By Angela Brown

Mental Health Week officially starts

May 1, 2017 | 2:00 PM

This year’s Mental Health Week started off with a flag raising ceremony and a walk for people to show their support for the cause in North Battleford Monday.

About 25 people attended the event that was followed by a walk to the Lighthouse Serving the Battlefords.

Jane Zielke de Montbrun, the executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Battleford branch said taking part in the annual walk and proclaiming the week Mental Health Week helps open the door to a conversation about the topic of mental illness.

“There is still a lot of stigma around mental illness. People with mental health problems tend to get marginalized or not get the care they need,” she said. “This is a way for us, across the country actually, to heighten awareness about how important it is for us to take care of our mental health as well as our physical health.

North Battleford Mayor Ryan Bater said there are a lot of people in the community who have mental illnesses so it is important to raise awareness about the issue, “so those people know they are not alone.”  

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“We’re fortunate to live in a city where there is a lot of programming available for people with mental illness,” he added. “It’s just a matter of making sure those individuals know that the supports do exist.

“This is a community that supports those organizations that help people,” Bater said.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW