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FortSmithHayRiverWEATHERYellowknifeInuvik4TuesdayMay132014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChatehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMacKayFortMcMurrayFortVermilionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrairieHytheJohndOrPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatiDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverKakisaLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesPaulatukSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekweetiWhatiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheManningMorinvillePeaceRiverRainbowLakeRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter..............................MariaChurch867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising....................JoshuaJorgensen867-872-3000ext.26salesnorj.caAdministration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.20designnorj.caWeeklyNormsHigh11CLow1CWeeklyNormsHigh10CLow0CWeeklyNormsHigh5CLow-4CWeeklyNormsHigh15CLow2CEDITORIALLastweekMentalHealthWeekbroughtawarenesstoanissuethatistroublingpervasiveandtoooftentragic.Itisnowknownthatoneinthreeofuswillsufferfrommentalhealthis-suesinourlifetimeMentalproblemsusuallystartinchild-hood.Seventypercentofyoungpeoplewhosufferfromsomeformofmentalillnesssaythesymptomswerepresentwhentheywerechildren.Youngpeo-pleliveinachallengingcompetitivetoooftencruelworld.Depressionisnotuncommon.Theworstoutcomeofthatissuicide.Thereisnothingmoretragicthanwhenatroubledyoungpersontakestheirownlife.Thetrag-edyofsuicidetouchesallourlivesatsomepoint.Saidtobethemostself-ishactthosewhodosofeellostinsuchanguishtheyfeelunconsolableasiftheyvefallenintoadeepdarkholeandcannotgetout.MentalhealthissuestakemanyformshomelessnessposttraumaticstressPTSDgenderandfamilyviolenceandsubstanceabusetonameafew.Suicideistheworstoutcomebutmanypeoplesufferfromsomeformofmentalillnessthroughouttheirlivesaffectingtheirqual-ityoflifereducingtheirproductivityandchallengingthosewhoareclosetothem.Mentalhealthespeciallydepressioncanaffectcertaingroupsderivingfromcontextorsocialenvironment.Insomeitisepidemic.SuicideamongAboriginalCanadiansisthreetimesthenationalav-erage.Mostvictimsareteensoryoungadults.The1995RoyalCommissiononAboriginalPeoplessaidsuicidewasoneofthemosturgentproblemsfacingAb-originalcommunities.Theproblemisatleastasbadtoday.Nunavutsuffered46suicidedeathsin2013inapopulationofonly36000.OnaverageeightpeopletaketheirownlifeeachyearintheNWTapop-ulationof42000whileamuchbetterstatisticevenonesuicideistoomany.InNovember2012awomaninYel-lowknifewithknownmentalhealthis-suesinastandoffwithRCMPchargedoutofahousepointedarieatthemandwasshotandkilled.Itwaslaterde-terminedthattheriewasnotloaded.FourofthesixrecommendationsfromthecoronersinquestthatfollowedwerealreadyRCMPpolicyandtheshoot-ingwasdeemedjustiedbecauseofcerswerethreatenedwithlethalforce.ItwassuggestedbytheRCMPatthetimethatthecommunityshouldimprovewaysofdealingwithmentalhealthissues.Awaveofsuicidesbysoldiersre-turningfromAfghandeploymenthasshockedthemilitaryandallCanadi-ans.Cpl.LeonaMacEachernretired20-yearveteranoftheCanadianArmedForcesleftbehindherhusbandanddaughterwhenshecrashedhercarhead-onintoatransporttruckwestofCalgaryonChristmasDaylastyear.Herhusbanddescribeditasanin-tentionalnaldesperateact.HesaidWewouldliketosaythatLeonahadslippedthroughthecracksinthesys-tembutinfacttheredoesnotseemtobeasystem.TheGoldenGateBridgeinSanFran-ciscocelebratedits75thanniversarylastyearandalsotalliedarecordednum-berofjumpers.Anestimated46peopleleapedtotheirdeathsfromthebridgein2013addingtomorethan1600deathssinceitwasbuilt.TheMacdonaldBridgethatspansHalifaxHarbourinNovaScotiaexpe-riencedissueswithsuicidesforyears.InNovember2012actionwastakenincludingcustomsuicideinterven-tiontrainingforstaff12emergencyphonesonthebridgeconnected24hourstothecontrolroom24-hourscheduledpatrolsofthebridgeandhighunscalablesafetybarriersalongeachside.Therearemanyresourcesavailabletoanyoneseekinghelpformentalis-sueswhichcontinuestoimproveasawarenessgrows.Counsellorsandwellnesscentresareavailableinmostcommunities.TheNWTdepartmentofHealthandSocialServiceshasadepthofresourcesonitswebsiteincludingajust-publishedmagazinecalledMindSpirit.IthasagreatmessageIntheNorthwearestronginde-pendentpeople.Maybethatswhysomanyofusfindithardtoadmitwerehavingahardtimedealingwithseri-ousissues.Thefactisitsnotjustokitsreallyimportanttotakecareofyourmentalhealthandtalkopenlytoothersaboutanychallengesyourefacing.Fortoolongpeoplehavebeenafraidtosharetheirproblemswithsomeoneelse.Allusneedtobestrongerinmindandspiritaswellasourbodies.Lifecanbetough.Self-esteemstressmanagementandcopingwithchangeandchallengesareessential.Mentalillnessisanimportanttopicweallneedtoengagein.Ifyouorsomeoneyoucareaboutishavingproblemsknowthatyouarenotalone.Ifyouthinkyouneedhelpthebestthingyoucandoisask.MentalhealthissuesimpactusallPhotocourtesyofGreatSlaveHelicoptersAdamBembridgepresidentofGreatSlaveHelicopterspresentsSahtuHelicopterschairmanDannyYakeleyathekeystothecompanysrstfully-ownedhelicoptertobebasedinNormanWells.SahtuHelicoptersamajorityAboriginal-ownedjointventurebetweentheFortNormanMtisandGreatSlaveHelicoptershasbeenprovidinghelicopterserviceintheSahtuusingYellowknifeseetsince2004.