Did I hear anything about the young girl that took her own life? For the second time in two years I was queried that recently.
We don’t like to talk about suicide. The police do not put it on the blotter. Here in Cornwall they refused to give me any numbers or data.
After much tracking down I was able to confirm some numbers and frankly they are even scarier than the cancer rates in Cornwall and SD&G.
When you do your research numbers show Nationally that Ontario has one of the lowest rates in Canada so why are they so high here in Cornwall?
After much wrangling I was able to get our confirmed numbers from 2015 to 2017. These numbers do not include cases where it may be suicide, but wasn’t confirmed as the anecdotal case of a young boy whose death was determined to be accidental even though few I spoke with agreed.
Even a single child suicide (under 18) is far too much a number. We have confirmed that 3 are officially on the books for 2016, 1 for 2017, and 2 that we know of since. That’s 6! If that’s not a red flag nothing is.
The total suicides for Cornwall/SD&G for 2015 were 17 with no child suicides officially recorded.
For 2016 the total was 18 with 3 child suicides!
In 2017 the numbers jumped to 26 total and 1 child suicide.
Out of a population of about 100,000 that simply is not acceptable. And of course for every recorded suicide there are a larger number of attempts and an even larger number of those that consider it.
So the questions start to become why? Why is this community seeing such high and rising numbers?
Is it the bully culture that starts at the top with retiring MP Guy Lauzon and people like Ed Lumley?
Is it the lower literacy rates as evidenced by repeated poor school rankings in the Fraser yearly reports for elementary and secondary schools?
Is it an economic factor? The historic child sexual abuse? A dysfunctional and corrupt local justice system with people like Crown Jennifer Burke and many of our local Justices who don’t appear to remotely understand the actual concept of justice?
It’s probably all of those and more. For example we don’t have many resources for mental health and suicide in the area. In our research we discovered a few, but sadly the Eastern Ontario Health Unit under Paul Roumeliotis (the highest Sunshine list member in the region) actually boycotts this newspaper. We don’t get releases. We don’t get public notices. We don’t get calls or emails. We don’t get ads. Nothing. In fact when we broke a story about Marijuana laced with Fentanyl a full court press was launched of what appeared to be misinformation.
While some in Dr. Paul’s political circle might think that this newspaper is a “Blog” CFN is the largest newspaper in this region. With over 15 million human pageviews in 2017 and over 14 million in 2018. Surely that is worthy of public notices for the safety and health of the region?
Sadly the Cornwall Community Hospital under Jeanette Despatie plays the same political game.
Can you imagine playing politics over public safety and then seeing these tragic kind of results?
We see it across the board locally, from our regional elected officials, to the local schools, and even charities. You can’t put petty small town corrupted politics and bullying over the public interest and expect a truly good result.
It’s one thing to be a special kind of odd like Roy Perkins, Sue Stewart, Andre Pommier, Randy Sauve, or Scott Lecky of the Ramada, but when you’re making decisions using public tax monies there should be only one principle and that again is the public interest.
We live in a community that has many wonderful qualities, but when we see such tragedy as our children killing themselves, or hurting themselves it simply isn’t the same as our high child cancer rates because of Big Ben having no membrane and leeching god knows what into our water, and historical pollution issues.
This newspaper is about to celebrate its 10th Anniversary on February 9th. What I’ve seen and endured during those ten years is testimony of the ills of our local culture that simply holds us back.
And it’s not the corrupt, the thugs, and bullies. It’s the weak and cowardly, the ignorant and loud, that enable and prop up a system that is failing even themselves. If you want to see real hate and disrespect for Cornwall just speak to someone that was born and bred here.
Is the Cornwall area unique? In some ways yes, but if the majority of people really wanted change it wouldn’t be that difficult to make that change. A lot of the dinosaurs are dying off and being exposed. This newspaper has helped, but my time here is coming to a rapid end.
If nobody fills that role who will speak for those that are afraid to speak up?
Normally I’d write the usual “what do you think dear CFN viewers”, but honestly at this point I really don’t want to know. I’ve seen enough sadly of this area to know that this column is whistling in the dark and most likely little to nothing will change.
And more children will die. And that is the true testimony to the culture that sadly is ruling this community from Guy Lauzon, to Jim McDonell, to Bernadette Clement, to Tim Simpson, Abram Benedict, Danny Aikman, Paul Roumeliotis, Jeannette Despatie, Rick Shaver, Sue Stewart, Eric Duncan, Tammy Hart, Lyle Warden, Elaine Macdonald, and too many more.
While some locals love to hurl abuse at this writer the mirror doesn’t lie. And the outside world sees the weak and impotent for what they are which is why Cornwall and SD&G are what they are.
The only way to change that is to change it.
Really appreciate the point of view. We sometimes forget to be critical observers.
Although it’s tragic the end of a young life, I would argue it’s even worse to hear the amount of kids that live in a cycle of violence. Have you ever investigated why Cornwall has this huge Child welfare building on Boundry?
Have you checked on how they avoid diagnosing our kids to get proper help.
Martin I have a very thick file on CAS. It’s just sitting right now. The time and resources to properly cover CAS is huge. Also, they will use your public dollars to SLAPP at any stories that come out. I’m following a case right now where an abuser was allowed to retain custody of the children while their victim was in Baldwin House. It’s utter insanity. CAS, also run by a member of the Pink Mafia, also boycotts CFN and has since day one.
Arrggghhhh!!!!!
So many questions, so many unanswered questions, so many misconceptions.
Sorry hugger. There are no misconceptions in the story. Hard numbers and hard facts were presented.
Did I say the misconceptions were in the story? No!!! The misconceptions are from people that don’t realize what is actually going on.
Well now you’ve said it. You have to realize that not everyone that reads CFN is as intelligent as you 🙂
Some live in “bubbleland.”
yes, and too many of them voted this election…..
There’s too much bullying and harassment in Cornwall. I hear many comments from friend’s families
You couldn’t even begin to imagine how many times I pray to the Good Lord that my family and I no longer live in that God Forsaken town called Cornwall. We got out in good time. My kids were bullied at the schools down there and in many other places and NEVER EVER AGAIN WOULD WE MAKE SUCH A HORRIBLE MISTAKE EVER. Cornwall has always been evil and I remember many cases. OMG it is a nightmare.
Jamie I too was bullied in school and I will never forget those days as long as I live. When I think about Cornwall I just cringe on all the abuse whether sexual or physical or verbal and nothing was ever done to prevent this from happening. I was a pretty good parent along with hubby to our kids and able to listen and to talk and a lot of parents don’t take time to do this and things go bad.
People don’t realize how buying leads to many suicides. I had to be strong emotionally back in my day of Cornwall – gee it is hard to say Cornwall without the name that I really want to call it which it deserves. Many people have commited suicide by the treatment that they have received in school and by family. I did plenty of crying and so did my kids.
All the anti bullying messages everywhere and especially here in Cornwall are B.S. Just two days ago my daughter,16, get sent a pic of her from FB to her phone by one of those anonymous texting apps, and they call her horrible names and tell her she should be the next to hang herself. Nothing can be done about it. Same at the schools, nothing can ever be done, just “try to avoid them”. All B.S.
Jerry I went through so much hell as a child and as an adult in Cornwall and I tell all of you honestly that I would never live there ever again. My daughter went through a lot in Cornwall and Ottawa but Cornwall was the worst place that any of us have ever lived. I have been thinking about that just this morning and people who are educated do not stay in Cornwall at all. You would be surprised
Jules there are a lot of us educated folk in Cornwall, but I’m noticing that we tend to stay away from the crazies and bullies as much as we can. That’s not a solution, but it does save on wear and tear.
Jerry I cant even remember the code to get into facebook that is how little that I went on that system. If I cant talk to people personally then I have a big problem. My adult kids go on it sometimes and they are mostly on sports and other things. I have my hobbies and that is where I stay and no nonsense of gossip. I enjoy Jamies paper and that is it and that is 100% honesty.
You all want to know a remedy to child suicide. Talk to your kids and spend time with them. Ask them what went on at school both good and bad. The teachers and priciples don’t care anymore like what they used to back in my day (that was a long time ago jules – the dark ages). You as a parent have to take the reigns and talk to the child. We all have problems.
Jamie I mentioned to you about a girl that I knew back in high school in Cornwall who committed suicide – she was the daughter of a medical doctor in Cornwall and he was pressuring her to go to medical school to be a doctor like himself and she took her life. I could see her face in front of me after this article. Never pressure your kids let them make their own choices in life.
Jamie I just went on to the Ottawa Citizen paper and a young man who went to Carleton University took his life last month. This isn’t only about young children but young adults, etc. A great deal is wrong with society from my day back in the 50s era till today and it wont get any easier. People have to learn how to overcome it. Those who hurt others are not any better and in fact much worse.
Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day. But as important as it is to talk. It’s important that there’s somebody to LISTEN. Jules, I knew the Doctor and the daughter that you referenced very well. Shame that happened. I’ve known others including a few close friends who lost their lives to suicide either from mental health issue and some from drugs
Pete Cornwall is a very small town and I was listening to a woman speak from California and there are many reasons for child suicide. I am crying just now over that girl who was the daughter of a local doctor. I had some classes with her at St. Lawrence High School back in my day. I have been through abuse but not sexual but I have known some who have experienced that side. I cant stop crying.
The church that I spoke about is gone because of all the sexual abuse and was sold out to some Protestant group of some sort. I knew some of the children in my class and other classes who went through the abuse and they never forgot what they went through. I went through emotional abuse and that was very bad and I never really recovered from that but I had to come out of it gradually.
Mom used to babysit for prominent families in Cornwall and I knew a lot. If you think that money changes things for the better think again. Some of the most educated, prominent and engineers, business owners, etc. were sexual perverts around town and many people knew about them. What matters is what kind a person that you are. Cornwalls reputation stinks from past to present.
When hubby and I came to Ottawa back in 1975 we heard a lot of talk going around about a lot of politicians and what they were up to. It isn’t just Cornwall it is Ottawa and everywhere else that have those dirty secrets. I knew about a certain extremely well known politician that we all know who sexually abused his kids and it is here that I stop. This is very bad for anybody to go through.
Finally an admission that there are some things, a lot of things, that are not “Cornwall exclusive.”