Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of Bell Let's Talk Day! Get ready for the world's biggest conversation about mental health and make every action count
- Mental Health: Every Action Counts is the theme of this year's campaign as we celebrate our first decade of Bell Let's Talk Days
- Talk, text and join in on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube to make your voice heard and help drive Bell's donations to mental health
- Learn more at Bell.ca/LetsTalk
MONTRÉAL, Jan. 28, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Tomorrow is the 10th annual Bell Let's Talk Day and everyone is invited to celebrate by taking action to create positive change for Canadians living with mental illness. You can join in Bell Let's Talk Day events and take action by talking, texting and getting engaged on social media to drive the conversation and Bell's donations to mental health too.
"Bell Let's Talk Day offers Canadians and people around the world the opportunity to join the discussion about how we can all grow awareness, acceptance and especially action in mental health," said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let's Talk. "Over the last decade, we've all made a real and unprecedented difference in the lives of so many by putting a spotlight on mental illness, reducing the stigma while driving funding for mental health care, research and other programs. We have much further to go, but we can keep the positive momentum going by making the 10th anniversary Bell Let's Talk Day our biggest conversation ever."
This year's Mental Health: Every Action Counts campaign focuses on the ways Canadians everywhere can take action in our daily lives to support better mental health in our communities. The national multimedia campaign also features the work of 8 outstanding Canadian organizations providing frontline access to mental health services throughout the country.
As part of the campaign, Bell Let's Talk welcomes the ongoing support of The Friends of Bell Let's Talk and other leaders who bravely share their personal stories about mental illness, including Bell Let's Talk founding spokesperson Clara Hughes, Howie Mandel, Étienne Boulay, Marie-Soleil Dion, Michael Landsberg, Michel Mpambara, Stefie Shock and Mary Walsh, and community ambassadors including actress Véronique Bannon, retired CFL player Shea Emry, Royal Canadian Navy Veteran Bruno Guévremont, comedian Jessica Holmes, pro golfer Andrew Jensen and musician Florence K.
Bell Let's Talk Day events
Please see below for a list of events taking place across the country on Bell Let's Talk Day tomorrow:
Bell Media primetime specials
The Social's Marci Ien and Your Morning's Anne-Marie Mediwake host Awareness, Acceptance, and Action: A Bell Let's Talk Day Primetime Special, premiering at 7 pm ET/PT on CTV, CTV2, CTV.ca, the CTV app and Crave.
Companion special Bell Let's Talk Live streams live on Twitter on location from Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Hosted by Melissa Grelo, Bell Let's Talk Live features interviews with medical experts, celebrities and other guests. Bell Let's Talk Live begins at 6:45 pm ET, includes live interviews during commercial breaks of the Bell Let's Talk Day Primetime Special, and concludes with audience-submitted questions being answered by a panel of mental health experts. You can watch the show on Twitter (@Bell_LetsTalk) and join the conversation using #BellLetsTalk.
Francophone documentary Stronger Together
The mental health documentary Stronger Together highlights the family and friends of people struggling with mental health issues. Dealing with parents who had severe anxiety issues, Michel Charette reached out to people who became family caregivers. Airing on RDS at 8:30 pm ET, Vie at 9 pm ET, D at 9 pm ET, Z at 10 pm ET and on Crave.
Crave highlights mental health
As the home of HBO in Canada, Crave is showcasing HBO's mental health awareness campaign that highlights issues explored on series like Succession, The Sopranos and Girls. Featuring scenes from the shows along with expert commentary, the programming invites viewers who need help to contact the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Shawntay Rose Dann, Jim Malone and Tyler Simmonds in Halifax
Shawntay Rose, Jim and Tyler will attend the Halifax City Hall flag raising at 9 am AT.
Jessica Holmes at CFB Halifax
Jessica will speak with military and civilian teams at CFB Halifax at 10 am AT and with students and staff at the Nova Scotia Community College Ivany Campus at 1:30 pm.
Beth Beattie on Marilyn
Friend of Bell Let's Talk Beth Beattie will appear as a guest on The Marilyn Denis Show (which starts at 10 am ET), and meets with colleagues from the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General's Mental Health Illuminati to share her story.
Raptors 905 game
At a special Raptors 905 game at 11 am ET, approximately 2,200 young people will receive Bell Let's Talk/Raptors 905 toques. Raptors 905 players will sport a special Bell Let's Talk jersey. The game, which airs on TSN4, will be hosted by Alexandra Chaves from Family Channel's The Next Step and Raptors 905 spokesperson Akil Augustine.
Bruno Guévremont in Winnipeg
Bruno joins the annual Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces panel discussion on mental health at 10 am CT with Brigadier General Mario Leblanc, Colonel Rakesh Jetly, Major Nathan Packer, 17 Wing Surgeon Major Patti Louttit, Sergeant Holly Young and Alana Mahaney with the Department of National Defence. The event will be moderated by CTV Morning Live Winnipeg co-host Nicole Dubé with 17 Wing's Major Karyne Brown. Bruno will also present a 2019 Bell Let's Talk Community Fund grant to Kidthink.
Shea Emry in Calgary
Shea will present a 2019 Bell Let's Talk Community Fund grant to the Calgary Counselling Centre and take part in an event with Calgary Stampede employees. Shea will also take part in the City of Calgary's flag raising event at Central Memorial park at 9:45 am MT.
Chris Johnson in Edmonton
Chris will join the RCMP K Division flag raising ceremony beginning at 10 am MT.
Andrew Jensen in Ottawa
The Canada School of Public Service and the Centre of Expertise on Mental Health in the Workplace partner to present Government of Canada Bell Let's Talk Day with Andrew Jensen at 1:30 pm ET. Andrew will also bring greetings on behalf of Bell Let's Talk at Wabano's annual charity event to support Indigenous Mental Wellness.
Festival d'Été de Québec
The Festival d'Été de Québec is inviting the creative community to participate in events, including a keynote presentation by Kim Thuy at 4:30 pm ET, that focus on self-care and resilience. A networking event will follow beginning at 5:30 pm at Impérial Bell.
National Music Centre / Studio Bell
The National Music Centre (NMC) is launching a music and healing program stream that includes an event at Studio Bell on Bell Let's Talk Day. NMC will also provide a range of activities on January 29, including a specialty tour and Kimball Theatre Organ demonstration.
True North Youth Foundation
More than 1,400 kindergarten through Grade 8 classrooms across Manitoba will participate in the Project 11 Virtual Summit, an hour-long program discussing mental health and wellness.
Blue Bombers in the classroom
Winnipeg Blue Bombers players Thomas Miles and John Rush will visit schools around the city to share the Tackle Bullying program with more than 600 students in grades 1 through 5.
Bell Let's Talk Day at TIFF
TIFF will be offering a free screening of Falls Around Her, a powerful story of indigenous mental health and resilience, followed by a Q&A with guest speaker Ansley Simpson. Before the screening, attendees are invited to join a free workshop on mindful art making led by Cristal Buemi from 4:30 pm to 7 pm ET in the TIFF Bell Lightbox Atrium.
Cracked Up documentary at Hot Docs
In partnership with Hot Docs and Workman Arts, a special free screening of Cracked Up takes place at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto at 6:30 pm ET. A discussion panel moderated by filmmaker Aisha Jamal after the event features Cracked Up director Michelle Esrick, actor Dillon Casey and CAMH's Dr. Suvercha Pasricha.
Entrepreneurship conference in Québec City
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Québec City, in collaboration with the Mental Health Institute of Québec's CERVO Foundation, invites business people from Québec City to attend Une conversation honnête sur la santé mentale en entrepreneuriat with Martin Enault, head of operations at Felix & Paul Studios and chair of Revivre.
Healthy Moms, Healthy Families
The Ismaili Centre Toronto will host a panel event at 7 pm ET led by family physician Dr. Sheila Lakhoo and featuring speakers from Women's College Hospital.
Maternal Mental Health
Life with a Baby will be hosting free informal Pajama Parties at various Indigo and Chapters locations across Canada encouraging moms to learn more about the importance of self-care.
Hudson's Bay joins in
Hudson's Bay is encouraging employees and social media followers to join in on Bell Let's Talk Day. For tweets using both #BellLetsTalk and @HudsonsBay, Hudson's Bay Foundation will donate 5 cents to CAMH.
University and college sports games
More than 230 universities and colleges around the country are hosting over 550 events including varsity and collegiate games to encourage the campus mental health conversation. Schools will also screen mental health documentaries provided by the Au Contraire Film Festival.
Bell Let's Talk flag raisings:
Communities and organizations around the country are showing their support for mental health with Bell Let's Talk flag raisings. In the lead up to Bell Let's Talk Day, flags have already been raised at: CFB Winnipeg (17 Wing), Clara Hughes Public School in Oshawa, Dauphin City Hall, Gander Town Hall, RCMP Headquarters in Ottawa, Sainte-Julie City Hall, SunLodge Village in Peguis First Nation, Trois-Rivières Police Service, University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg, Val-d'Or City Hall, Verdun Town Hall in Montréal and William Osler Health System – Brampton Civic Hospital, Etobicoke General Hospital and Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness. A massive Bell Let's Talk flag was also passed around the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa by fans at last night's Senators home game.
Here are flag raisings currently scheduled for Bell Let's Talk Day:
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica; Barrie City Hall; Brampton Beast; Brandon City Hall; CAMH; Canadian Armed Forces Latvia; Central Memorial Park, Calgary; CFB Halifax; CFS Alert; Charlottetown City Hall; Churchill Town Centre Complex; College of the North Atlantic Labrador West campus and St. John's campus; Confederation Park, Kingston; Corner Brook City Hall; Fredericton City Hall; Government of Prince Edward Island, Shaw Building; Grand Falls-Windsor Town Hall; Greater Sudbury City Hall; Halifax City Hall; Hermitage-Sandyville Town Hall; HMCS Toronto; House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador; Huntsville Civic Centre; Iqaluit Aquatic Centre; IUSMM – Fondation de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal; IUSMQ – Fondation CERVO; Keyano College; Legislative Assembly of Manitoba (Memorial Park); Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick; Legislative Assembly of Nunavut; Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Whitney Block); Longueuil City Hall; Markham City Hall; Memorial University; Mississauga City Hall; Moncton City Hall; National Defence Headquarters Ottawa; Niagara Falls City Hall; North Bay City Hall; Ottawa City Hall; Peterborough City Hall; Pickering City Hall; Portage and Main, Winnipeg; Québec Association of Police Directors; Queen's University; Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre; RCMP Detachment, Brudenell; RCMP H Division Headquarters, Dartmouth; RCMP K Division Headquarters, Edmonton; RCMP Kings District, New Minas; Red Deer College; Red River College; Régie intermunicipale de police Thérèse-De Blainville; Regina City Hall; Royal Military College of Canada; Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Headquarters; Saint John City Hall; Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Police Service; Sarto-Desnoyers Community Centre, Dorval; Sault Ste. Marie City Hall; Scugoc Township Office; Sherbrooke Police Service; St. John's City Hall; Summerside City Hall; Support Group 2 Canadian Division of Canada (SG 2 Cdn Div), CFB Valcartier; SG 2 Cdn Div Montréal Garrison; SG 2 Cdn Div, Saint-Jean Garrison; Sydney City Hall; Torbay Town Hall; Toronto City Hall; Toronto Police Service; Toronto Rock; Université de Moncton; University of Calgary; University of Guelph; Vaughan City Hall; Westmount City Hall; Whitehorse City Hall; Yellowknife City Hall; York Regional Police Service; Yukon College; and Yukon Legislative Assembly.
You can join the conversation
Everyone is invited to join the conversation on Bell Let's Talk Day by sending messages of support across multiple platforms to drive awareness and action in mental health.
Bell donates 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for each of these communications on Bell Let's Talk Day, at no cost to participants beyond what they would normally pay their service providers for online or phone access:
- Talk: Every mobile and every long distance call made by Bell wireless and phone customers
- Text: Every text message sent by Bell wireless customers
- Twitter: Every tweet and retweet using #BellLetsTalk, featuring the special Bell Let's Talk emoji, and every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at Twitter.com/Bell_LetsTalk
- Facebook: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk and every use of the Bell Let's Talk frame
- Instagram: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at Instagram.com/Bell_LetsTalk
- Snapchat: Every use of the Bell Let's Talk filter and every Bell Let's Talk Day video view
- YouTube: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at YouTube.com/BellCanada
Since the first Bell Let's Talk Day in 2011, Canadians and people around the world have sent a total of more than 1 billion messages of support for mental health, bringing Bell's total commitment to $100,695,763.75, which includes the company's original $50 million anchor donation when Bell Let's Talk launched in 2010.
About Bell Let's Talk
The Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative is focused on 4 key action pillars: Anti-stigma, Care and Access, Research and Workplace Leadership. Since its launch in September 2010, Bell Let's Talk has partnered with more than 1,000 organizations providing mental health services throughout Canada, including hospitals, universities and other care and research organizations. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Media inquiries:
Jacqueline Michelis
613-785-1427
jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca
@Bell_LetsTalk
@Bell_News
SOURCE Bell Canada
