On September 10, 2024, the community gathered at Lamoureux Park for World Suicide Prevention Day, themed “Changing the Narrative on Suicide.” Hosted by the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Champlain East, the event aimed to encourage open discussions on suicide, raise awareness, andoffer support for mental health issues.
Attendees participated in a scavenger hunt, visiting booths hosted by 15 local organizations that provide crisis and mental health support. The Optimist Club set up a BBQ. The event also featured a concert by the duo The O’Neils and a series of powerful testimonials from guest speakers, sharing lived experiences of suicide and mental health struggles.
The evening culminated in a moving Candlelight Ceremony, symbolizing hope and unity in preventing suicide. As twilight descended over Lamoureux Park, attendees raised glowing white candles, their soft light piercing the growing darkness, symbolizing a collective hope in the fightagainst suicide.
“This event tonight is our signature World Suicide Prevention Day event, and it hasn’t been hosted since the pandemic,” said Angele D’Alessio, Mental Health Promoter of the Canadian Mental HealthAssociation Champlain East. “We’re trying to get people back out and connecting together.”
The event also highlighted local mental health statistics, underscoring the need for continued support. In Cornwall, 37% of residents felt worthless, 45% felt hopeless, and 40% experienced feelings of depression. More shockingly, 11% of people—over 5,000 residents—experience suicidal thoughts. “At any given time, 1 in 20 people may be thinking about suicide, but the important part is that they have not yet acted on it,” D’Alessio emphasized. “Today is about showing that help is available.”
The night closed with a message of hope and a reminder that suicide is preventable, with community support and access to the right resources.
