From CTV News — The annual Bell Let’s Talk Day began Wednesday with social media users starting the conversation on ending the stigma around mental health at the stroke of midnight.
Actor William Shatner was one of the first to tweet his support, followed by Canadian singers Jann Arden and Celine Dion, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“We’ve come so far, but there’s still a long way to go,” tweeted Trudeau.
Since the initiative began in 2010, more than $93.4 million has been donated to mental health initiatives across Canada with the company expected to surpass $100 million today.
Bell Let’s Talk Chair Mary Deacon spoke on CTV’s Your Morning about how the campaign has progressed over the years with more than 200 events taking place across the country today. Despite that growth and clear progress in normalizing discussion of mental illness, there is still much work to be done, she said.
“The focus remains on eradicating stigma, and as a society, getting to that place where mental health is treated just like physical health,” she said.
To read the full story and watch the Bell Let’s Talk 2019 video, click here.