EDMONTON – A city hall committee meeting was held Monday to discuss different options to prevent suicides on Edmonton’s High Level Bridge, including help phones and a physical barrier.
One man, whose wife took her own life on the bridge, spoke about the need for improved safety and security.
“It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” said Dan Klemke, about sharing his story with council.
“Suicide has a stigma in society, but it also has a huge impact… it has to be talked about.”
Klemke fought back emotion as he explained what happened to his wife.
“My wife Marilyn had a severe reaction to some travel immunization and subsequent related prescription medication late in 2012. And on Jan. 2, 2013, she jumped from the High Level Bridge.”
“I am determined that if I can affect any positive change from what happened to my family, I will.”
He said the city has a moral obligation to better secure the bridge.
“The time for action is now,” he told council. “There’s an obvious, simple, cost-effective fix. Every month that goes by represents one or two more lives.”
“In fairness, undoubtedly, some people – even if we put an impediment there – some people will find another way to end their life… but we need to remove the easy and impulsive option that the bridge affords.”
According to Edmonton’s Chief Medical Examiner, there were 14 deaths in the area around the High Level bridge as a result of suicide in the past year.
READ MORE: City and EPS look at ways to prevent suicides on High Level Bridge
Mayor Don Iveson also indicated he has lost two friends who jumped off the High Level. He acknowledged that suicide prevention is a much bigger issue than simply putting in barriers along a bridge.
“Obviously, there’s a huge need for investment in mental health and counselling for people,” said Iveson. “That’s not the city’s jurisdiction, but where we have a site in the city that is a piece of transportation infrastructure that has some risk associated with it, and a track record of tragedy, I think some intervention is required and we’re going to look at that seriously.”
The meeting comes after a report was released in January with several recommendations to include safety and security on the bridge, including erecting a physical barrier and installing distress phones at the bridge’s four entry points, which the report highlights as the most important of its recommendations.
The city is also looking at three alternatives for a barrier around the bridge, ranging from a $600,000 option which would see sections of the chain link fence replaced, to a $2.9 million option of replacing the fence with an anti-scalable barrier.
The third option being presented to the city is a preventative approach which includes more lights and signage around the bridge, and more education on suicide prevention.
“The bridge is just one means that people use to end their lives. People who are contemplating suicide will come up with all kinds of different means and I think what we need to do is to look at things to support people before they get that far,” said Nancy McCalder, executive director of The Support Network.
The phones would provide a direct link to 911 or The Support Network for those considering suicide.
The cost of the hardware and installation would be approximately $20,000, according to the city report.
According to the report, distress phones have proven successful in New York, where over a two-year period 30 out of 39 people who were contemplating suicide used the phone to call for help.
At the end of Monday’s meeting, it was decided that city administration should immediately install a telephone distress line and signage. Council will vote to approve that motion next week.
“City council is going to take immediate action with the installation of call boxes so that there will be an opportunity for people who are in distress to reach out and get some support and get some help,” said Iveson.
Secondly, the motion suggested that administration return to Community Services Committee with a more detailed report outlining the three options for a physical barrier on the High Level.
“As for a physical barrier, we need to do a little bit more work to look at our options,” Iveson explained. “But it sounds like there’s some interest from members of council in erecting a physical barrier. But we’ve got to start today with the call boxes.”
The report on the physical barrier options is expected to return to council in May.
The Support Network Distress Line is (780) 482-HELP (4357)
With files from Slav Kornik and Vinesh Pratap, Global News
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