Doyle Vermette. (File photo/larongeNOW)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Third time’s the charm

NDP’s Suicide Prevention Bill passes after third attempt

Apr 30, 2021 | 4:30 PM

Ever since 2018, Doyle Vermette has been fighting for families who have lost loved ones to suicide by trying to get The Saskatchewan Strategy for Suicide Prevention Act passed in the province’s legislature. It’s taken four years and three different attempts, but on Friday that fight is over as the bill has passed.

When he found out the bill was passed, Vermette, the NDP Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions, immediately thought about all the people that he’s met over the years that have been affected by suicide.

“I am overwhelmed and very emotional for the families that have suffered the loss. The families, when I’ve met them and seen them, they didn’t want to give up and I wasn’t going to give up,” Vermette said. “Sometimes you go up there in time and you wonder, but they said ‘let’s do it’ and I said ‘let’s do it.’ My colleagues were supportive of it, so we introduced it again. And here today, we have an important piece of legislation that I really feel will bring and give hope to so many.”

Vermette believed a big reason why the prevention act went through this year was due to all the pressure that was put on the government by constituents.

Tristen Durocher, Chris Merasty and others formed the Walking with Our Angels group for this reason.

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Tristen Durocher walked from Air Ronge to the Regina Legislative Building and held a 44-day hunger strike, one day for each of the 44 MLA’s that voted against the suicide prevention bill.

“Suicide and mental health doesn’t just affect Indigenous children, it’s not just the North, it’s not just First Nations or Metis. It’s rural, it’s urban, it affects all of us,” Vermette said. “And it impacts so many of us, and we know that. Even some of our members of our assembly are affected by that sometimes.”

The NDP bill mandates the Ministry of Health to start consultations with relevant stakeholders and groups within 180 days of coming into force for the development of the strategy. It also directs the Ministry of Health to establish a suicide prevention strategy and report annually on the progress it has made. The bill will also further require the Ministry to:

• Provide guidelines to improve public awareness and knowledge about suicide;

• Disseminate information about suicide and suicide prevention;

• Make information about suicide statistics and risk factors available;

• Promote collaboration across jurisdictions and regions;

• Define best practices for suicide prevention and;

• Promote the use of research and evidence-based practices for the prevention of suicide.

With files from Teena Monteleone.

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW