No. Honouring and talking about the possible mental health issues that police members may attain from their job allows us to remove the stigma surrounding getting help and take a proactive approach.
Honouring a loved one for how they lived and how they served their community will not sensationalize suicide. It will however, foster a community of support for bereaved families.
Canada Beyond the Blue understands the importance of memorializing our police members who have died by suicide to the grieving process of our families. We want to celebrate the life they lived and honour their commitment to their community. We want to let their families find a network of support and allow them to do that with honour and dignity. We want to remember peacefully and respectfully and having a separate memorial allows us to shine a spotlight on the unfortunate numbers of police members who die by suicide.
The Memorial welcomes everyone and this includes children. We encourage families to take the time and frame the memorial prior to the actual event. This will allow families to have important conversations as part of the bigger grief and healing journey. We also encourage parents/guardians to allow the child to decide whether they feel comfortable attending.
Yes. The Memorial welcomes anyone who wants to show their respect to the fallen. We are LGBTQ+ proud and wheelchair accessible.
