Police, local youth arrive in Winnipeg to end cross-country road trip to highlight the fight against mental health

A cross-Canada tour of police officers and youth to highlight mental health issues ended in Winnipeg on Friday.

The marching teams marched from the starting points on the east and west coasts towards the center of the country. They officially ended their run at Oodena Circle in The Forks on Friday night.

The project, called Hope in the Dark is a youth mental health walk, was started by Sergeant Kevin Redsky of the Anishinabek Police Service of the Ontario First Nations Police Force.

Redsky said the walk was partly inspired by the loss of her nephew to suicide five years ago. He was in the care of Winnipeg Child and Family Services at the time.

“As frontline workers, we are often seen in hospitals with young people when they are in crisis. We were the first on the scene and we're not sure if the systems that are in place now are working,” said Redsky, who has traveled a total of 4,500 kilometers and was speaking in The Forks on Friday morning.

There is a real need, our young people are screaming for help,” he says.

Ability to establish relationships

The East Coast Walks began on April 1st at Cape Spear near St. John's, NL, and the West Coast Walks began on May 15th at Old Massett on Haida Gwaii, BC.

The walk also serves to draw attention to the issue of racism and the impact it has on young people, Redsky said.

“Racism is a huge problem in this country and that's obvious. Most of us on social media, we see the side effects that are going on on social media about racism. It can't be tolerated anymore. We have to think about our children.”

Anishinabek Police Chief John Sirett said he hopes the walk will improve relations between local youth and police.

“Police in First Nations are often not seen in a positive light, so opportunities like this are valuable to mending relationships that have been strained for years,” he said.

The marchers set off on the final leg of their journey Friday afternoon from Bruce Park in the west and Lakewood Boulevard in the east before converging on the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Forks.

On Friday evening, a celebration was held in Oodena Circle.

If you're having suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, help is available. Contact the Manitoba Suicide Helpline toll-free at 1-877-435-7170 (1-877-HELP170) or Children's Helpline at 1-800-688-6868.