A mental health advocate in Saint John is preparing to open a new wellness park in the city’s north end.
The Giant Steps Wellness Park is located at the Crescent Valley Gospel Centre on Somerset Street.
Gary Brown said the idea came after a coworker’s daughter, Maddy Murphy, died by suicide in 2019.
“I was pretty ignorant to mental health and suicide and I never knew it was that bad,” Brown said in a phone interview.
“September 2019 was a bad month with several suicides. When I realized that I said ‘well, we’ve gotta do something about this.'”
Brown said he initially planned to just have a mural at the site, but the idea grew much larger.
In addition to the mural, there are several benches at the park and a large heart in the middle of the lawn, he said.
“There’s a strong message of hope in the mural and the heart,” said Brown.
Brown hopes the new wellness park will bring attention to the issue of suicide and provide a place of reflection for people.
A ribbon-cutting was scheduled for Friday morning on World Suicide Prevention Day, but it was pushed back to 11 a.m. Saturday due to the weather forecast.
Several dignitaries will be in attendance, including Deputy Mayor John Mackenzie and Health Minister Dorothy Shephard.
If you are in need of help, you can contact the Saint John Integrated Mobile Crisis Response Team at 1-888-811-3664 or the Chimo Helpline at 1-800-667-5005.
