Mr. Speaker, I will follow up on my colleague's last comments which clarify the issue of there being suicides that are related to mental illness and then another swathe of suicides.
When we look at the suicide epidemic--and “epidemic” is a horrific word to use in connection with suicide but I do not know what other word to use--in first nation communities, we must look at children in communities like Kashechewan who experience feelings of hopelessness. When I visited Attawapiskat and Fort Albany I spoke with children in grades 3 and 4 who said they were giving up hope. That is a staggering indictment.
We have seen a slate of suicides in northwestern Ontario where young people have been forced to go to school because there are no schools in their communities. They just disappear. They are missing for days, weeks and months. It seems as if there is a black hole.
What would my hon. colleague suggest to the first nation youth who are falling through the cracks at an astounding rate? What steps are needed to ensure that when a first nation child is in need, that child is not just left to die?