Debates of May 2nd, 2019

The House resumed from February 4 consideration of the motion.

National Suicide Prevention Action Plan

[Wayne Stetski, NDP, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak in support of the motion put forward by my colleague, the member for Timmins - James Bay.

Motion No. 174 calls for the government to establish a national suicide prevention action plan, with concrete steps and timelines. Government can and should take a leadership role in working to reduce the number of Canadians lost to suicide each year.

Suicide has impacted my family personally. My niece, Mikki Everett, died on November 21, 1994. She was 15 years old. Our family still is not clear whether her death was accidental or deliberate, but the impact her death had on all of us continues today. Her mother Heidi was never able to return to work. One never stops wondering why or what could have been done to prevent it.

Mikki was a joy to be around. We took her on family vacations and our kids adored her. We shared the same birthday, and my daughter Kellie honoured Mikki by giving my granddaughter, Lalita, middle names of Micheline Dawn in Mikki' s memory. We still miss her today. Her death was almost 25 years ago. Has anything really improved around suicide prevention since then?

One area we are starting to see some improvement in is in reducing the stigma associated with mental illness. This is a positive step in ensuring that people feel more comfortable seeking the help they need.

I would like to read an excerpt from a column written by Anglican Reverend Yme Woensdregt from Cranbrook. He shared how he came out on the other side of depression and offered advice for those who find themselves struggling, using words of wisdom from a source members may recognize, Piglet from Winnie-the-Pooh:

“Piglet?” said Pooh.

"Yes Pooh?" said Piglet.

“Do you ever have days when everything feels ... Not Very Okay At All? And sometimes you don't even know why you feel Not Very Okay At All, you just know that you do?”

Piglet nodded his head sagely. “Oh yes,” said Piglet. “I definitely have those days.”

“Really?” said Pooh in surprise. “I would never have thought that. You always seem so happy and like you have got everything in life all sorted out.”

“Ah,” said Piglet. “Well here's the thing. There are two things that you need to know, Pooh. The first thing is that even those pigs, and bears, and people, who seem to have got everything in life all sorted out...they probably haven't. Actually, everyone has days when they feel Not Very Okay At All. Some people are just better at hiding it than others.”

“And the second thing you need to know...is that it's okay to feel Not Very Okay At all. It can be quite normal, in fact. And all you need to do, on those days when you feel Not Very Okay At All, is come and find me, and tell me. Don't ever feel like you have to hide the fact you're feeling Not Very Okay At All. Always come and tell me. Because I will always be there.”

A piece of advice shared both by Piglet and Reverend Yme is knowing that one can reach out for help during times of crisis. We need to ensure people can both ask for and receive the help they need when struggling with thoughts of depression.

Clinical depression is more than just a bad day. Depression can be persistent and can interfere with every aspect of life: relationships with family and friends, participation in hobbies, performance at school and work and physical health. Left untreated, depression can worsen, leading to substance abuse, obesity, self-harm or suicide.

Despite recent efforts to reduce the stigma of mental illness, there remains much work to be done. Many people still suffer in silence and three-quarters of those who die by suicide have no contact with mental health services in the year before their deaths.

This statistic shows that we need to do a better job of identifying individuals and groups at elevated risk and conducting proactive education and outreach activities to help prevent tragic losses of friends, family members, co-workers, neighbours, classmates and children.

Motion No. 174 proposes measures that will improve our understanding of suicide and, in turn, our prevention efforts. These are steps we need to take because too many lives are being lost every day.

According to British Columbia's minister of mental health and addictions, more than 500 people are lost to suicide every year in the province. Nationally, the most recent statistics available indicate approximately 4,000 Canadians die by suicide each year. That is about 11 people every day lost, and the circle of grief expands well beyond that.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 24. With each person lost, lives are broken and we lose so much potential in our communities.

Suicide is especially prevalent among men in rural areas. We need to understand the factors at play in at-risk populations to respond appropriately. Adopting Motion No. 174 would begin the work of filling in knowledge gaps and establishing best practices.

We also need to ensure that those who take the brave step of seeking help are taken seriously and have access to mental health services they need in a timely manner.

One of my staff members in Ottawa lost her cousin, Christopher, to suicide last fall on World Mental Health Day. In the month before he died, he attended the local emergency room three times with suicidal thoughts. Each time he was sent home and not connected with mental health services in the community. He was 26-years-old and wanted to be a writer. He was an only child, and his loss has left a terrible hole in the lives of his parents.

Christopher's story is sadly not an unfamiliar one as mental health crises are too often dealt with in emergency rooms not equipped to provide the treatment people need. Canadians across the country continue to face lengthy wait lists while they are in crisis, unless they have the means to pay out of pocket for help. Barriers and delays in accessing mental health services put the lives of people at risk not only due to suicide, but to overdose as well.

Canada is facing an opioid crisis and many people who struggle with mental health issues fall into addictions after trying to self-medicate. The tainted supply of street drugs puts those with concurrent mental illness and addiction at a high risk of death while they wait for access to treatment.

One of my staff has a close family member who suffers from mental health and addiction issues. He has been admitted to the hospital several times following suicide attempts. The family has been trying to access publicly funded treatment services, but have faced endless barriers and delays while his situation continues to deteriorate. My staff member says that it has come to the point that every time her mother calls at an unexpected time, she is afraid it will be to convey the news this family member has died by suicide or overdose.

The NDP has called for increased federal funding so those who are struggling addiction can access treatment on demand. One important part of Motion No. 174 is the requirement to conduct a comprehensive analysis within 18 months on barriers Canadians face in accessing appropriate health, wellness and recovery services, including substance abuse, addiction and bereavement services. It also requires an analysis within the same time frame of the funding arrangements required to provide the treatment, education, professional training and other supports required to prevent suicide and assist those bereaved by a loved one's suicide.

While we work to reduce the number of Canadians lost to suicide, we also need to ensure those left behind have the supports they need to cope with the aftermath. Survivors of suicide loss face trauma and grief, often mixed with complex feelings of guilt, confusion and sometimes anger. The impact of suicide reaches beyond the immediate family and can affect an entire community. One death by suicide is sometimes followed by another and clusters have been seen among adolescents and in some indigenous communities.

I attended the funeral of a Cranbrook resident who died by suicide. During the eulogy, we were asked to remember this person by the individual's entire life, not just the few seconds before it ended. That was an important message, but without appropriate supports it can be challenging for loved ones to process their feelings and navigate the aftermath in a healthy manner. That is another reason why I support Motion No. 174. It calls for an analysis of bereavement services for those impacted by suicide.

One other group we must keep in mind in this discussion is the first responders who are exposed to the tragedy of suicide and must navigate interactions with families during an extremely difficult time. First responders are more likely to experience post-traumatic stress injury, which may elevate their own risk of dying by suicide. We must ensure first responders have training on best practices for responding to mental health crises and suicide and that they have the support needed to deal with the trauma they face on the job. We need to properly support all of our men and women who serve us in uniform who are at an increased risk for suicide.

As parliamentarians, we must do everything we can to prevent lives from being ended too soon due to suicide and the devastation it causes for those left behind.

I commend my colleague for bringing forward Motion No. 174 and I urge all members to support this important motion.

Business of Supply

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I would like to inform the House that Tuesday, May 7 shall be an allotted day.

The House resumed consideration of the motion.

National Suicide Prevention Action Plan

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services]

Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on the issue of suicide prevention. I would like to dedicate this debate to my late nephew, Zach Leger, who needlessly and tragically left us last summer. We love Zach.

I want to thank the member for Timmins—James Bay for bringing the motion forward, and I am pleased to say our government is supporting it. It calls for a national action plan on suicide prevention.

Suicide is a significant public health issue that affects many Canadians of all ages and backgrounds. On average, 11 people die by suicide each day. That is about 4,000 suicide deaths in Canada per year.

Suicide rates are higher than the national average in many indigenous communities and among all Inuit regions in Canada. In fact, suicide was the ninth leading cause of death among all Canadians in 2016. It is also the second leading cause of death after accidents among children, youth and young adults aged 10 to 34. Suicide accounted for approximately 5,028 potential years of life lost in Manitoba alone in 2011.

We know that suicide disproportionately affects certain groups. Approximately one-third of suicide deaths are among people 45 to 59 years of age. Rates of suicide are approximately three times higher among men than women, though women are two times more likely to be hospitalized due to self-injury than men.

In addition, suicide-related behaviours are reportedly more prevalent in LGBTQ2 youth in comparison to their non-LGBTQ2 peers. Rates of suicide are higher in remote areas as compared to cities and among people that are socially isolated. As I previously mentioned, suicide rates in many indigenous communities are higher than the national average. In my home province of Manitoba, indigenous youth are five to seven times more likely to commit suicide than non-indigenous youth.

Statistics, as stark as they are, only tell part of the story. For every suicide death, many more people are impacted, such as those surviving a suicide attempt or those grieving the loss of someone to suicide. This issue affects far too many families, far too many friends and entire communities. Unfortunately, the stigma associated with mental health means that many people never reach out to receive the help they need.

Suicide is a complex issue. There is no single cause that explains or predicts suicide and a combination of factors is often at play. This may include mental or physical illness or personal and intergenerational trauma, as well as experiences related to loss, injury, exposure, trauma, childhood abuse and neglect.

Current evidence also indicates an important association between suicide and broader socio-economic factors, such as housing, education, employment and income, as well as access to health care and culturally appropriate resources, the social determinants of health.

This is why the Government of Canada is very pleased to support this motion, which provides an opportunity to build on efforts already under way to advance suicide prevention in Canada.

Preventing suicide requires comprehensive approaches with the involvement of all sectors, including governments, non-governmental organizations, indigenous organizations, indigenous nations and communities most affected by suicide. This is particularly important for indigenous communities.

Our government is working closely with indigenous leadership to encourage and promote indigenous-led strategies for addressing suicide prevention in their own communities. We are also working closely with national indigenous organizations to develop unique, comprehensive strategies to mental wellness and life promotion.

In July 2016, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, or ITK, launched the national Inuit suicide prevention strategy. This strategy outlines six priority areas: creating social equity; creating cultural continuity; nurturing healthy Inuit children from birth; ensuring access to a continuum of mental health services for Inuit young people; healing unresolved trauma and grief; and mobilizing Inuit knowledge for resilience and suicide prevention.

The Government of Canada, through budget 2019, will provide $50 million over 10 years and $5 million per year ongoing to support the national Inuit suicide prevention strategy.

However, the approach and strategy developed by the ITK may not be the appropriate solution for other indigenous communities. We are currently working with the Métis nation to develop a Métis nation-specific approach that will be responsive to the needs of the Métis as it will be informed by the Métis perspective and experience.

The first nations mental wellness continuum framework was similarly developed to specifically address the needs of first nations communities.

Budget 2019 also committed $1.2 billion toward Jordan's principle. I was happy to join the Minister of Indigenous Services, along with several other Winnipeg members of Parliament last week, to speak about this investment and our government's ongoing commitment to the full implementation of Jordan's principle.

Through Jordan's principle, first nations children are able to receive the mental health care and treatment they require. This includes land-based activities, suicide intervention and prevention, counselling services, youth engagement specialists and traditional healing methods.

Advancing efforts toward suicide prevention, better treatment and recovery are important for Canada. We recognize the importance of comprehensive and culturally appropriate approaches with multiple partners to address the issue of suicide in Canada.

Moving forward, the government will continue to work closely with partners and stakeholders and be responsive to the diverse needs and experiences of people and communities most affected by suicide. We will continue to work together to build a Canada where we have a better understanding of suicide and its prevention, where everyone has access to the help they need and where all Canadians live with dignity and hope.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

It is my duty pursuant to Standing Order 38 to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Saskatoon West, Indigenous Affairs; the hon. member for North Island—Powell River, Fisheries and Oceans.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON]

Madam Speaker, it is an honour always to rise in this chamber and represent my constituents. On this occasion, it is no exception.

Today I rise to support the motion of a New Democratic colleague, the member for Timmins—James Bay, which would establish a national framework to combat suicide. I want to assure my colleague that I read the motion line by line. I have no contention with the substance of the motion, although the complexity of the same is significant.

At committee, our colleagues could hash out how the execution of this would take into consideration the collaboration with provinces, our many first nations, the Department of National Defence, etc. In fact, it would be my contention that the issues of suicide and mental health are of such significant concern that a special committee should be considered.

Only on one other occasion did I use an opportunity in the chamber to relay a personal experience, referring more to the spirit of the bill than the details. I do the same today, as I am convinced that my brief intervention will add significantly to this debate. I do this also because of the overwhelming response I and my family have received from across the country when people have heard me speak out regarding my daughter's suicide and mental health.

On August 12, 2017, my wife Almut and I had just finished having an enjoyable time with my son Lucian, his wife and our grandchildren at his in-laws' cottage a few hours from Thunder Bay. We were boarding a flight from Thunder Bay to Toronto so we could return home to Ancaster. As we were making our way to the gate, I felt my phone vibrate and saw that my eldest son, Christopher, had sent a text to my phone saying that an urgent message had been posted, requesting to have me or my wife, the parents of Lara Sweet, call them immediately. Of course, this seemed bizarre, but any parent would agree that a message of this nature would immediately raise one's anxiety to a very serious level. Since we were at the time just boarding our flight, I asked my son to please call the person and press him or her for information so when we landed in Toronto, we could help Lara as she was living in Oshawa.

We had been through a lot with Lara over the years. We had many great and positive family times watching Lara become a leader in training, an aspiring camp counsellor and a total annoyance to her four brothers. However, Lara had a life-long battle with mental health. She was diagnosed early with profound ADHD and we walked with her through many issues over the years with treatment, counselling, acting out, being arrested by police, searching for her at night, on the streets and visiting her in jail. All this is to that say we were used to responding to urgent and pressing situations with Lara. Our love never diminished one bit through it all.

I did not expect to hear from Chris until we landed in Toronto. I told my wife that we would get an update when we arrived at Billy Bishop airport. To my surprise, while we were still in Thunder Bay, taxiing out to the runway, my phone vibrated again. My son, in a text, informed me that the person who was the author of the Facebook post explained that she was a neighbour of Lara's, that the police were at the townhouse where Lara was renting a room and that Lara had passed away. I was horrified. It was hard to contain the immediate rush of grief, but I knew if I told my wife this information, particularly because I had not had a chance to verify the information as being true, it would be the most difficult two hours of her life before we landed in Toronto. Consequently, I decided to restrain myself, do my best to act normal and call immediately the Durham Regional Police when we landed. That is exactly what I did.

I cannot say to this day how I contained myself; I cannot remember.

The officers were still on the scene. The dispatcher was kind enough to transfer my call to the first officer on the scene who was thorough to ascertain I was who I said I was. He then informed me that Lara was indeed dead and all the evidence pointed to the fact that she had taken her own life, although it would not be conclusive until the coroner's report was complete. Although he told me it would need to be seized as evidence, she had left a note, indicating that she felt she had let people down, that she had relapsed on drugs again and needed to say good-bye.

There have been a lot of difficult things I have had to tell my wife, Lara's mother, but I do not remember anything more difficult than explaining to Almut that Lara was gone. Lara was only 24 years old, bright, caring, with lots of opportunity. Many people wished her well and were willing to do all they could to see her successful. Now we had to face the fact and grasp the surreal reality that we would never see her on this earth again.

Having to go and clean out our child's rented room, notifying all who loved her—and most reacted with overwhelming emotion, so we needed to comfort them—planning our own daughter's funeral, finding the right photos and dress for the casket, are all so disorienting, and the list goes on. The numbness is almost impossible to describe.

At every call that needs to be made—and there are many—one hesitates, wondering what the challenges will be on a particular call. If the call is to the police or the coroner, there is a wait for the detective or coroner's assistant to call back, and most of the time the parent is so immersed in other arrangements that they miss the call. The same goes with all the other many calls and duties. You know you are running on empty, but you just have to keep going.

Fortunately, among all the pain, sorrow and grief, there are amazing events that people of faith call redemptive moments. Family and community come together. We have a large family and a great church family, and all were there to comfort us and help us work through the journey of grief and loss. In Lara's case, there were hundreds of young people who showed up for the visitation before the funeral.

Even though Lara struggled with her own mental health and wellness, she continued on in her Christian commitment and had touched very many lives with her love and compassion. In fact, there is a Facebook page to this day with memories of Lara.

It took months to receive the coroner's report so we could have an idea of what had happened to Lara and confirm it. It was over four months before we could pick up her personal effects, her phone with its pictures from our last times together and the note she left us months before.

People question themselves over and over, even though they know it is not healthy. Nor is there anything they can do now that would change anything by asking, “Did I miss a subtle cry for help that she was trying to make? Did we reach out to her enough? Was I firm enough? Was I strong enough? Was I soft enough with my communication with her? Is there something we could have done early on in her life that would have led her down a more appropriate path, a healthier path? How much mental anguish did she go through on the way to making the decision to give herself a lethal overdose? Did she suffer?”

Then even months and years later, when thoughts are not even remotely in the space of a lost child, a flower, a song, a colour, a word will trigger what my wife calls a “grief bomb”, and the pain is just as real as if it were that day when the loss happened.

I share this painful and personal story to shed light on the importance of the initiative that the member from Timmins—James Bay is asking the House to consider, approve and undertake. Four thousand times a year someone takes their life in this country. It is true that it is not always someone's child or a youth or young adult, but all too often it is.

I wanted my colleagues to know that their important and thoughtful vote to move this motion to a committee for study could eventually mean that the pain our family and thousands of other families endured could be significantly reduced. A national strategy could bring together all those individuals and organizations that are already doing great work on the front lines to address the mental health and suicide crisis, and bring them together to create synergies and best practices so that so many more people who are struggling could be helped.

I thank the House for the opportunity to share. I ask all hon. members to support this important motion so that we can move forward and help who are in desperate need.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I want to thank the member again for sharing his story. It is obviously not an easy one. I think there are many of us here in the House who either know someone or who have experienced it within their lives, and I can sympathize with that. I have had an uncle, a cousin, a cousin's husband, a cousin's child commit suicide, so I really appreciate the tone in the House and the stories that are being shared and the fact that everyone here seems to be on the same page about the need to do something.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Madam Speaker, I, too, want to express my deep gratitude for the tone in this room. This is a very powerful and very sad discussion to have.

It is a privilege for me to speak to Motion No. 174, which talks about suicide prevention.

We are talking about something that is often very hard for people to talk about, so I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the loved ones living with the reality of suicide, especially in the context of the speech before mine.

The actuality of life when someone we love dies by suicide is simply unimaginable. I want to acknowledge that some communities in our country face higher rates of suicide, including indigenous, LGBTQ2 and military and veterans communities, just to name a few.

ln February of this year, a very young man in my family was successful in his suicide attempt. lt has been devastating for our community of just over 300 people, our family, and most of all, those who loved him the very most, his parents, sister, uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents.

Suicide shakes the very foundation of the people it impacts. The questioning of how and why is overwhelming. lt is something that most people are unsure how to address. I have heard stories of the loved ones of those who have died by suicide being completely isolated, because people do not know how to speak to that issue, speak to that pain, and therefore, too often, they avoid them. What do we say to people who have lost someone they loved by their own hand?

I have watched this struggle in my loved one's father. The words seem to be blocked at his lips. We know that words have power, and saying them aloud makes the reality that much more real. How does one carry this pain? How does one help? Who does one call? This is why we need a national suicide action plan to help Canadians, a comprehensive plan that would prevent suicide and provide support when suicide happens.

Each month, on average, the Canadian Armed Forces loses one serving member to death by suicide. As a member who represents a military base in my riding, I think it is important that the members of the House hear this. lt is an epidemic that continues, despite some positive steps taken to address mental health issues in the forces.

When Bill C-77 passed through the House late last year, I was disappointed that it did not remove subsection 98(c) from the National Defence Act. This subsection makes self-harm a disciplinary offence under the military code of conduct. It concerns me deeply that members of our military could be seriously considering suicide but feel unable to disclose it or ask for help because they could be disciplined. What a way to come forward and tell this horrific truth about oneself. When people are experiencing a state that leads them to thoughts of self-harm, there must be a safe way for them to come forward.

My friend, the member for Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, proposed an amendment to remove subsection 98(c) from the National Defence Act in committee. Unfortunately, it was defeated, and the amendment was defeated on so-called procedural grounds. It has been reintroduced in the House in Bill C-426. Based on the feeling in the House, I really hope that this bill receives unanimous consent at all stages when it comes to this place.

When we speak to this issue within the context of Motion No. 174, we see the need for it to be addressed. We do not want any Canadians in this country to feel that they cannot come forward to get the help they so desperately need. The Canadian Armed Forces deserve to have our support. The mere existence of subsection 98(c) continues to be a barrier for Canadian Forces members seeking the mental health assistance they need, and the House has only one more opportunity to fix this. I would love it to be in this Parliament.

Today we are debating Motion No. 174, which was tabled in this place by the member for Timmins—James Bay. I want to thank him for his tireless work and advocacy on this issue and for his dedication in bringing this forward. I am relieved to hear that the government will be supporting it.

I also thank the member because this motion speaks to the isolation I mentioned earlier. When people are successful in their suicide, or when their attempt is unsuccessful, everyone is impacted, and it is often the isolation that is the hardest part to carry. People are unsure of what to say, terrified to touch the pain of that choice, regardless of the result.

This outlines exactly why it is so important to have a national suicide prevention action plan. This issue of suicide must be addressed directly and holistically. The more isolation and silence there is around suicide, the more people will hide their thoughts and not ask for the help they need.

lt is imperative that Canada not leave any community behind. We must have a framework, because there are many small and isolated communities, like the ones I represent, that have limited access to services. How do we reach out in a safe way? We all know that when small communities face successful suicides, it can often become an epidemic.

The young man that I spoke of earlier, my relative, is the second in less than a year and a half in our small community of just under 300 people. The impact on that community has been profound, and the fear that another child is going to follow those steps has been something we all watch.

When I think about the Facebook posts that we have seen from some of our youth who are actively questioning the validity of being here, I am reminded again of how important it is as a country that we remember that those children, those people, are so important and that we must address their isolation. We can only do that by having a framework that goes across this country, so that we can work collaboratively.

No one wants to live through this. I think of my brother, who has a serious mental health issue. I think of how strong he has been in his life to face the multiple challenges and how hard it can be when he is put in situations where people do not understand that invisible mental health issue that he lives with every single day. It worries me when people do not understand that and treat him in ways that are profoundly disrespectful.

All of us know what it is to love someone and often feel as though we are fighting for their very existence. I am really happy that we are here to talk about this, to talk about having a system in place to address that.

Recently, we have been doing a study at the Veterans Affairs committee. We are looking at the impact on veterans from the use of mefloquine, which is a medication used to prevent or treat malaria. Sadly, mefloquine has been identified as a medication that can poison the brain. There are many veterans across this country who do not know that they may have the impacts of mefloquine poisoning and that their symptoms may relate directly to that. Some veterans have died by suicide, and there are questions as to whether it was due in part to the undiagnosed impacts of the use of mefloquine. This also must be addressed. That is why this is so important.

I want to acknowledge that I have not touched on every vulnerable community across this country that faces a higher suicide rate. Those stories need to be heard, and I hope to see all members in the House support this motion so that this work can be done. I am very glad to hear that so many here will support it, but we need to make sure that everyone does.

Currently, Canada does have a federal framework for suicide prevention, but this framework does not provide funding, goals, timelines and activities that would reduce suicide and does not assign responsibility to jurisdictions. We know that if responsibility is not given, if the jurisdiction is not given, if goals and resources are not given, the work simply does not get done.

I have to say how honoured I am to be in this place when we are discussing one of the most difficult conversations. We are all facing the challenges, being brave to make noise where often there is silence. I encourage all of us and all Canadians to remember to reach out to those people, even when it is hard and uncomfortable. Sometimes we need to stand with people where they are uncomfortable. We have to admit that we are also uncomfortable, but we have to let them know that we are with them and that we support them.

I think this bill will take those steps and I am really thankful that we are going to support it and see change happen in this country.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak about the government's support for Motion No. 174, introduced by the member for Timmins—James Bay. Put simply, there are few things more devastating to a family and community than suicide, as we have heard today from other hon. members and yourself, Madam Speaker.

It affects Canadians from all walks of life and in all corners of our land. Every single day, it takes 11 of them from us. That is about 4,000 Canadians lost to suicide every year: our mums and dads, sons and daughters, friends, neighbours, teachers and caregivers. We also know that all too often stigma prevents people from seeking or offering help. At the most difficult moment in their lives, people need help and hope. We can and must do better, which is why addressing mental health and suicide are among our government's top priorities.

I know how important this motion is to people who have been working for years to raise awareness, like Michele Sparling, whose “Shine Out! Shout Out!” hockey tournament supports programming for youth mental health and suicide prevention, and Brian Hansell, who started his convoplate initiative in memory of his son Paul after Paul died by suicide while a student at Brock. I cannot speak this afternoon without remembering my friend, David Sheridan, who died by suicide, and his family's courage in speaking out.

I am sorry, Madam Speaker.

They know middle-aged men are at risk, yet no one talks about it.

Today, I stand before you to reaffirm our commitment to addressing this challenge head-on. I would also like to shed some light on the many initiatives, investments and partnerships we are currently undertaking, including the federal framework for suicide prevention, which will align with Motion No. 174. This is one issue where I can confidently state that I know everyone in this House shares the same goal of saving lives. Led by a Prime Minister who has courageously shared his own family's experience with mental illness, our government is taking bold and unprecedented action to bring mental health to the forefront.

Two years ago, our government made the largest investment in Canadian history in mental health and addiction services, a groundbreaking $5 billion. This funding is going to those who need it most, including youth, early interventions and culturally appropriate services for indigenous peoples.

In 2016, we released the federal framework for suicide prevention, with the goal of raising awareness, fighting stigma and saving lives. Its purpose is to better coordinate our government's efforts to prevent suicide, while complementing and supporting the important work being done by others.

What does this really look like? It is connecting people to resources like a pan-Canadian suicide prevention service that offers crisis support by calling, texting or chatting 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in English and French. Budget 2019 is supporting this crucial service by investing $25 million over five years.

The impact of suicide is not spread equally across our nation. Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected, including many where the suicide rate, heartbreakingly, is many times the national average. We know that colonization and cultural breakdown have had a devastating impact on these communities, with their lingering effects still claiming lives. In the spirit of reconciliation, our government is working closely with first nations and the Inuit to prevent suicide and save lives. We are investing more than $425 million each year in community programming to address the mental wellness needs of first nations and Inuit communities. These investments are used to provide essential services to address ongoing crises, improve on-the-land activities and enhance culturally appropriate substance use treatment.

Another group all too often affected by suicide are those who have already made so many sacrifices for us: members of the armed forces and veterans. That is why we have a plan to address it with the Canadian Armed Forces—Veterans Affairs Canada joint suicide prevention strategy, released in 2017.

Public safety officers and first responders have some of the highest rates of suicide in the country. Our public safety officers work incredibly hard to keep us safe, and their work can take a toll on their mental health. That is why I am proud to see our government introduce “Supporting Canada's Public Safety Personnel: An Action Plan on Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries”. Our government is committed to providing national leadership to support the mental health of public safety personnel by providing coordination, facilitating collaboration, sharing best practices and funding cutting-edge research.

We need to be informed by the voices of people with lived experience, like those we have heard today, and we will continue to work to prevent suicide. This may be a long, difficult path, but it is one we are committed to walking, hand in hand with indigenous organizations, other governments, community groups and people most affected by suicide.

Together, we can ensure that all Canadians get the help they need. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we can save lives.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I want to advise the member that there was nothing to be sorry about. This is a very emotional issue that touches many of us personally and within our communities. I really appreciate the discussions being had here today.

Resuming debate, the hon. member for Calgary Confederation.

[Len Webber, Conservative, Calgary Confederation, AB]

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise today to speak to Motion No. 174 brought forward by the member for Timmins—James Bay. The motion suggests that the government establish a national suicide prevention action plan with numerous provisions, provisions such as setting up culturally appropriate community-based suicide prevention programs and conducting analyses on a long list of subjects relating to suicide. The motion also includes an annual reporting requirement to Parliament of implementation and progress.

Suicide is a word that has carried with it so much shame and stigma throughout human history. It is a topic we tend not to discuss, acknowledge or deal with. It claims more lives annually than other more openly discussed issues, such as motor vehicle collisions, homicides or industrial accidents. Its relative absence from our common vocabulary speaks volumes.

How many obituaries fail to acknowledge suicide as the cause of death? How many suicides get reported in the media? Not many, perhaps because it is our fear of it, our inability to fully comprehend it. People who die by suicide or attempt suicide usually feel overwhelmed, hopeless, helpless, desperate and alone. In more recent times, we as a society have opened up the discussion mental health, but we do have a long way to go.

Just a few weeks ago, my home town of Calgary was rocked by a suicide, a suicide that was reported by media outlets due to the shock and sadness stemming from it. It was the suicide of a nine-year-old girl. Our community was stunned. How does a nine-year-old girl come to this decision? It is something we just cannot imagine.

When this young girl, Amal Alshteiwi, took her life, we all wanted answers. Why? What would bring her to this point? Many of us believed such a course of action was not even within the realm of a nine-year-old girl's thinking. It is something parents of young children want to believe is not even possible.

It turns out her story is not a new one. She was bullied in school, bullied to the breaking point. As a Syrian refugee, Amal, I suspect, already faced a lifetime of adversity just to be able to go to school. It should have gotten better coming to Canada, not worse. There are media reports that her bullying went unnoticed by teachers, not because it was done in dark corners but because it was done in her native language out in the open. This highlights just another complexity in dealing with such situations.

Amal's name translates into “hope”. I know this motion has been brought forward to Parliament in that spirit of hope. I know the member for Timmins—James Bay is hoping to address the rampant rates of suicide among the indigenous communities in his riding and across Canada. Sadly, youth suicide is a large problem within these communities, within so many communities. I hope, we hope that we can make progress in addressing the root causes of suicide. Once identified, we need to address the problems to reduce our suicide rates in Canada.

As I read through the motion, I find, and I suspect most others would find, little to disagree with. Suicide is a big problem. We do not talk about it, so people do not realize how big the problem really is.

I recall talking to a police officer in Edmonton when I was at the Alberta legislature. He told me that there was an average of one jumper off the high-level bridge in Edmonton per week. He said that it was a place for people in Edmonton to go when they were finally ready to kill themselves. One per week, never reported, of course, in the media. The high numbers were a shock to me, and I am sure would be a shock to many of us here. The city has since built a suicide barrier on the bridge, but more needs to be done than building the infrastructure.

Every day in Canada, 10 people die by suicide and 200 others will attempt to take their lives. If that many people a day died in plane crashes, Canadians would be up in arms demanding government take more action. However, when 10 people die by suicide every day in Canada, when their cause of death is often unmentioned, when their cause of death is not up for discussion, then it is destined to continue.

Suicide is one of the top 10 causes of death in Canada, and much of it is preventable. Men are at a much higher risk, well, sort of. Men are three times more likely than women to die by suicide. However, women are three times more likely to attempt suicide.

No community is immune to suicide. From the most remote communities in Canada to the busiest downtown street, suicide knows no bounds. The causes are similar, as much as they are different. However, the resources to address mental health issues vary widely from our biggest cities to our smallest communities, from one province to another, from one city to another. Like much of our national health care system, outcomes will vary greatly depending on where one lives. That is just not right.

Throughout Canada, there are already calls for more mental health funding, and this motion repeats that call. Throughout Canada, there are already calls for better, more culturally appropriate education and prevention programs, and this motion repeats that call. I could go on, but my point is that this motion does not call for anything we have not already heard before.

I do plan to support this motion, because I do not oppose any of its calls to action, calls often heard before. We certainly need to do something more than what we are doing now.

I am sure we all know of someone who committed suicide. Many just do not talk about it. We all know someone who tried to commit suicide. We just do not talk about it. We all know that more needs to be done to prevent and treat suicide. We just do not talk about it. This has to change, and that is why I am very happy that we are discussing this here today.

I want those who need help to reach out for it, to demand it. I especially want kids to get the help they need. The Kids Help Phone line is a fantastic resource for young people needing to talk to someone: 1-800-668-6868. All parents should post this number conveniently in their house and speak to their children about it. It could make a world of difference later.

Again, I will be supporting this motion. Any time we can discuss and support mental health issues and initiatives, any time there are efforts to raise awareness and remove the stigma surrounding mental health issues, I truly believe we are helping those in need. We just need to do more than talk. We need action.

I also want to express my sincere condolences to the hon. member for Flamborough—Glanbrook for his great loss.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Madam Speaker, as always, it is a great honour to rise in this incredible chamber. For me, today is a day of great joy and hope as I see how we have come together. I see it as very telling. In the very first emergency debate this Parliament held, parliamentarians from every region of the country came together to discuss the horrific dark night of the Attawapiskat youth suicide crisis.

It was the first act of this Parliament, but we have unfinished business. It is so powerful that we are here today, to come full circle, to say that the rates of death of people in our country from hopelessness from mental illness is unacceptable.

What we have learned today is that suicide does not respect political boundaries. It does not respect the boundaries of faith. It does not live in urban or rural areas. It is not for rich or for poor. It affects every community. Every death is like a psychic emotional shockwave that tears families and communities apart. It leaves the bereaved wondering what they could have done.

Outside this building, activists, mental health workers and people are standing and saying that there is reason for hope. It is our obligation, as legislators, to join them in ensuring we have a framework. We know frameworks and action plans work. We can look to Quebec for this. Quebec is a world model. Its youth suicide rate has dropped by 50%. Imagine what that would mean in the rest of the country. ITK now has a suicide plan? We should have a national suicide plan. We are bringing in a suicide plan to respond to the military, which is we need, but we need one for everyone.

Earlier this winter, when I was in Thunder Bay, I received a call at 11 o'clock at night to go to a hotel. Sol Mamakwa, the provincial member, asked if I would go with him. There had been a death of a 14-year-old girl. I did not know the community, but he asked if I could go and pay my respects. We went to the third floor of the hotel. We gave our condolences, starting with the classmates, then the neighbours, the third cousins, the second cousins and down to family members. We then walked into that room at the moment people were talking about taking that little girl's body home from the hospital. When we tried to give our condolences, the only thing they could say was they had lost so many.

How is it possible that a country with as many resources, hope and skill as Canada can leave its young to die? As parliamentarians, we need to respond to that question. We are not just there to say sorry for people's losses. We are there to say that their child, or husband or cousin was loved, but just were not sure he or she was loved. We can love people as a society and individuals, but as a nation, we have the obligation to put in place the tools to ensure that when people are hopeless and in their darkest hour that there will be support for them if they make that call. If they are looking for those resources, they will be there. As well, as parliamentarians, we need to ensure we are tracking the hot spots and danger points so we can start to move in and put the resources on the ground.

We learned in Attawapiskat, Neskantaga and in so many other communities that it is not good enough to wait until the crisis hits. Proactive engagement and working with communities across the country gives people a sense that their lives have meaning and dignity and that they will not take that dark path. This is the opportunity before Parliament.

For all the smut and corruption we debate on a daily basis, to have begun this Parliament talking about this issue and ended it trying to make a change, we can go home and say that for all the other things we have failed on, we all came together on this one. It is going to make a difference.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

[Some hon. members]

Yea.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

All those opposed will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

In my opinion the yeas have it.

And five or more members having risen:

Pursuant to Standing Order 93, the recorded division stands deferred until Wednesday, May 8, 2019, immediately before the time provided for Private Members' Business.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Madam Speaker, I am here to speak to my deep distress over the plight of wild salmon on the coast of British Columbia. I hope everyone has had the chance to experience the amazing journey salmon make when returning to their home habitats. It is awe inspiring to see their dedication and strength as they return to spawn.

On the coast I live on, the wild salmon are the backbone of our region. They are what we eat, the mainstay of our economy and what we live to protect. Sadly, for many years, the salmon have been ignored. The much-needed restoration of streams and rivers has been completely ignored. The harm done to wild salmon by the lack of an active strategy to restore and monitor was in the hands of both Conservative and Liberal governments, and look where we are today.

Often I have seen that rural and remote communities, like the ones I have the honour of representing, are ignored. How long have indigenous communities, public and sports fisheries, commercial fisheries and environmental groups come to the door of successive governments warning them that the wild salmon are at risk? The restoration needs to happen now, not later, and it is later now. It should have happened many years ago.

I can tell this House that in my riding of North Island—Powell River, the desire to protect wild salmon is high. I hear from all sectors, and their concerns are very similar. In my riding, there is simply not enough staff working on the ground from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The ones who are there are working hard, but with such a large and diverse region, with so many communities, we simply need more staff in the area. We need more to participate in what is happening in our region and in our communities. We need them to bring that information back to Ottawa so that they know here what is happening in our communities so that local knowledge is part of the decision-making process.

Several weeks ago, I had the honour of doing a tour at a local hatchery, one of several in my riding, with the Powell River Salmon Society. This amazing group has worked hard with its small staff, dedicated board of directors and numerous volunteers to do what it can to support the salmon. With no increase in funding in over 35 years, it is amazing what the group has been able to do.

My communities are ready to do all they can to support wild salmon. What we need is a bold plan, one that focuses on creating a safe place for wild salmon to thrive, and it must be a community-based coastal plan, not one from Ottawa.

For too long, successive governments have forgotten the realities of small, rural and remote communities. A bold plan is what I am here to look for and what should have been done over 10 years ago. It was not, and now my communities are having to pay the price of successive governments' inaction.

I am hoping to hear today what the plan is for the region I represent, what effort will be put into protecting the habitat for salmon and what will be done to support the many communities and businesses that rely on salmon. It is so important to my riding, and I hope that we get a good answer for those folks today.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I suspect that the member of the New Democratic Party has not really gone through the many different initiatives the government has undertaken with respect to our salmon. Also, a person does not have to be from British Columbia to be passionate about this particular issue.

The member made reference to the idea of taking a local approach. The Government of Canada agrees with that approach of looking toward our communities and working with other stakeholders.

Let me give a sense of some of the things that are happening.

In partnership with the provincial government, we created the British Columbia salmon restoration and innovation fund, to which the government will contribute $100 million over five years. This goes along with provincial funding of over $42 million. We are also proposing $5 million in funding to the Pacific salmon endowment fund.

We have also hired 29 new scientists in the Pacific region. Moreover, in 2019-20, we will be investing $107.4 million over five years, as well as $17.6 million per year ongoing to support the stock assessment and rebuilding provisions in the new Fisheries Act, which will cover priority Pacific salmon stocks.

We have also taken steps to support conservation and promote rebuilding through the salmonid enhancement program and the coastal restoration fund, with investments totalling $18 million. This will support 13 habitat restoration projects in B.C. alone.

We are investing $1.3 million toward implementing the Pacific salmon treaty. This funding will be used for completing existing stock assessments and catch monitoring. We have also made key investments to mark the international year of the salmon and have introduced our new wild salmon policy implementation plan, lasting from 2018 to 2022, which will ensure the recovery of the species.

To give the false impression that this government is comparable in any way to the Conservative Party does a disservice to our constituents and to Canadians. The government has been very proactive in recognizing how important our salmon industry is to our country.

We also recognize the things that take place during the salmon run. I have never witnessed it first-hand, but I have had the opportunity to see it through documentaries and I have heard individuals talk about it. Recognizing the importance of the salmon run goes beyond the member opposite and the New Democratic Party.

I believe the vast majority of Canadians want the government to take action on this, as it is an important file to all Canadians. That is exactly what the government has been doing. Our ministers and the parliamentary secretary have been working hand in hand with the civil service, the province and other stakeholders to address this very serious issue.

It is more than just talk as well. It is about tens of millions of dollars. It is about engaging various stakeholders in order to resolve this issue.

The government of Canada is listening and is working with community leaders and other stakeholders to ensure the protection of our salmon run, and I think that is a good thing.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Madam Speaker, I am sad to hear that the member has never seen the salmon run in person. However, I will remind him that the people in my riding see the salmon run every year, and when it does not happen, it is absolutely devastating. I also want to remind the member that the issue is one of successive Liberal and Conservative governments.

As for what we are doing today, I am happy to see the resources coming, but they are too late. The communities in my riding are paying the price for the lack of action from the current government, the previous government and the one before that.

When people in my riding are hurting, it is my job to stand here to ensure that everyone hears about it. These are local, small, rural communities that will be punished severely by the lack of government action.

I want to see a bold new plan. This is a first step and I am proud and happy that it is happening, but it needs to be done well. The consultations never happened in my riding. The government never talked to the people in my area. We would love to see more staff there to do that work.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, the member is simply wrong. She does have a responsibility to communicate the reality of what is actually taking place. Now she is saying that the issue arose previously, or in other words with the Conservatives and what has taken place in the last 20 years, less the most recent three years.

I am talking about what this government, the Prime Minister, the minister and his parliamentary secretary have been doing in the last three years, in the time since the Prime Minister has been responsible for governing the nation and dealing with important issues, and the salmon run is important to this government. That is the reason we have invested tens of millions of dollars and that is why we are working co-operatively with the various stakeholders and others: to ensure that we are doing whatever we can.

This means investing time, energy and money in working with the community. I believe this will pay off, and that is what the member should be conveying to her constituents.