Bell says this year’s Bell Let’s Talk Day raised $7,272,134.95 for Canadian mental health programs.
Total Bell Let’s Talk Day messages of support Wednesday amounted to 145,442,699 between midnight in Newfoundland and Labrador and midnight in British Columbia, with Bell donating five cents to the Bell Let’s Talk fund for each interaction.
Eligible Bell Let’s Talk interactions were up by more than five per cent over last year, including Bell mobile calls, long-distance calls and texts, as well as tweets, retweets, filters, frames and video views on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.
Social media engagement was up 13 per cent, with Bell crediting, in part, support from social media influencers like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, members of the Royal Family, and celebrities including Shawn Mendes, Celine Dion and Shania Twain.
Social engagement was also driven by the Bell Let’s Talk 2019 video featuring Alessia Cara, Anderson Cooper, Ellen DeGeneres, Lisa LaFlamme, Seth Rogen, Howie Mandel, and other members of the Bell Let’s Talk team. A French-language version featured Adib Alkhalidey, Luc Bellemare, Sophie Cadieux, Guy Carbonneau, Véronique Cloutier, Gilbert Delorme, Jonathan Drouin, François Gagnon, Julien Lacroix, Marie-Mai, Herby Moreau and Alexandre Taillefer, among others.
Hey it’s Bell LetsTalk day today, please tweet #BellLetsTalk to help raise money and spread awareness for mental health issues ❤️
— Shawn Mendes (@ShawnMendes) January 30, 2019
We shouldn’t be afraid to talk about mental health. Join the conversation, there are many ways to get help. // Il est important de parler de santé mentale. Joignez-vous à la conversation, il y a plusieurs façons d’aller chercher de l’aide. – Céline xx… #Bellcause #BellLetsTalk
— Celine Dion (@celinedion) January 30, 2019
Bell’s total funding commitment to Canadian mental health now stands at $100,695,763.75, since its first event in 2011, including its original $50 million donation that launched the initiative.
New funding projects announced
In the lead up to Bell Let’s Talk Day 2019, funding for several new mental health projects was announced:
- A joint $1 million donation with the Manitoba Government to expand mental health services for children, youth and families in Manitoba through Strongest Families Institute, a Bell Let’s Talk partner that also serves the Atlantic provinces
- A $500,000 donation to the Centre for Research and Intervention on Suicide, Ethical Issues and End-of-Life Practices (CRISE) at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) to support suicide prevention research
- A $500,000 partnership with the Ottawa Senators Foundation and the Danbe Foundation for the creation of the Youth Services Hub at Youth Services Bureau for homeless youth in Ottawa
- A $300,000 donation to CHEO to support the Choice and Partnership Approach (CAPA) program to help reduce wait times and improve access to mental health care
- A $300,000 donation to 3 Montréal organizations delivering mental health services to homeless people through the Programme de réaffiliation en itinérance et santé mentale (PRISM)
- A $200,000 partnership with the City of Winnipeg to support Bear Clan Patrol to expand mental health outreach to vulnerable people in Winnipeg
The Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund
The Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund, which supports local mental health programs throughout Canada, is open for applications. Registered charities are invited to apply for a grant up to $25,000. Since 2011, the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund has supported more than 500 local and grassroots mental health organizations in every region of the country.
The 2019 application period is open until March 15, with all 2019 Community Fund grants to be disbursed before Dec. 31, 2019. To apply for funding, visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Watch Bell Media specials about mental health
In Their Own Words: A Bell Let’s Talk Day Special, hosted by CTV Your Morning’s Anne-Marie Mediwake and featuring stories from Canadians living with mental illness, aired in prime time last night on CTV and CTV 2 and is now available on CTV.ca, the CTV app and YouTube, as well as on Crave, where viewers can also watch previous Bell Let’s Talk Day specials.
Olympic medalist Sylvie Fréchette and comedian Félix-Antoine Tremblay hosted Quand la maladie mentale s’invite, a documentary about Québec making a difference in mental health. Aired last night on RDS, Canal Vie, Z and Canal D, the special is now available to stream on VRAK.tv, RDS.ca, Canal Vie, Z and Canal D.
