Besnard Lake Correctional Camp in January 2019. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

reaching out

Men of the North meeting with Besnard Lake inmates

Sep 16, 2020 | 4:58 PM

Men of the North Founder Christopher Merasty is pleased with a new partnership with the Besnard Lake Correctional Camp.

The support group held its first meeting with inmates Sept. 10, when Merasty along with Dennis Caplette, Daniel Despins and Ryan Veteri travelled to the facility for a two-hour discussion about mental health. The session went from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and included about 20 men, which Merasty said left the discussion feeling happy.

“I believe mental health plays a big part in the game when it comes to addictions and lifestyle choices and even suicide,” he said. “After the meeting was over, many of them were asking us how to get the support of Men of the North in their community.”

The correctional camp is an open-custody men’s facility located approximately 150 kilometres southwest of La Ronge and Merasty expects to return to the facility for a follow-up meeting Sept. 24. He would like to go back for a third time for another discussion some time in October.

“Everybody left that room feeling 110 per cent,” Merasty said. “We need something like this to continue happening and showing that support to the men who are in there.”

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In the coming years, Merasty would like to see Men of the North spread to more communities throughout northern Saskatchewan and, someday, even beyond the province. Before that happens, however, he’s working to ensure there’s a core group already operating in La Ronge, so the organization is ready when the times comes to branch out further.

“If we can start focusing in on a support group that deals with mental health, provides those facilities and establishes a nice, solid foundation on the outside of the community, when those gentlemen get out of those places … it will be even stronger on the outside,” Merasty said.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno