An hour before her wedding, this advocate was demonstrating for better mental health care
CBC
Kristi Allan has stood outside the Waterford Hospital in St. John's every Saturday for nearly a year to advocate for better mental health services. This Saturday was no different — except for the fact it was her wedding day.
"I said I was going to do it every single weekend," Allan told CBC's On The Go, ahead of the big day.
"I told myself that it was a long-term issue and I was going to do it rain or shine, no matter what."
Standing in a white dress with garbage bags draped over her and a rain bonnet tied securely on top of her curled hair, Allan held up a sign — "Long-term mental health care needs to be more accessible," a motto she hoists every week — just one hour before tying the knot.
Allan said even though getting married is one of the biggest days of her life, she could not break the promise she made last December when she started standing outside the hospital.
She's asking people to write to their local House of Assembly member. She has started a donation page with proceeds going towards the Jacob Puddister Memorial Foundation, which offers free counselling to people aged 12 through 35.
She says the foundation should not even have to exist.
"I don't think it's the non-profit's responsibility to offer mental health care. I think quite frankly that is ridiculous. I am very grateful for it, but it's not OK," she said.
"They do amazing work and I thank them for that, however if the government thinks that something is being fulfilled by a non profit then they likely won't offer that."
Allan, who has been open with her own mental health struggles, said she has been hearing more discussions lately in the House of Assembly regarding mental health but wants people to keep the pressure up.
"We have to let them know that we care about it and that's what we want," she said.
Kaiden Dalley was one of about two dozen supporters who were standing outside the Waterford Hospital Saturday morning, waiting to meet Allan.
Dalley said advocating for better mental health services is an issue close to her as well and she wants the government to recognize their role in improving the current system.
"I want them to know that this is more important than the time they are giving it," she said.
Timiskaming—Cochrane MPP John Vanthof recalls the meeting in Thunder Bay earlier this month. He was part of the nine-day road trip along Highways 11 and 17 with other NDP MPPs.
A bill before the Nova Scotia Legislature is proposing raising the age limit for support for young people who have been in the foster care or group home system to 26.
The Fredericton Police Force has reallocated funds so new staff can be hired this year to better manage evidence after a police error upended murder cases against five people.
One of two pilots killed in a plane crash at New York's LaGuardia Airport Sunday earned his wings at an Ontario college, CBC News has learned.
Air Canada passengers who were aboard Flight 8646 when the CRJ-900 aircraft struck a fire truck upon landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport on Sunday evening say the collision was sudden and forceful, and they may owe their lives to the pilots who died in the incident.
Cardiac services are set to expand at a Winnipeg hospital once regarded as one of the best in Canada for heart care.
A 26-second TikTok video has ignited a larger conversation about vulnerable populations, theft and content creation.
Some family doctors and emergency room physicians working in Edmonton hospitals warn that an April 1 end to stipend pay arrangements could put patient care at risk and increase suffering.
An Auditor General of Canada report has found that B.C. saw drastically fewer international students than was forecast ever since wide-ranging federal immigration cuts began in 2024.
Six years after e-learning became a mandatory requirement to get an Ontario high school diploma, students don't appear to be taking online school to diversify their course selection as the province had intended, according to a CBC News analysis of provincial enrolment data.
Sarnia City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday morning to respond to social media comments made by Coun. Bill Dennis, who criticized city spending on a new mural by Indigenous artist Kennady Osborne as “virtue signalling by woke politicians” — then made a series of comments in response to a reply from Aamjiwnaang Chief Janelle Nahmabin that some have characterized as unprofessional and aggressive.
While many Albertans continue to feel the pinch at the pump, Premier Danielle Smith says the government is not considering any fuel tax breaks, as it does not believe it will make much of a difference.
WARNING: This story contains disturbing details about gruesome deaths and sexual abuse.