February 1, 2018 was Bell 鈥淟et鈥檚 Talk Day,鈥� which raised millions of dollars to go toward research for mental health awareness; 168 million people took part in this very important day, to bring awareness about mental health. The week of March 12 to 18 was declared Mental Health Week by Saskatchewan, with wonderful presentations all over the great province. Michael Landsberg was North Battleford and talked about mental health and everything that comes with it. A person in the spotlight himself, he suffered with mental illness and was able to get help. He held his presentation free of charge to 3,000 people at Civic Centre in North Battleford on March 15.
In the wake of the recent suicides in and around the area, it seems that this could not come at a better time. Parents, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers came to hold each other up and to talk openly about mental health issues and suicide. For many years, suicide was pushed under the rug and to not be talked about as it was shunned. Now in today鈥檚 society people want to talk about it as we all have lost too many to suicide and wish there was some way to help.
For the students and staff at McLurg High School in Wilkie, they were to hear from an educational consultant 鈥� an educational warrior.
Dwayne Peace, a former police officer originally from Edmonton, Alta., and now living in southern Alberta, was asked to come speak at McLurg High School in Wilkie on mental health and other related topics.
Monday, March 12, to Wednesday, March 14, the students at the school joined him to listen to various topics ranging from bullying, suicide, good or bad decisions, drugs, alcohol, energy drinks... the list is endless.
This wasn鈥檛 just your normal kind of presentation.
Dwayne Peace offered way more than just that. He is a man on a mission, a mission to change the lives of the younger generation, a mission to help them all, using a lot of references from his experience, not only as a police officer, but as a person in this ever-changing world, and a father himself.
The students were divided into grades, with staff members from the school also taking part in the discussions with the students. He talked about drinking and driving, distracted driving, living in unsafe homes and knowing what to do to make ones鈥� living situation better. He also explained to the students what consequences from their decisions could be.
Bullying was a very important subject that was discussed and how it affected those that were bullied, with the message to the students _ 鈥淪top the Judging.鈥� He was also quoted, 鈥淲hat life is is a game and, in this game, you have to have love and acceptance. As soon as you change your game, it will then change all the players, and the game itself. Speak the truth about yourself, you are in control of your life.鈥�
The usual bullying that occurs in the schools, consisting of racial slurs, homophobic comments, name-calling, and with some, bullying can end up being deadly. The message is that bullying needs to be addressed, it needs to stop and everyone, and in particular parents and guardians, have to take control, making sure the children understand what they are doing is wrong. With the recent school shootings all over in North America, we have to wake up and realize that it we have an epidemic of mental health issues that we as a society need to start helping the people of all ages! As a society we must start accepting and treating people with respect, most importantly; have open and honest communication with everyone.
Dwayne Peace touched on a heartfelt story, the murder of a young girl, Reena Virk, whom succumbed to bullying at a young age in Victoria, B.C., in 1997.The whole city of Victoria was rocked by this incident, throughout every teenager who lived there at that time. There was a sense of bullying danger that we all had to deal with. It escalated to the limit. We were all afraid. (I, Helen Urlacher, was 20 years old and lived in Victoria 20 minutes away from where it occurred.)
Reena Virk was a resident in Saanich in Victoria. She was born on March 10,1993. Her status as a bullied murder victim attracted dubstantial media scrutiny in Canada. It rocked not only the teenagers who knew everyone involved, but everyone in the Greater Victoria Community.
鈥淭he Shoreline Six,鈥� as they were dubbed in 1997, are all still incarcerated to this day. Five females and one male were a part of the crew that murdered Reena Virk. The contents of her murder were shared throughout the trial, and the pure viciousness of this bullying, was enough to make your heart break.
At the time, the Globe and Mail, was quoted to have said, 鈥淭he case had been elevated into a national tragedy.鈥�
At the time, as well, some Canadian sociologists described the Reena Virk case as a 鈥渨atershed鈥� moment for a 鈥渕oral panic鈥� amongst the girl violence during the 1990s.
Reena Virk died Nov. 14,1997, at the age of 14. She never got the chance to have a best friend, a boyfriend, to graduate, find that one love, or to excel in whatever she may have done. She never got that chance because a bully decided that she would try to be tough and to push and to make fun of someone who was different and to vent some unforeseen horrible events on her, and all for what? We will never really know why.
Hearing this myself all again makes me wonder how the students of Wilkie, Saskatchewan felt when they heard of this tragedy. There must have been panic, sadness, fear, trying not to believe that this had happened. But it did, and it continues.
On March 13, at 6:30 pm, Dwayne Peace invited the parents to come McLurg High School, to hear a compressed version of what he had been doing with the students at the school. As parents gathered into the open area in McLurg High School, it did not take long for the many parents to sit quietly and listen to the two-hour presentation and the participation from the parents, teachers and support staff was very positive and much appreciated! It showed that the school cares about what is happening and wants to let the students know that they are there to help!
The projection screen was set up and what it said on it caught everyone鈥檚 eyes.
Changing And Saving Lives, Life Synergy, For Youth.
Peace鈥檚 charisma and determination for the mission he is on could be seen from his presentation to the parents that evening. When it comes to believing in the children of the future and knowing what they will accomplish if they all just communicate open and honestly with each other, stop the name calling, stop the bullying, help each other 鈥� imagine a world like that.
When asked, a student at the school was quoted as saying that the presentation was 鈥渋nspiring to them to do good.鈥�
If any school should have any presenter, it should be Dwayne Peace. Please contact wayne Peace, Educational Consultant, Retired Police Officer and SRO, at email [email protected].
Here鈥檚 to everyone鈥檚 mental health, and for our future generations.
