Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind all members that today is Bell Let's Talk day, when Canadians come together to talk, text, and tweet about mental health and help fight the stigma surrounding mental illness. I ask all members to join me, along with Clara Hughes, to keep the conversation going. Today when Bell customers text or make mobile or long-distance calls, or when Canadians tweet using #BellLetsTalk or Facebook share, another 5¢ will be added to the cause.
Last year the response was overwhelming. Donations were made 96 million times, and Canadians added another $4.8 million to the Bell commitment.
Twenty per cent of Canadians will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime, but two out of three will suffer in silence due to the continuing stigma. Mental illness costs our economy more than $52 billion a year, and in any given day, more than half a million Canadians will miss work because of it. Mental illness can touch anyone.
I ask all members to join the conversation today. I would like to thank Bell for its leadership on this issue. “Let's Talk”.