Photo by Manfred Joehnck
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says supporting families and communities is key to preventing youth suicides in northern Saskatchewan.
The Premier along with a few of his cabinet ministers were in La Ronge Wednesday afternoon meeting with local leaders, the provincial advocate for children and youth and FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron.
The meeting was scheduled to go for two hours, but went over three.
“We wanted to end the meeting when the work was done,” says Premier Wall. “We wanted to talk about what has been happening in the shorter term and plans for the long-term.”
Wall says he was there to listen.
“I was humbled to be in the presence of people who are heroes, actually saving lives in the community,” says Wall. “I didn’t say much in that room, I was listening to get ideas for what needs to happen going forward.”
The Premier says his government will continue to invest in northern Saskatchewan initiatives to prevent these tragedies.
“I think the best indicator of future behaviour is past behaviour,” he says. “Someone would probably say there should be more but there have been increases specifically in mental health and suicide prevention strategies.”
The Premier says the solutions rely on supporting families and the communities.
“We have to ask the question what support do the families need here?” says Wall. “What supports do they need that are not already here, so we can never have this happen again.”
FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron says the meeting was vital because it brought many voices together.
“No matter what level of government we are, whether we are First Nations or non-First Nations government, we are committed to working together to improve the quality of life for our children, our grandchildren and the yet to be born,” says Chief Cameron. “We are really pleased with what happened today.”
For Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Chief Peter Beatty, this meeting showed the importance of working with all levels of government.
“It’s something that concerns everyone and I think that is why everyone was here to promise to work with us,” says Chief Beatty. “I think the will is there from the province.”
Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson says the Premier and ministers were very responsive and the meetings went well.
However, she says the crisis is ongoing.
“We just got an alarming report from the RCMP that they have been called out 97 times for mental health-related calls in the past month, so we still have a lot of work to do,” says Chief Cook-Searson.
Chief Cameron says during the meetings there was one common theme to the issue, and that was the influence of drugs.
“For those of us who have struggled with addictions it is absolutely crucial that the RCMP address the legal selling of drugs to our kids,” he says, drawing back to his own past addictions
Recently Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson has been lobbying for an addictions and mental health centre in La Ronge.
Wall says this is a proposal he supports.
“I said yesterday and last Thursday that in principle I like that idea,” says Wall. “I hope the federal government will like it as well because it needs a broad partnership…we have indicated a willingness to move forward.”
Chief Tammy Cook-Searson says they will hold the province to task on these and other promises.
Chief Cameron says they now plan to begin making calls to set up a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett and Jane Philpott the Minster of Health.
According to reports, both Carolyn Bennett and Jane Philpott had representatives at the meeting.
A total of six girls have taken their lives in northern communities recently, leaving many in a state of shock.