In an effort to spread awareness about mental health in Canada, today marks Bell's sixth annual Let's Talk Day.
Supported by Olympian Clara Hughes, who serves as spokesperson, the company is encouraging Canadians to help drive donations through talking, texting, and Tweeting. The idea is to spread awareness, support, and remove the stigma that follows mental health issues.
For every text message, wireless and long distance call made by Bell Canada and Bell Aliant customers, every tweet using the #BellLetsTalk hashtag, and every Facebook share of the Bell Let's Talk Day image at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk, Bell will donate $0.05 to Canadian mental health programs. Normal long distance or text charges, if any, apply.
In 2015, 122 million messages were shared on Let's Talk Day, helping to set a new record of 122,150,772 interactions and a donation of more than $6 million.
Bell's media properties will also be airing more than 80 hours of programming today 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 p.m. on CTV, CTV Two, CTV GO and CTV.ca. Other 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.
Additionally, Michael Landsberg and Kevin Breel will attend the Raptors 905 game at 11 a.m. ET at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga where 4,000 young people will receive Bell Let's Talk thundersticks. And 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 p.m. ET. In Vancouver, Bell Let's Talk ambassador Andrew Jensen will participate in a webinar about mental health at 10 a.m. PT. And Mary Walsh will meet with staff at the IWK Health Centre in Atlantic Canada 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 p.m. AT.
In addition to the Huskies-Tigers game, three more AUS hockey games will feature Bell Let's Talk: the StFX X-Men visit the Acadia Axemen in Wolfville at 7 p.m. AT; Moncton Aigles Bleus visit the UPEI Panthers in Charlottetown at 7 p.m. AT; and the St. Thomas Tommies visit the UNB Varsity Reds in Fredericton at 7 p.m. AT. All four AUS hockey games on Bell Let's Talk Day will air on Bell Aliant FibreOP TV 1.
"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," says Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let's Talk. "Their willingness to open up and talk candidly about mental health is truly inspiring, and key to making a difference in the conversation."
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 welcoming two more new voices this year, Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Mike Babcock and singer-songwriter Séan McCann.
The Bell Let's Talk's campaign continues to build on the five 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. They are: 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; and talk about it - start a dialogue, break the silence.
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, visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
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 they were five years ago, 70% think attitudes about mental health have changed for the better, and 57% believe the stigma around mental illness has been reduced. Among young people aged 18-24 specifically, 87% are more aware of mental health issues than they were five years ago, 79% think attitudes are better, and 65% believe stigma has been reduced.
Clara Hughes, Olympian and spokesperson for Bell Let's Talk Day