- Join Clara Hughes, the Bell
Let's Talk team and Canadians everywhere in taking the national
conversation about mental health to the next level
- Talking about mental health helps build a stigma-free Canada –
and your calls and messages drive Bell's donations to mental health
programs all year round
- Watch The Prime Minister @ The Social: A Bell Let's Talk Day
Special, a conversation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau airing at 7 pm
- Clara, Serena Ryder, Étienne
Boulay, Marie-Soleil Dion,
Michael Landsberg, Howie Mandel, Michel
Mpambara, Stefie Shock,
Mary Walsh, Bell Let's Talk Chair
Mary Deacon and many others in the
community will talk about mental health in media and at events
across Canada
- Learn the 5 simple ways to help fight the stigma around mental
illness
- Please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk to learn more and download the
toolkit
MONTRÉAL, Jan. 27, 2016 /CNW
Telbec/ - Today is the sixth annual Bell Let's Talk Day in
support of Canadian mental health, and Olympian and Bell Let's Talk
national spokesperson Clara Hughes
wants you to join her in talking loud and clear about Canada's
mental health. Remember, your calls and messages today help drive
Bell's donations to support Canadian mental health programs
throughout the year – at no extra charge to you.
"Bell Let's Talk Day is here! Today, I invite you to talk, text,
tweet and share to help fight the stigma around mental illness and
let those who struggle know they have our support," said Clara,
Canada's 6-time Olympic medalist and national Bell Let's Talk
spokesperson since the launch of the initiative in 2010. "There's
so much happening today all around the country in support of mental
health and I invite you to join in wherever you are. Visit the Bell
Let's Talk web site and be sure to call or message a friend to talk
about mental health. Share the 5 simple ways to help end the
stigma. Add #BellLetsTalk to all your tweets. Let's make sure
everyone in Canada living with a
mental illness hears our voices of support!"
"Your calls and messages drive up Bell's funding for mental
health initiatives nationwide, supporting more than 600
organizations large and small since we started Bell Let's Talk in
2010. Last year, Bell increased its donation by over $6 million – 5
cents for each of the more than 122 million messages we all
shared on Bell Let's Talk Day 2015. That's a pile of nickels almost
400 CN Towers high. Let's add another tower this year!"
It's easy to join the conversation
Today for every
text message, wireless and long distance call made by Bell Canada and Bell Aliant customers, every
tweet using #BellLetsTalk, and every Facebook share of today's Bell
Let's Talk Day image at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk, Bell will donate
5 cents more to Canadian mental
health programs. Bell's donations are made at no extra charge to
Bell Let's Talk Day participants, though normal long distance or
text charges, if any, apply.
Bell Let's Talk Day 2015 set new records, with 122,150,772
interactions and an increase in Bell's donation of $6,107,538.60. #BellLetsTalk was the number 1
twitter trend in Canada and
worldwide on Bell Let's Day 2015 last year, and the second most
popular Canadian hashtag in all of 2015 after the federal
election.
What's happening on Bell Let's Talk Day 2016
Many media outlets and other organizations across the country
will discuss mental health today, including Bell Media which marks
Bell Let's Talk Day with more than 80 hours of programming
dedicated to raising awareness and encouraging the dialogue about
mental health. That includes The Prime Minister @ The Social: A
Bell Let's Talk Day Special, a conversation with Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau airing at
7 pm on CTV, CTV Two, CTV GO and
CTV.ca.
Throughout the day, special mental health-themed programming
will air on CTV, CTV Two, BNN, Bravo, CP24, CTV News Channel,
Discovery, E!, Much, RDS, Space, TSN, CraveTV, Much Digital
Studios, and TheLoop.ca, as well as additional Bell Media digital,
radio, and local TV properties. Clara and other Bell Let's Talk Day
spokespeople, along with mental health experts from across Canada,
are being featured on Bell Media's programming today.
Local CTV stations and radio outlets across Canada are also
engaging their communities in the conversation by examining mental
health issues from a local perspective.
Their Excellencies the Right Honourable David
Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and Mrs. Sharon Johnston visit Mental Health Services in
Canada's Capital Region
Their Excellencies are visiting Lanark County Mental Health in
Carleton Place, Ontario and The
First Peoples Innovation Centre, in Gatineau, Québec.
Raptors 905 game in support of Bell Let's Talk
Michael Landsberg and Kevin Breel will attend the Raptors 905 game at
11 am ET at the Hershey Centre in
Mississauga where 4,000 young
people will receive Bell Let's Talk thundersticks.
Canadian Armed Forces mental health awareness
event
Bell Let's Talk ambassador Séan McCann will
participate in a panel discussion about mental health moderated by
CTV's Kevin Newman at CFB Petawawa
at 1 pm ET.
Vancouver Board of Trade
Bell Let's Talk webinar
Bell Let's Talk ambassador Andrew
Jensen will participate in a webinar about mental health at
10 am PT.
Mary Walsh in Atlantic Canada
Mary will meet with
staff at the IWK Health Centre to talk about mental health and
promote the campaign. Along with Halifax Mayor, Mike
Savage, Mary will drop the puck during the opening
ceremonies for the Bell Let's Talk AUS men's hockey game – Saint
Mary's Huskies visit the Dalhousie Tigers at the Halifax Forum at
7 pm AT.
Atlantic University Sport games in support of Bell Let's
Talk
In addition to the Huskies-Tigers game, 3 more AUS
hockey games will feature Bell Let's Talk:
- The StFX X-Men visit the Acadia Axemen in Wolfville at 7
pm AT
- Moncton Aigles Bleus visit the UPEI Panthers in Charlottetown at 7
pm AT
- The St. Thomas Tommies visit the UNB Varsity Reds in
Fredericton at 7 pm AT
All 4 AUS hockey games on Bell Let's Talk Day will air on Bell
Aliant FibreOP TV 1.
The 2016 Bell Let's Talk team
"We can't thank this
awesome Bell Let's Talk team enough for leading conversations about
mental health with Canadians all around the country, and for
sharing their own personal stories. Their willingness to open up
and talk candidly about mental health is truly inspiring, and key
to making a difference in the conversation," said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let's Talk.
Clara Hughes leads a Bell Let's
Talk team that includes TSN host Michael
Landsberg, comedian Howie
Mandel, entertainer Mary
Walsh, and Québec personalities Stefie Shock and Michel
Mpambara. New to the team for 2016 are singer-songwriter
Serena Ryder, actor Marie-Soleil Dion and retired CFL player Étienne
Boulay.
Bell Let's Talk ambassadors professional golfer Andrew Jensen, comedian and writer Kevin Breel, CFL veteran Shea Emry, and musician Robb Nash return to the team again this year as
well, sharing their own mental health stories and encouraging
Canadians to add their voices to the conversation. Bell Let's Talk
is also pleased to welcome two more new voices this year, Toronto
Maple Leafs Head Coach Mike Babcock
and singer-songwriter Séan McCann.
5 simple ways to fight the stigma around mental
illness
The Bell Let's Talk's campaign continues to build
on the 5 simple ways to fight the stigma of mental illness
developed by Dr. Heather Stuart, the
first Bell Mental Health and Anti-Stigma Research Chair at Queen's
University. Learning the 5 ways enables anyone to engage in
conversations about mental health in a manner that helps those
living with mental illness and its stigma.
- Language matters – pay attention to the words you use about
mental illness
- Educate yourself – learn, know and talk more, understand the
signs
- Be kind – small acts of kindness speak a lot
- Listen and ask – sometimes it's best to just listen
- Talk about it – start a dialogue, break the silence
Bell Let's Talk Community Fund
The annual Bell Let's
Talk Community Fund supports organizations focused on improving
access to programs and services to improve the mental health and
wellbeing of people living with mental health issues from coast to
coast to coast. Applications are now being accepted for the 2016
Bell Let's Talk Community Fund. The 2016 application period is open
until March 31 and all 2016 Fund
grants will be disbursed before December 31,
2016. To apply for 2016 funding, please visit
Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
To learn more about the campaign, or to download the Bell Let's
Talk toolkit and help get the conversation started, please visit
Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
About Bell Let's Talk
Bell Let's Talk promotes mental
health based on 4 action pillars - anti-stigma, care and access,
new research, and workplace best practices. Bell Let's Talk was
originally launched in September 2010
as a 5-year program with a $50
million donation from Bell, and a commitment to grow its
funding though the engagement of Canadians in the cause on Bell
Let's Talk Day. Bell donates 5 cents
for messages of support sent on Bell Let's Talk Day, including
calls, texts, shares and tweets.
With approximately 470 million of these interactions by
Canadians over the last 5 Bell Let's Talk Days, Bell's total
commitment to mental health has grown to $73,623,413.80. Since 2010, Bell Let's Talk has
supported more than 600 organizations from the largest healthcare
institutions and universities to the smallest grassroots mental
health organizations in every province and territory. In
September 2015, Bell announced it
would extend Bell a further 5 years and commit to at least
$100 million in funding for Canadian
mental health.
A 2015 Nielsen survey undertaken on behalf of Bell Let's Talk
found that 81% of Canadians were more aware of mental health issues
than 5 years ago, 70% think attitudes about mental health have
changed for the better, and 57% believe the stigma around mental
illness has been reduced.
The numbers are even more impressive among young people aged 18
to 24: 87% are more aware of mental health issues than 5 years ago,
79% think attitudes are better, and 65% believe stigma has been
reduced.
Media inquiries:
Jacqueline Michelis
613 785-1427
jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca
@Bell_News
SOURCE Bell Canada