B.C. nurses rally in Vancouver for improved youth mental health services

Hundreds of nurses rallied at noon on Thursday outside the Vancouver Art Gallery and called for improved mental health services for at-risk youth.

Police closed parts of Burrard and Georgia streets to traffic as marchers with the B.C. Nurses Union made their way from the Hyatt Regency hotel to the Vancouver Art Gallery in an effort to draw attention to their cause. 

• Workplace violence against health-care workers under-reported, largely ignored
• B.C. nurses approve 5-year agreement with 5.5% wage increase

"It's an illness. It's just like a broken leg and we have to educate the public," said BCNU president Gayle Duteil.

"Mental health matters, and youth mental health matters to the nurses of B.C. and the nurses of BCNU."

Backpacks for homeless youth

The BCNU also made a donation to Project Backpack, a non-profit organization that provides basic supplies to homeless youth. 

"It's a way for the community to do a very small personal gesture for the street youth. It's not expensive, it's not timely, doesn't take a huge commitment, but it is very impactful," said Project Backpack founder Cara Sinclair.

The backpacks, which were more like tote bags, weren't all filled with the same contents, according to Sinclair. Many bags included things like socks, underwear, bus tickets, food gift certificates, first aid kits and toiletries.

"[They included] things that will help you survive, help you feel a little better about yourself while you're on the street, while you're trying to find a place to live," said Sinclair.

This is the 10th year that Project Backpack has been in operation.

"This year's the biggest," said Sinclair. "It started out very small like most things do, three or four backpacks being done by personal people."

After the rally, the nurses loaded the 260 bags into the back of a pick-up truck. Organizers plan to distribute the bags to local youth shelters, Directions Youth Services Centre and Strive.