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Manitoba's program has life-saving impact

Province has 'moral duty' to help: Rondeau

By: Mary Agnes Welch

Posted: 09/11/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

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Minister Jim Rondeau: will lobby Ottawa (MIKE APORIUS/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES)

Youth suicide in Manitoba

(Children under 17 years old)

2005: 25

2006: 14

2007: 13

2008: 12

2009: 20 (at least 13 from First Nations reserves)

2010 so far: 11 (at least 5 from reserves)

-- Source: Manitoba Chief Medical Examiner's Office

More than two years after a wave of deaths in Shamattawa earned national attention, preliminary figures show the province's $8-million plan to combat aboriginal youth suicide might be having an effect.

Then again, it could be a statistical blip.

So far this year, 11 Manitoba youths have committed suicide. At least five of those lived on First Nations communities such as Red Sucker Lake, St. Theresa Point and Shamattawa.

Compare that with last year, when 20 children, most from First Nations, took their own lives.

Staff at the Chief Medical Examiner's Office who track each death caution the new numbers are preliminary -- there are still four months left in 2010, and there could be deaths still under investigation that could turn out to be suicides.

Experts caution that rates are best looked at over the long term, not year to year.

On Friday, to mark World Suicide Prevention Day, the NDP government announced another $575,000 for youth mental-health services on reserves coping with serious suicide problems, including Pukatawagan, Berens River and Cross Lake. The cash is part of $8 million announced after a rash of suicides and attempted suicides in Shamattawa in early 2008 highlighted the epidemic on remote northern reserves

"We are hearing anecdotally that it is making a difference," Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau said on Friday. "In the last year, we have not had a rash of suicides."

The provincial cash for counselling, teacher training and sports programs started flowing last year, which was also one of the province's worst years for teen and adult suicides.

That's when Pukatawagan's education director wrote to the federal government begging for help following a wave of deaths and when Shamattawa had a second outbreak of suicides. Five youths from the remote northeastern Manitoba reserve killed themselves in 2009.

Most youths from northern reserves kill themselves by hanging, and Rondeau says one or two suicides can snowball into several attempts unless mental-health workers and programs are targeted to the community immediately.

The new cash announced Friday also marks yet another provincial foray into federal jurisdiction. In areas of child welfare, health and suicide prevention, the Manitoba government has picked up significant social services slack from the federal government on reserves even though reserves are Ottawa's responsibility.

Rondeau said the province has a moral duty to provide services to all Manitobans, but said he will be attending a federal-provincial meeting of health ministers next week and plans to lobby Ottawa to fund its share of the suicide-prevention programs.

maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 11, 2010 A5

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