A cross-country walk for youth mental health, which saw two groups of people meet in the middle of Canada, will wrap up on Friday.
The walk called Hope in the Darkness started in Cape Spear, St.John’s, Nfld. on one side of Canada in April, and in Masset, Haida Gwaii, B.C. on the other side in May. Led by Indigenous police officers, the initiative aimed to take a stand on the lack of support across the country for youth mental health.
Redsky, who has worked in community policing for 15 years, spent the last four months with other police officers from across Canada speaking with youth and listening to their stories to find out exactly what’s working and what needs more attention.
“We’re often the ones first on the scene when it comes to crisis situations with the youth,” Anishinabek Police Service sergeant Kevin Redsky said.
“We’re at the hospital all hours of the night, we’re seeing the effects of mental health with the youth.”
There will be a full day of ceremony at The Forks on Friday when the Hope in the Darkness walk wraps up. At around 3 p.m., police officers and youth will walk into Oodena Circle. Everyone is invited to join the events, listen to speeches and enjoy entertainment.
Also on Friday, there will be a three-hour safe talk training session being offered by Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre at 445 King St. You can learn more here.
For more mental health support in Manitoba, drop by the CMHA office at 930 Portage Ave. in Winnipeg, or call 204-982-6100 to learn about programming.
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.
The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, Depression Hurts and Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 all offer ways of getting help if you, or someone you know, may be suffering from mental health issues.