MAY 1, 2024

WHEREAS, the health and wellbeing of mothers and families affects every community in Canada. The first Wednesday in May is World Maternal Mental Health Day to bring awareness to the difficulties mothers from all walks of life face; and

WHEREAS, around this day, prenatal coalition members, clinicians, women with lived experience, and allies will be participating in the 3rd annual Flora’s Walk for perinatal mental health awareness. Flora was a single mother by choice in Toronto, Ontario who died by suicide two months after her baby was born due to undiagnosed and untreated postpartum psychosis; and

WHEREAS, one in five women experience a mental health condition while pregnant or in the year after having a baby. Suicide is the leading cause of death in the perinatal period. The Thunder Bay District has consistently had some of the highest rates of reported maternal mental health concerns in pregnancy in Ontario since 2013, 50% in 2021; and

WHEREAS, perinatal mental health difficulties are highly treatable through appropriate screening, assessment, support, and intervention. There is access to a support group and a therapy group locally, but there are barriers to finding out about and accessing them. Also, there can be a long wait for publicly funded individual therapy and private services can be difficult to find and cost prohibitive. Increased awareness, education, resources and timely access to maternal mental health services are needed among friends and family, and for health care providers to help perinatal women know that they are not alone and that they are cared for.

NOW THEREFORE, I, Ken Boshcoff, Mayor of the City of Thunder Bay, do hereby proclaim May 1, 2024 as “World Maternal Mental Health Day” in the City of Thunder Bay.