Toronto city staff have been directed to look into the viability of a new suicide prevention barrier on the Leaside Bridge over the Don Valley Parkway after a man fell from the bridge late last month, killing himself and a passenger in a vehicle driving on the highway below.
After suicide attempts became a common occurrence on the Bloor Viaduct, the city erected suicide barriers on it in 2003. The Leaside Bridge isn’t that far away and despite its long span and access to pedestrians, its railings aren’t blocked off. Calls to erect barriers there have been brought up over the years, including in the wake of suicide attempts that have shut down traffic on the DVP.
A new item introduced by Coun. James Pasternak at the city’s infrastructure and environment committee on Wednesday morning requested staff look at the feasibility of a new barrier on the Leaside Bridge.
Pasternak’s motion cites an event on June 16 where a man falling from the bridge landed on an oncoming vehicle driving on the DVP, resulting in a collision that killed the passenger in that vehicle and the falling man.
“Two lives were lost during this event that could have been mitigated by a protective barrier or railing along the bridge,” the report said. “Sadly, there are records of several similar suicide cases that have taken place at this bridge.”
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According to the motion, the Bloor Viaduct barriers proved to be highly effective in discouraging and preventing people from jumping there. A 2017 study from Toronto Sunnybrook Hospital said that in the first decade following the barriers, only one person died after managing to circumvent the Bloor Viaduct’s barriers.
City staff have been directed to report back to the committee at its September meeting with more information on what it would take to erect a new barrier on the Leaside Bridge.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.
For immediate mental health support, call 988. For a directory of support services in your area, visit the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention at suicideprevention.ca.
Learn more about preventing suicide with these warning signs and tips on how to help.