Eskasoni welcomes offers of help with suicide crisis

The Eskasoni band council says it has seen a tremendous outpouring of support from both on and off the reserve since it declared a crisis two days ago following a series of suicides in the Cape Breton community.

Four local young people in their teens and early 20s have killed themselves in the last five weeks. The last suicide was on Tuesday.

Since then, the band has turned a local cultural centre into a crisis response office. Band members have been answering phones to offer help to those who need it.

Jaime Battiste, an adviser to the band council, said the United Way and other groups have contacted the band.

"They are there for assistance, and it's been great so far the kind of response to the crisis we're dealing with in the community," Battiste said.

Battiste said more than 100 people have come to the emergency crisis centre since it opened two days ago. As a result, the band has decided to keep it open over the weekend.

Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald said Thursday the province would do what it could for the community.

"We would never close the door to any individual, any Nova Scotian or any community that wanted assistance," he said.

The premier cited money for counsellors, as an example. But he also suggested the federal government needs to take the lead since it's responsible for First Nations communities.