It has been roughly a month since Sarah Routhier lost her husband.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Sgt. Sylvain Routhier, 37, died by suicide on July 31. He is one of three members who took their lives in three weeks.
In an interview with Global News, his wife opened up about her family’s immeasurable loss.
“We had spoken that morning. We were supposed to meet later in the day and put an offer on a new house,” she recalled.
The change in her husband became evident to her in April.
“He came home from work and started saying he wasn’t feeling like himself.”
She said he wasn’t sleeping well and was having a difficult time concentrating at work.
READ MORE: Cop suicides prompt tearful plea from Ontario union leader
“People were asking him questions and he had to keep asking them to repeat it because he couldn’t process the information.”
The day Sylvain took his life, she came home to an empty house and a note on their bed. She knew immediately what it meant.
“People aren’t ashamed that they have cancer, or that they die from another illness,” said Sarah.
“We wanted to not be ashamed about suicide and to get the word out to let other people know that it’s OK to get help.”
The couple met in high school and years later, tied the knot. They were married for 14 years and have three children, ages 10, nine and five.
Sylvain was a 13-year member of the force and worked in the tactics and rescue unit, fielding a number of high-risk calls.
He was a lover of hockey and played in his youth. He transformed his family’s sprawling backyard into an ice rink for his children.
“I knew a lot of people would be very shocked to hear about his suicide and that he was struggling with mental illness.”
READ MORE: Sask. paramedic shares battle with PTSD after suicide of fellow first responder
OPP Association president Rob Jamieson sent a letter to members following the officers’ deaths.
“I write this message with tears in my eyes, not thinking of my own journey, but that of those we have lost and their families left behind,” it read in part.
“I have experienced extreme trauma as a result of doing my job as a police officer and four years ago I needed to step away,” he revealed.
Jamieson told Global News, his organization is working to set up meetings with representatives from the provincial government and stakeholders.
“We never want to see this happen again,” he said in an interview earlier this week. “I think the time has come to really have a broader conversation about everything that we’re offering… and say ‘What more can be done?'”
The story strikes a particularly significant chord with Steven Skoworodko, president of the Saskatchewan Emergency Medical Services Association (SEMSA).
He has been a paramedic for more than 20 years and is also the mayor of the town of Wakaw, northeast of Saskatoon.
Last week, 37-year-old Regina paramedic Robbie Curtis ended his life. According to Skoworodko, this is the third suicide by a Saskatchewan paramedic since 2015.
“There’s lots of mental-health professionals out there, but we don’t have one dedicated in the province that we can direct a paramedic directly to and say, ‘This person’s going to understand the things that you’ve gone through and the things that you’ve seen,'” he said.
READ MORE: PTSD, suicide and first responders — A lot of talk, and not much progress
For Heidi Rogers, the recent deaths have stirred up painful memories. Her husband, Toronto police Sgt. Richard Rogers, died by suicide in July 2014.
She said her husband actively sought help for his mental health. He became withdrawn and paranoid over time.
“If you’re a drug addict or an alcoholic, there’s plenty of avenues for help, but if you’ve got a mental-health problem, that isn’t necessarily showing up on a day-to-day basis… they don’t help you,” Rogers said.
“My husband actually had somebody ask him, ‘Do you have PTSD?’ He said, ‘I don’t know. I don’t think so.’ A cancer doctor doesn’t ask you, ‘Do you have cancer?'”
Rogers wants to see supervisors better trained to recognize the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
READ MORE: Former Mountie with PTSD sues Ottawa after multiple northern postings
Dr. Cathy Martin-Doto, in psychological services with the Toronto Police Service (TPS), said there are two full-time psychologists whom members can confide in. They are in the process of hiring a third.
Their mandate is to establish psychological services to support mental health and wellness of members, both civilian and uniform.
This includes critical incident response teams and Road to Mental Readiness training for staff at all levels.
The OPP meanwhile, is expected to unveil changes to its support framework on Thursday morning.
Where to get help
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.