Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day. Bell will be donating 5 cents for every mobile and long distance call or text made by a subscriber, tweet or Instagram post made using the hashtag #BellLetsTalk, every Facebook video view of their official Bell Let’s Talk video, and Snapchat using the Bell Let’s Talk geofilter towards mental health initiatives. It’s an important day that helps to generate awareness around the stigma that exists for many Canadians suffering from a mental illness. According to their website, one in five Canadians will suffer from a mental health issue at some point in their lives, and two thirds of them will not seek any help because of the negative associations they still feel are being associated with it. The campaign is built on four pillars: anti-stigma, care and access, workplace health, and research. You can download Bell’s complete toolkit from their website that teaches you how to start a conversation about mental health in your community or one-on-one with someone you may know who is suffering. There are also tips on how to create a mentally healthy workplace. According to Dr. Heather Stuart, five simple ways to help include using proper language, educating yourself, being kind, listening and asking, and talking about it. Many entertainment, media, and sports personalities like Howie Mandel, Clara Hughes, Etienne Boulay, Marie-Soleil, Mary Walsh, Michael Landsberg, Michael Mpambara, Serena Ryder, and Stefie Shock are all a part of the Bell Let’s Talk Team, using their fame, platforms, and personal experiences to help raise awareness and support the campaign. Mandel is hosting a Howie Mandel: A Bell Let’s Talk Day Special that will air today on CTV and CTV Two, as well as, be streamed on CTV.ca. Let’s break the silence on mental health. To learn more about Bell Let’s Talk Day and the campaign, visit http://letstalk.bell.ca/en/. By Rhea Braganza