The community of Birch Narrows has begun a tradition of meeting the families of deceased people 29 kilometers from home and escorting them home in a show of support. (submitted/Tiffany Moberly)

By Susan McNeil

Mental health crisis

Birch Narrows Dene Nation calls for help amid suicide crisis

May 12, 2025 | 12:12 PM

Leaders in the northern community of Birch Narrows Dene Nation have issued an urgent call for action following a spate of deaths in their community in the last two weeks. Four suicides have come on the heels of the deaths of two well respected elders in the last three weeks.

Chief Jonathan Sylvestre said the situation has become acute and leadership is looking for help from other governments.

“In a little over a month, since March 28, but even prior to that, there have been many deaths and suicides in the community of Birch Narrows/Turnor Lake,” he said.

“Just recently we head six deaths in a row, four of which are suicide and two natural causes.”

The situation remains dire even when the longer-term numbers are considered. In three months, Sylvestre said there have been 17 deaths but only three were due to natural causes.

Reconnected

SaskTel services restored in most northern communities

A few minutes ago

Emergency Alert

Immediate evacuation issued for Timber Bay

2h ago

Committed

Meunier commits to Nebraska-Omaha following WHL eligibility

May 31, 2025

Not all are suicides; many are due to alcohol or drugs and some are from other preventable causes including an ATV death.

Sylvestre is worried about the cumulative effects of grief on the community.

“What’s going to happen, you know, because there’s so many deaths in our community that it’s triggering, over and over again. We know that grief is very, very hard,” he said

“We know that grief is a part of life but with the amount of drugs and alcohol in our community, with the substantial growth of substance abuse, that is making it even tougher.”

He said the addiction and overdose crisis can be drawn in a line to consequences of pandemic measures; people had money in hand but no places to shop, eat out or find entertainment while the ability to buy illegal drugs never stopped.

Support services like addiction, loneliness and other help for people facing mental health challenges were restricted at the same time.

Sylvestre said he wrote a letter to the federal government at the start of the pandemic, asking for some of the CERB money to go to community wellness, like treatment centres and mental health resources.

“We knew the outcome of COVID was going to be something that was going to affect our community, even before all the payments that were made to individuals across Canada,” he said. “I believe that the aftermath of COVID is something that we’re still battling today.”

The need for more intervention was apparent well before the pandemic, even if it sharpened during that time.

The Birch Narrows government first asked for a treatment centre in their community seven years ago and has had no success so far.

“We have spent seven years trying to navigate an endless maze of bureaucratic requirements – seven years. It’s deeply frustrating that we are facing an emergency-level crisis to receive the attention our community has needed for years.”

Sylvestre said every proposal or solution they have forwarded has been met with bureaucratic obstacles that effectively block progress.

A shortage of supportive housing means families in crisis have nowhere to go, which means they stay in problem environments with little to no support.

“Our community cannot withstand this continuing cycle of loss and grief without substantive intervention and support,” said Sylvestre.

The community has some inherent tools that can help them manage grief and trauma, such as the land they live on and community togetherness efforts such as a priest’s blessing over both of their graveyards and more.

More tangible sources of help like professional training to help support those experiencing grief or addiction and a place to house them while they heal needs to come from outside sources for the moment.

It would be better to train locals in the skills needed as they are more likely to remain, Sylvestre said. But they would also like to see some help with more RCMP officers and more funding for local security teams.

On Monday, NDP shadow minister for Mental Health and Addictions, Betty Nippi Albright joined fellow MLA Leroy Laliberte (Athabasca) to push for more action.

“Our hearts are with the families in Birch Narrows and across the North who are grieving unimaginable loss,” they said in a joint statement. “This kind of pain is hard to put into words — and it is being felt deeply by entire communities across the province themselves grieving loved ones.”

Mental health supports are too far away and difficult to access or, in some cases, just don’t exist.

“Enough promises. It’s time for urgent, sustained action — led by the people who call these communities home, now and into future,” they said.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of self-harm or experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact:

Canada Suicide Prevention Service (1-833-456-4566), Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service (306-933-6200), Prince Albert Mobile Crisis Unit (306-764-1011), Regina Mobile Crisis Services (306-525-5333) or the Hope for Wellness Help Line, which provides culturally competent crisis intervention counseling support for Indigenous peoples at (1-855-242-3310).

—

susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On BlueSky: @susanmcneil.bsky.social