22 Wing/CFB North Bay taking mental health seriously

Bell Let's Talk flag raised at North Bay base Military men and women at 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base commemorate Bell Let's Talk day Wednesday with a flag raising ceremony.

Dozens of personnel at 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base in North Bay raised the Bell Let's Talk flag Wednesday in a show of support for struggling Canadian Armed Forces members.

“It's a demanding job that we do here. It’s a 24/7 job and some people just forget that sometimes," said base commander Col. Richard Jolette.

"Every single day we're working those 12-hour shifts, so obviously we need to be in physical form and mental health is even more important.”

Every day, as a way of ending their own pain and suffering 12 Canadians commit suicide, according to Statistics Canada. That translates to roughly 4,500 each year. Chaplain Capt. Pete Vere knows three military members who did choose to end their own lives.

“That's why it’s important we have programs," Vere said.

"I’m not a professional. But my goal is to connect them with resources.”

Vere said it’s equally important to talk about mental illnesses to eliminate the stigma associated with them. As a chaplain, he has completed suicide intervention training.

"That training is open to all members of the Canadian Armed Forces," he said.

Vere, a chaplain for 15 years, is optimistic a new Canada-wide suicide crisis hotline, 988, can help people with their personal difficulties.

Jolette is highlighting the health care services available on the base for all crew members. That includes the 31 Health Services Centre, which is fully equipped with a team of doctors, nurses, and social workers that work exclusively in mental health.

Helps Canadians and Americans

“There, it’s not just the physical health. We have a mental health section that’s able to support our members, both the Canadian and the USAF (United States Air Force)," Jolette said.

The Canadian Armed Forces has offered the Sentinel Program since 2007. Between 20-30 volunteers on base are trained through the chaplain's office to identify symptoms and signs of distress in other team members and help them find the right support services available.

Jolette is a member. He took the volunteer course in 2017 while deployed in Kuwait. It helped him recognize a peer who was struggling and was able to get to him the help he needed.

“It was the smallest little thing. The guy's name was John and he would go to the gym every single day at the same time. One day he didn’t go and the next day he didn’t go again. The third day, we thought something was wrong with John," Jolette said.

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"We had a discussion and he explained something was wrong back at home. That was the strength of the Sentinel Program.”

The military base will be running a mental health expo on Feb. 28 with speakers, information and resources available for anyone on base who might be facing personal struggles.