Oak-land Ford Lincoln 905.844.3273 www.oak-land.com SNA NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR 2010 ontario's top newspaper - 2005-2008 Game on Sports MusicIsFun.ca Mini Musicians Lessons in All Instruments M A member of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Vol. 50. No. 108 "Using Communication To Build Better Communities" WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2012 64 Pages $1.00 (plus tax) Spreading awareness Breaking the silence on suicide I This past Monday marked the 10th anniversary of World Suicide Prevention Day -- a day when people are encouraged to discuss solutions to what Children's Mental Health Ontario calls the second-leading cause of death among young people in Canada. The Oakville Beaver has explored the issue locally and, over the next few editions, will share personal stories, helpful information and places to seek support. ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER / @halton_photog ABOUT WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY: Volunteers from Distress Centre Oakville, including volunteer co-ordinator Brenda Buchanan (left) and executive director Kassandra Sawatzky, were at local GO stations on Monday distributing information to morning commuters to help raise awareness of the 10th anniversary of World Suicide Prevention Day (Sept. 10). See the front page for the first instalment of a series by The Oakville Beaver on suicide. t's a subject few are willing to discuss. Such is the stigma surrounding suicide that -- for many -- even a conversation about it can be distasteful or morbid. Not talking about suicide, however, does not change the fact that it takes place in Halton on a regular basis. Last weekend, the bodies of a father and his six-year-old son were discovered in their home on a quiet court in Milton, Ont. Police described it as a murder/suicide. According to Halton police, in 2010 there were 301 attempted suicides and 23 residents who committed suicide. That number rose in 2011 with 372 attempted suicides and 26 people who took their own lives. This year, between Jan. 1 and June 12, there were 184 incidents where people attempted suicide and five cases where residents killed themselves. While the numbers seem down so far for 2012, Halton Region's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Bob Nosal said it is important not to read too much into the trends of a single year. A USIC learning centre ddiso Optimize Performance (Adults and Children) · Attention span is short · Difficulty organizing & completing work · also helpful for Asperger's · also Psycho-educational testing ADD Centre MacLachlan College Oakville's only IB World School, proudly offering the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme Pre-school to grade 12 · Call to inquire about applying for Sept. 2012 www.maclachlan.ca · 905-844-0372 · 337 Trafalgar Road, Oakville www.addcentre.com Neurofeedback and learning strategies can provide a lasting improvement. Co-author with Pediatrician William Sears of The A.D.D. Book: New Understandings, New Approaches to Parenting Your Child. Director: Lynda M. Thompson, Ph.D., 905-803-8066 n DAVID LEA See You page 11