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Suicide Awareness Month seeks to inspire ‘difficult’ conversations about mental health
Aug 27, 2026
Windsor Star – August 27, 2026
“You are not alone.”
That’s the message local mental health and health-care organizations put front and centre Monday as they launched Windsor-Essex’s 11th annual Suicide Awareness Month campaign.
Organized by the Canadian Mental Health Association, Windsor-Essex County Branch (CMHA-WECB) and community partners with the Windsor-Essex County Suicide Prevention Coalition, the campaign aims to encourage open — and sometimes difficult — conversations about mental health and suicide prevention.
“We know suicide does not discriminate. It affects people of all ages, all backgrounds and walks of life,” said Kim Willis, communications director at CMHA-WECB. “Behind every statistic is a person, a friend, a family member, a coworker or a neighbour, whose life has been impacted by mental health challenges, loss, or thoughts of suicide.”
Throughout September, community partners will be hosting education sessions, awareness initiatives, fundraising events, and community activities designed to promote mental health, reduce stigma and increase awareness of suicide prevention resources.
The activities planned for September are not just about raising awareness but about “inspiring action,” Willis said. “Whether that means checking in on a friend, learning the warning signs, attending a community event, participating in training, or sharing information about available support.”
While conversations about mental health and suicide “can be difficult, they are also incredibly important,” Willis said.
On average 12 people die from suicide every day in Canada and around 4,500 per year, according to the CMHA-WECB.
Throughout the years, Windsor-Essex residents have demonstrated their commitment to suicide prevention, Willis said. Last year, over 500 community members participated in local Suicide Awareness Month Walks.
Suicide Awareness Month gives an opportunity for people to have conversations “that we don’t always have or that we don’t always prioritize,” said Nicole Sbrocca, CEO of CMHA-WECB.
“People still struggle in silence,” Sbrocca said. “They may be facing loneliness, grief, financial stress, political uncertainty, relationship challenges, mental illness. These are just a few of the things that could be challenging for anyone.”
The Arts Collective Theatre (ACT) Windsor is supporting the awareness campaign with the first-ever Windsor production of the Tony-Award winning musical Dear Evan Hansen, which will run at the Capitol Theatre from Oct. 9-18.
The play follows a high school senior navigating “a world that is consumed by people struggling with depression and social anxiety,” said ACT Windsor artistic director Chris Rabideau.
Ahead of the musical, ACT Windsor will be circulating a blue chair around the city to encourage residents to share short videos or words of encouragement for youth struggling with mental health issues.
ACT Windsor will use the videos to create an “amazing documentary video that is going to highlight our community giving words of encouragement to our youth and to everyone before the show,” Rabideau said.
A list of events for Suicide Awareness Month can be found at windsoressex.cmha.ca.