A protest camp was set up on the grounds of the Legislative Building calling on the provincial government to enact legislation aimed at preventing suicide. (Walking With Our Angels/Facebook)

By Nicole Reis

Walking With Our Angels MLA rally

Walking With Our Angels plans rally outside provincial MLA offices

Aug 31, 2020 | 4:01 PM

Founders from the Walking With Our Angels camp in Regina will hold a province-wide rally later this week outside 44 MLA offices across Saskatchewan municipalities.

The rally is to protest the rejection of Bill 618 – The Saskatchewan Strategy for Suicide Prevention Act.

Christopher Merasty marched with La Ronge’s Tristen Durocher who has been camping across the street from the Regina legislature since walking more than 600 kilometres from Air Ronge in July. The walk itself was another protest initiative against the province’s rejection of the bill.

“The initiative on Sept. 3 (Thursday) is for the province to go to their local MLA, those who voted down Bill 618,” Merasty told meadowlakeNOW. “Let’s have a peaceful protest and hold up a sign. Let’s drop the case against Tristan and let’s rethink the bill, work together and come up with meaningful legislation to help families across Saskatchewan.”

Durocher is approaching the end of a 44-day hunger strike representing the 44 members who rejected the suicide plan. The province recently filed an application to Court of Queen’s Bench seeking a court order to remove Durocher’s teepee from the legislature grounds. The matter was adjourned to Sept. 4.

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Meadow Lake MLA Jeremy Harrison said the provincial government has earmarked $435 million in the 2020-21 budget for mental health and addictions services — a record amount for the province, he said. Of that amount, $1.2 million is slated for the first year action plan of Pillars for Life.

“Our government will continue to implement Pillars for Life: The Saskatchewan Suicide Prevention Plan,” Harrison said in an email. “As part of this work, our government will continue to engage with the FSIN, Métis Nation—Saskatchewan, Northern leaders and frontline workers to seek solutions to prevent suicide in communities across Saskatchewan.”

Critics of the existing prevention plan say it’s insufficient to meet the demand for mental health resources in the province.

Danielle Chartier, NDP opposition critic for mental health and addictions said the Pillars for Life program lacks accountability, time frames, funding guidelines and necessary voices.

“Minister [Warren] Kaeding has said on several occasions that suicide is a provincial issue and not an issue of one person or group,” she said. “When you look at who is dying or attempting to die by suicide, there is a large component of Indigenous youth. Those voices need to be reflected in this strategy and they’re not.”

Chartier said the plan to address the complexities of suicide prevention should be well-informed before its release, and should not be tweaked afterward.

She said mental health support in the North is woefully inadequate, citing few practitioners, long wait times, and a lack of provincial and federal funding. The Pillars for Life plan, Chartier alleges, ignores the underpinnings of youth suicide such as childhood trauma or sexual abuse as indicated in FSIN’s suicide prevention strategy.

(submitted photo/Christopher Merasty)

A statement from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health said Pillars for Life solutions must be community-driven and consider the local history, economic and social factors. The plan calls for specific engagement with First Nations and Métis leadership as the work progresses.

“The formation of Pillars for Life involved a jurisdictional scan and examination of best practices across the country and internationally,” the statement said. “Rural and Remote Health Minister Warren Kaeding recently met with representatives of both the FSIN and the Métis Nation–Saskatchewan to discuss Pillars for Life. Our government is always open to conversations about how we can make improvements to the challenges of mental health and suicide.”

NDP Cumberland MLA Doyle Vermette introduced Bill 618 in November 2019 spurred by high suicide rates in his constituency. The bill was brought forward on June 19 when it was rejected by what he says was predominantly Saskatchewan Party members.

“We were willing to work with the government if they wanted to amend it,” Vermette said. “In my mind what we were asking for, is bringing everyone together and asking for the government to bring in the organizations, whether it’s the health authority, and work on a plan together though consultation with other health individuals and provinces who have had success.”

Northern communities have experienced 11 suicides since the walk began in July, according to Vermette. He said he plans to stand in support of Merasty and Durocher and will support protesters who make their voices heard on Sept. 3.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations was also contacted though did not respond to requests.

Merasty asks members of the public to engage in a peaceful rally by standing outside local MLA offices from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.on Thursday.

HealthLine 811 continues to offer free, confidential, mental health advice, education and support for all residents within the province.

—With files from CJME News

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722