The prevalence of suicide is an interesting question because we think it’s far too prevalent, but in a population it is a rare occurrence and people need to understand that we are hard-wired to live. Having the capability for suicide is very rare, and it’s a very difficult thing to do. It goes against our evolutionary drive that is innate in all of us.

That said, far too many people die by suicide, and I say that because it is preventable. If we knew how to spot these people, if we knew how to support these people, we would be able to prevent this tragedy.

In Alberta more people die by suicide than in fatal car collisions.  If we think about that, if we think about how much attention we put on traffic safety and road safety and we should, I’m not suggesting otherwise, that number is around 400. In 2015 (in Alberta) over 500 people died by suicide and in 2016 it was over 600.

Video created by: Aaron Bischoff,  Ethan Ror, Sarah Ensz.