Representatives from the City of North Battleford joined the Battlefords Canadian Mental Health Association and other supporters to proclaim Mental Health Week at a ceremony outside City Hall Monday.
The city raised the CMHA flag as a youth drumming group from Poundmaker First Nation performed to honour the occasion. Mayor Ryan Bater said it's important to have a week focusing on mental health to bring attention to the important issue.
"It raises awareness of mental illness and it raises awareness of the programming that exists within the community for those who do have mental illness or families that are affected," Bater said. "Mental health has a very strong presence in the Battlefords, not just because we have a lot of service agencies, but we're also home to Saskatchewan's only psychiatric hospital.”
There was a big turnout for the flag-raising ceremony. Battlefords CMHA executive director Jane Zielke de Montbrun said she doesn't recall ever seeing so many people attend the launch. Many local residents, as well as community mental health nurses from the Mental Health Centre at the Battlefords Union Hospital, also attended.
Zielke de Montbrun said there a variety of activities will take place this week to raise awareness about the issue of mental health.
"City council always declares this mental health week and we're grateful for their support," she said. "We can't have true health without mental health."
Zielke de Montbrun encouraged residents to use the #getloud hashtag on social media to show their support for mental health.
Battlefords Now: http://www.battlefordsnow.com/article/606147/mental-health-week-launched-north-battleford
