suicide can be prevented and we all have a responsibility to make the investments that will save these lives. We're ready to deploy in 13 communities across Canada based on proven programs, both in Quebec and in Europe, that have demonstrated significant reductions in the suicide rate—as much as 20% over a two-year period.
Communities would be selected based on population size, region, urban-rural, and the presence of acutely at-risk populations, including military members and veterans, first nations, Inuit and Métis, youth, LBGTQ people, and middle-aged men. This is community led and developed to ensure sustainability. Community leaders, including first nations, Inuit and Métis, will be empowered to develop appropriate local interventions.
Individuals who are experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviours may not seek help, but they may exhibit risk factors that show they are vulnerable. Our proposal targets the gatekeepers in the community who may be able to identify these risks earlier and connect the individual to appropriate treatment. Gatekeepers are people like us around this table and include teachers, religious leaders, home care workers, first responders, and anyone who works with members of the public, even yourselves. If we know the signs, we can help.
Health care providers will receive better training. Access to means of suicide will be identified and mitigated if possible. Public awareness campaigns will be undertaken that will reduce the stigma of mental health so that people feel able to come forward. Finally, a concentrated outreach will be targeted to the most at-risk groups.
To achieve this, we're recommending an investment of $40 million over a five-year period, and we could begin work as early as this April. We're poised to act quickly, thanks to existing stakeholder partnerships and international learnings, and this program meets a priority of the Prime Minister and demonstrates action to deliver a federal framework on suicide prevention.
As a former Minister of Finance, I certainly appreciate the challenges you're facing around this table in making the tough decisions for recommendations in advance of the budget, but we owe it to ourselves as a society to stand with the Prime Minister in his desire for combatting PTSD and suicide.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.