Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas has reintroduced her bill that would lead to highway memorials being erected for police officers who died by suicide as a consequence of being in the line of duty.
The bill was introduced to the legislature earlier this year, but the prorogation of the legislature earlier this fall cleared all bills that had not received royal assent, hence its reintroduction now.
“I was approached by Amanda Robichaud and her mother in their capacity as members of Beyond the Blue,” Gélinas said in a news release. “They explained the group’s focus on supporting police families and working to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and mental injuries.
“When Amanda described the experience of watching her brother struggle with mental illness due to his experiences on the job we decided to take action to shine a light on the mental health of the people charged with protecting us.”
On Oct. 15, the Ontario Provincial Police unveiled a suicide memorial for officers at its headquarters in Orillia, with a similar goal as Gélinas in mind.
“The establishment of this memorial shows our province is starting to recognize the importance of police mental health and the repercussions of ignoring it,” the MPP said. “The mental health of our first responders is an issue that is growing in gravity but needs much more work.”
The bill — Highway Memorials for Fallen Police Officers Amendment Act (In Memory of Officers Impacted by Traumatic Events), 2021 — would change provincial law to include police officers who died by suicide, in memorials along the King’s Highway.
When Gélinas announced the reintroduction, she was joined at her press conference by Amanda Robichaud, sister of police officer Christopher Labreche, who died in July 2019.
“Our law enforcement officers have chosen a career to protect us, putting their lives on the line, but they’re not getting the support they need, internally and externally; the memorial in Orillia only reinforces that,” Robichaud said. “This bill, re-introduced today is a historic step in acknowledging the sacrifice of those who have died because of the line of duty.”
According to Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, police claims for the Mental Stress Injury program have risen dramatically from 73 claims in 2012 when the program was introduced to 425 in 2019, data provided by Gélinas’ office shows.
“Every one of those numbers represents a brother or sister, a dad or a mum. This change would be a marker for them to say: You matter, we will remember your service, you are valued.” Gélinas said.
