Speaking for lost love ones drives B.C. MLA to introduce suicide-prevention law

Photos of Todd Marr and Vancouver Police Const. Nicole Chan are pinned to the bulletin board in the Victoria office of Elenore Sturko, the B.C. Liberal mental health and addictions critic.

“You can see up on my board I have two photos,” the Surrey South MLA said, pointing to the snapshots of Marr and Chan, both shown smiling. “Because, I’m working for people like them.”

They died by suicide, 10 years apart. They both died the day after they were discharged from hospital. That’s happening far too often in B.C., Sturko said, which is why on Wednesday she will introduce a private member’s bill that would require hospital staff to seek more information from the relatives or care providers before deciding whether a person should be involuntarily detained under the Mental Health Act.

The bill would amend Section 28 of the Mental Health Act to require doctors and nurse practitioners to make “reasonable attempts” to contact the family or care providers of a person brought to hospital by police because they are believed to be a danger to themself or others.