Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently the NWT Help Line held its first group phone session. This session, ready to host up to 23 people, provided an opportunity for NWT residents to talk to experts and to hear from each other in a confidential and supportive setting, no matter where they were calling from.
The topic, too, was something that is sadly familiar to too many families across our territory: suicide and suicide awareness.
Programs like this, Mr. Speaker, and others such as Mental Health First Aid, sharing circles, and confidential online chats through the NWT Help Line Facebook page are vital for Northerners. Mr. Speaker, Inuit residents are particularly in need. Our neighbours in Nunavut have declared a suicide crisis in their region, and more broadly, Statistics Canada reported that nearly a quarter of Inuit have had suicidal thoughts at least once in their lives.
Inuit mental health, Mr. Speaker, is frequently challenged in our small communities. These communities are our homes, the traditional territory of our ancestors, but at the same time Canadian colonization has left deep wounds: the legacy of residential schools, addictions, and family violence.
Inuit are strong people, but even the strongest people cannot heal and thrive without dedicated community support and resources for the people. I am concerned, Mr. Speaker, that my riding of Nunakput and its communities of Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk, and Ulukhaktok, lack clear mental health support for youth, and in particular for Inuit men.
Research from Statistics Canada tells us that chronic health conditions and food security are "key predictors of mental health distress for Inuit men." This should come as no surprise, knowing, as everyone in the House must know, how difficult it is to access fresh, healthy, and fairly priced food on a regular basis in remote communities.
Despite these factors, I am optimistic, Mr. Speaker. I am looking forward to the expansion of the essential services that the NWT Help Line offers. Knowing the needs we must meet is the first step, but we must continue to be vigilant and support all regions across the NWT when it comes to mental health. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.