A community event on suicide will look to create an open dialogue and remove the local stigma around the growing problem.
Sarnia Speaks and Sarnia-Lambton Suicide Prevention is hosting the gathering Monday night on World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10).
According to the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, today in Canada 10 people will end their lives by suicide and 200 others will attempt to.
Organizer Danielle Cooper said the event is for anybody who wants to listen, share or learn.
"Really the whole night is intended to be a conversation in an open, honest, and safe environment so that people don't feel like they're alone and they feel that suicide isn't a bad word," said Cooper. "We can come together and have this conversation safely but also to help each other get through this very, very difficult subject."
If you attend you'll hear from speakers impacted by suicide, and you'll learn more about the facts, myths, and signs that lead to suicide.
Cooper said the dialogue is intended to make everyone feel welcomed and secure.
"We wanted to make sure that the conversation that we were having was done respectively, but also so that it makes everybody feel comfortable," said Cooper. "The safety and the comfort of folks who decide to come is the utmost priority of the event."
Local agencies will have booths set up before and after the open dialogue.
The event goes from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Great Lakes Secondary school.
For more information, you can visit www.sarniaspeaks.org
