- Clara Hughes departs
Kuujjuaq, QC May 1 for the territories, bringing the mental
health conversation to Iqaluit and
Rankin Inlet in Nunavut tomorrow
- Northwestel is proud to join in sponsoring Clara's Big
Ride
KUUJJUAQ, QC, April 30, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Clara Hughes,
Canada's 6-time Olympic medalist and Bell Let's Talk national
spokesperson, will head to Nunavut
tomorrow as she continues her Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk across
Canada's North.
Today, Clara has been visiting Happy
Valley-Goose Bay, NL and Kuujjuaq,
QC on Day 48 of her the unprecedented 110-day,
12,000-kilometre bike journey around Canada to achieve a nation
free of the stigma around mental illness.
"From the moment we started planning the Big Ride for Bell Let's
Talk, I said I wanted to spend as much time in the North as I
could. I'm so happy to return here to Kuujjuaq to see old friends and meet so many
new ones. Now I'm really looking forward to sharing mental health
stories with people in Nunavut as
I take the Ride through Canada's territories starting tomorrow,"
said Clara. "I want to thank the people of Happy Valley-Goose Bay and everyone across
Newfoundland and Labrador for their wonderful reception and
great stories, and everyone in Kuujjuaq for welcoming me back so warmly."
Northwestel a partner on the Ride
Helping to connect
Clara's Big Ride with the distinct culture of the 3 northern
territories is Northwestel, Bell's subsidiary serving Canada's
North and a partner in the Ride.
"Northwestel is proud to support Clara's journey to the North,"
said Paul Flaherty, President and
CEO of Northwestel. "Mental health is an important issue that needs
to be discussed openly and without any of the stigma too often
associated with mental illness. "We applaud Clara for growing the
conversation about mental health, and we are committed to
continuing it here in the North."
Clara's Big Ride in Nunavut
Clara will visit the following
communities during her Ride through Nunavut:
Iqaluit – May 1 to 3
While in Canada's northernmost
capital, Clara will meet with students, visit the Friendship
Centre, meet with elders, and attend a community concert. On
May 2, Clara will be available for
interviews at Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit at 2:15
pm and later in the evening will attend a special community
event at 7:30 pm at Nakasuk
School.
Rankin Inlet – May 3
On May
3, Clara will meet with members of the community in
Rankin Inlet for lunch at the
Community Centre at 11:30 am.
Events in communities all along Clara's route are organized by
local Community Champions. More details on these events and the Big
Ride Community Champions can be found at Bell.ca/ClarasBigRide.
"In Nunavut and across the
country, our Community Champions are making such a difference with
their leadership and hard work to make their communities stigma
free," said Mary Deacon, Chair of
Bell Let's Talk. "We thank all our partners across Canada for their
support in helping Clara's Big Ride grow awareness, acceptance and
action in communities at the grassroots level."
Share in Clara's Big Ride
Clara's Big Ride for Bell
Let's Talk began on March 14 and will
cover 12,000 kilometres through every province and territory before
concluding in Ottawa on
Canada Day, July 1. Everyone can participate in the Ride
through community events and social media. Please visit
Bell.ca/ClarasBigRide or follow the latest Ride news on Twitter at
@Bell_LetsTalk or on Facebook at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk.
Clara's Big Ride is powered by our National Partners – Aimia,
BMO, Canadian Tire, Cisco, Lundbeck, President's Choice and Samsung
– who are providing significant support for the Ride. For more
information, please visit Bell.ca/ClarasBigRide/Partners.
Bell Let's Talk
Bell Let's Talk promotes
Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma
campaigns, like Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk and Bell Let's
Talk Day, and significant Bell funding of community care and
access, research, and workplace initiatives. To learn more, please
visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Northwestel
In 2013, Northwestel contributed more than
$550,000 in cash and in-kind
donations to a variety of northern community groups. Throughout its
history, Northwestel has played a key role in the economic, social
and cultural development of the North. Northwestel is recognized as
a key contributor to the well-being of northern communities through
its community investment program and the volunteer contributions of
its employees.
SOURCE Bell Canada