N.W.T. suicide rates stable since 2022 but men still most at risk, report says
Of the 10 suicides reported in 2024, seven of them were men
WARNING: This story discusses suicide.
Suicide rates in the Northwest Territories appear to have stabilized over the past two years, according to a new report from the territory’s chief coroner.
But the rate is still much higher than the national average, and is second highest next to Nunavut. For context, the current rate in the N.W.T. translates to about 22 deaths per 100,000 people. The national average is about half that.
According to the coroner’s findings, 10 people died by suicide in 2024, which was the same number as in 2023.
In contrast, the coroner released early data on suicide rates in the territory after noticing an “alarming” upsurge in people who died by suicide. The number of suicides in the N.W.T. has historically been between seven and 13 each year, according to data between 2011 and 2020.
When the chief coroner released that early data in October 2022, it said 29 people in the territory died by suicide in the 21 months prior. The majority of them were men.
That’s still the case now. Of the 10 suicides reported in 2024, seven of them were men and the majority of men who died by suicide were over the age of 40.
Getting men to open up about their mental health is not easy, Dennis Allen said.
“You have to get their trust,” he said. “You can’t just drive into town and say ‘hey, we’re going to have a talking circle, tell me your most intimate and your most painful life memories.’”
Allen describes himself as a men’s wellness facilitator. That entails travelling across the N.W.T. hosting wellness groups, which can last hours and has roughly 15 to 20 men take part.
When men do open up, Allen said the thing they speak on the most is grief.
“We have a lot of deaths in the North,” he said. “Men have all this unresolved grief that they’ve been packing around, sometimes for a lifetime.”
More Indigenous male counsellors
Allen said he wants to see more male counsellors for Indigenous men in the territory, and ideally Indigenous male counsellors from the North.
“It’s invaluable, because you know what these guys are talking about. You speak their language and you understand the traumas that they’ve experienced,” he said.
That won’t be easy. Allen acknowledged that intergenerational trauma and substance abuse are problems many Indigenous communities still suffer from. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t problems that can’t be overcome.
“We don’t get there right away,” he said of his men’s groups. “Sometimes, it takes a long time to get to that point. But slowly, I introduce them to the concept of making amends.”
“Those are the types of things we need to do as men.”
Sandy Little, the manager of mental health and community wellness with the N.W.T. Health and Social Services Authority, said the government has been hard at work making mental health services more accessible, as well as increasing the number of Indigenous counsellors.
She mentioned services like 988, the national Suicide Crisis Helpline, and 811, the N.W.T.’s general health advice line, as some examples of added support services too.
As for increasing the number of counsellors from the North, Little said they started changing job descriptions and hiring practices roughly two years ago, which included more opportunities for people who might not have the same academic credentials as someone from down south.
They started in the Beaufort Delta, a region she said has historically had higher suicide rates than other parts of the territory.
About half of the nearly 30 counsellors in the region today are Indigenous, which Little said is a much bigger number than in the past.
Asked if there’s a specific ratio or quota the government is trying to hit, Little said no, as the government would still welcome people from the south who do have both the educational background and want to serve N.W.T. residents.
“We have room for both of those kinds of knowledge and expertise and healing methods,” said Little. “Local expertise and somebody with a masters degree or a PhD from somewhere else in Canada, there’s really room for both.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, here’s where to get help:
- In the Northwest Territories, reach the NWT Help Line 24/7 at 1-800-661-0844.
- Suicide Crisis Helpline 24/7 by phone or text 24/7, toll free by dialing or texting 9-8-8.
- Hope For Wellness Helpline: 1-855-242-3310 (phone, available in Inuktitut, Cree and Ojibway upon request).
- Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (phone), live chat counselling on the website.
- Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.
This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you’re worried about.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: ‘We need help’: politician in Nunavut, Canada wants more mental health supports in his community, The Canadian Press
Finland: Climate change worries Finland’s young reindeer herders, Yle News
United States: Craft space aims to teach Alaska Indigenous women skills — and help beat addiction, Alaska Public Media
