TORONTO -- Today marks the tenth annual Bell Let鈥檚 Talk Day, a national conversation around mental illness aimed at fighting stigma and raising money for the cause.
More than 1 billion interactions have been recorded since the launch in 2011, raising more than $100 million toward mental health initiatives across Canada.
This year, the company will donate 5 cents every time someone engages with the campaign on social media or whenever Bell customers send text messages or make calls.
Here鈥檚 how to make your posts count.
On Twitter, every tweet and retweet using the hashtag and will be counted toward the campaign. Using the correct hashtag is important to being counted toward the goal, and the official hashtag will automatically generate the special Bell Let鈥檚 Talk emoji.
As well, 5 cents will be contributed for every view of the By 7:30 a.m., the video had already racked up 909,000 views.
On Instagram, Bell will make a donation on the official Bell Let鈥檚 Talk page.
On Facebook, users can join in or by updating their profile picture with the Bell Let鈥檚 Talk 2020 frame.
Snapchat users can chip in using the Bell Let鈥檚 Talk filter, or by viewing the Bell Let鈥檚 Talk Day video.
Five cents will also be contributed for every view of the
Money raised from Bell Let鈥檚 Talk supports more than 1,000 organizations across the country, including mental health initiatives for children and youth, Indigenous communities and military families.
Mary Deacon, the chair of Bell Let鈥檚 Talk, said those donations go toward organizations large and small, from coast to coast to coast.
鈥淓very year we give grants of $5,000 to $25,000 to grassroots organizations on the frontlines of making a difference in the lives of people. Any one of those grants is not going to change the world, but it could help change a life. And if it鈥檚 your life or the life of someone you love and care about, I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 anything more important than that,鈥� she told CTV鈥檚 Your Morning on Wednesday.
But accessing mental health services isn鈥檛 always easy. Among youth, an estimated 1.2 million young people are affected by mental illness, according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada. But less than 20 per cent of those youth receive proper treatment.
The problem isn鈥檛 just limited to children. One in five Canadians suffer from mental health issues, and studies show that only about half of people with depression get the help they need.
鈥淲e have an excellent healthcare system in Canada. We鈥檙e the envy around the world in many cases. But people say the mental health portion of the healthcare system is fragmented. People don鈥檛 know where to go to get help, what resources are available and how long it鈥檚 going to take,鈥� Deacon said.
Canadian actress Mary Walsh echoed those concerns. In an interview with CTV News Channel, Walsh said that Bell Let鈥檚 Talk has helped start a broad conversation about mental health, but that more access to healthcare resources is needed.
鈥淚t used to be in the dark, in the closet, we hid it. And now with Bell Let鈥檚 Talk we really are talking about it. More people are seeking help, and yet the help is not there,鈥� she said.
Experts say the best place to start, if you think you may be struggling with mental health, is with a visit your family doctor. Resources are also available online, including support lines across the country.
EVENTS ACROSS CANADA
Among the earliest tweets of the campaign was one by Star Trek actor William Shatner early this morning.
鈥淥K it鈥檚 after midnight in Newfoundland! #BellLetsTalk @Bell_Cause has begun!鈥� attaching a hand clap emoji.
Hudson鈥檚 Bay Foundation has also committed to donate five cents to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health for every tweet using both and @HudsonsBay.
Offline, events are being held around the country encouraging Canadians to join the conversation. More than 550 on-campus events are being held at Canadian colleges and universities. Flag raising events will also take place in cities across the country.
Last year, Bell Let鈥檚 Talk Day gathered 145,442,699 interactions, raising more than $7.2 million in donations. That money surpassed the previous record set the year before.
