Today is World Suicide Prevention Day, according the World Health Organization, which uses Sept. 10 every year to promote suicide awareness.
In recognition, local youth groups, Future Cents and Street Spirits Theatre Company and the youth volunteers from the Crisis Centre have collaborated for a performances called Keeping Secrets.
The show will take place tonight at ArtSpace at 8 p.m. and the admission is free.
This year, the WHO has chosen building suicide safer communities as its theme.
"A platform will be launched on how communities can become suicide safer,"said Ginny Koftinoff, program co-ordinator for the Crisis Centre for Northern BC. "Basically they are suggesting communities form committees to look at developing a plan. One of the things that I'm concerned about is the Northern region has the highest suicide rate in all of B.C."
The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP), Livingworks, and the Canadian Mental Health Association believe it is critically important for communities to establish their own suicide prevention action plans defined by the needs of the community.
In 2009, there were 510 deaths by suicide across the province, according to the B.C.
Coroner Service.
The number of suicide deaths in the province has remained steady over the past 20 years.
However, because the population of B.C. has been increasing, these numbers translate into a decline in the provincial average.
