Jude Ratt (far right) along with family and supporters embark on the more than 300-kilometre journey to Stanley Mission to raise awareness about suicide. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW staff)

By Logan Lehmann

Suicide awareness

Organizers set off on sixth annual suicide awareness walk

Aug 5, 2022 | 1:00 PM

Organizers gathered outside the Prince Albert RCMP detachment on Friday morning for the sixth annual suicide awareness walk.

Jude Ratt along with family, friends, and supporters began the more than 300-kilometre journey to Stanley Mission with the hope of encouraging more people to talk about suicide.

“There’s not a lot being done openly to prevent the suicides that are happening,” he said. “We’re wanting to raise awareness for people to reach out, to try and get help. Suicide isn’t the way out.”

In previous years, Ratt said that there are normally seven to ten people who tag along on foot for the whole journey, but anyone can join the walk, even if it’s for a short distance.

“We have people who join in along the way, whether it be for an hour or a day,” he said. “We encourage anybody to come and walk with us.”

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Ratt hopes to make it to Stanley Mission on Aug. 13 and planned his trip so that he walks 40 kilometres per day.

He added that this walk will be a much harder one compared to past years.

“(The walks) are lot of healing in a way,” he said. “We’ve been directly affected by (suicide) because we lost our daughter in December, just before Christmas. She was our only daughter and my wife, Frannie, had to bury her only daughter on her birthday.”

MLA for the Cumberland constituency, Doyle Vermette, was also on hand to offer his support to Ratt and to others who are struggling and who have been affected by suicide.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of self-harm or experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact:

Canada Suicide Prevention Service (1-833-456-4566), Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service (306-933-6200), Prince Albert Mobile Crisis Unit (306-764-1011), Regina Mobile Crisis Services (306-525-5333) or the Hope for Wellness Help Line, which provides culturally competent crisis intervention counseling support for Indigenous peoples at (1-855-242-3310).

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logan.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @lloganlehmann