Alex Baumann

Currently Chief Executive of High Performance Sport New Zealand – an organization established to lead the high performance sport system in New Zealand and work in partnership to achieve the vision of ‘More New Zealanders winning on the world stage’ – Alex Baumann is one of Canada’s greatest swimmers of all time. Two Olympic gold medals, and many more podium finishes in international competition, Alex is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Order of Ontario, and a member of the Canadian Sports and Canadian Amateur Sports Hall of Fame.

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Susan Aglukark

Singer / songwriter Susan Aglukark is one Canada’s most unique artists and a leading voice in Canadian music. She blends the Inuktitut and English languages with contemporary pop music arrangements to tell the stories of her people, the Inuit of Arctic Canada. The emotional depth and honesty of her lyrics; her pure, clear voice and themes of hope, spirit and encouragement have captivated and inspired listeners from all walks of life.

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Russ Courtnall

Former NHL star Russ Courtnall is passionate about breaking the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide, having lost his own father in 1978. In memory of their father, Russ and his brothers hold semi-regular Courtnall Celebrity Classics, a star-studded fundraising event that aims to raise money for mental health while breaking down stigmas and creating conversations. Proceeds from the Classics (held in 2003, 2004 and 2011) have helped open the doors to the Archie Courtnall Centre, a Psychiatric Emergency Services Unit at Victoria’s Royal Jubilee Hospital, and purchase mental health care equipment and services for the hospital’s Patient Care Centre.

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Ray Zahab

Adventurer, public speaker, and founder of impossible2Pollsible, Ray Zahab is one of the world’s most accomplished extreme runners. Ray has run across the Saraha Desert (documented by National Geographic in ‘Running the Saraha’), all three coastal trails of Canada, frozen Lake Baikal, and most recently Chile’s Atcama Desert – the driest desert on Earth. Ray uses his adventures to educate, inspire, and empower youth to discover their own potential and lead social and environmental action.

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Bruce Covernton

CFL offensive lineman-turned-businessman Bruce Covernton is a tireless supporter of community projects in his home city of Calgary, Alberta, in addition to the Canadian Mental Health Association – Suicide Services. Having lost his mother, suicide awareness is a cause close to his heart. Bruce continues to pour his heart into supporting suicide awareness and prevention, and as a part of the Collateral Damage project team, Bruce hopes to help others break through the stigma of suicide and find closure of their own.

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Dr. Andrew Starzomski

Dr. Andrew Starzomski is a forensic and clinical psychologist with the adult mental health system in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He works closely with clients and the community, striving to create better outcomes for clients and families. He is also interested in fostering more accurate public awareness and openness about such issues as mental illness, suicide, violence, and social isolation. Andrew has found the energy, commitment and focus of the Collateral Damage Project to be a very special bright light on the Canadian mental health community landscape, and he eagerly supports the grassroots vision of bringing people together from many walks of life for the purposes of making important social change.

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Dr. James Bolton

Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at University of Manitoba, Dr. James Bolton’s primary research interest is suicide. Supported by provincial, national, and international funding, Dr. Bolton investigates the epidemiology of suicide and suicidal behavior, studies of risk and protective factors, and suicide bereavement. Dr. Bolton is also a board member of the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP), and is a member o the Manitoba Heath Suicide Bereavement Support Task Team.

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Jackie Dean

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jeremy taggart

Jeremy Taggart was the drummer for the Canadian rock band Our Lady Peace. In addition to his musical achievements, Jeremy is a public speaker and a TV and radio host.

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PATRICIA LEMOINE SMITH

Patricia feels privileged to have been asked to join the advisory board of the Collateral Damage Project: ‘As a mental health activist with lived mental illness experience, I firmly believe that we have a collective responsibility to talk about mental health and initiate measures to prevent suicide. By providing communities with tools and resources to build awareness and develop suicide prevention programs, and by listening to the remarkable stories of strength and courage emerging from the Collateral Damage Project, I believe that we can open a dialogue about suicide and put an end to stigma’.

Patricia’s full bio and photo to be posted soon.

STEVE JONES

Steve Jones is an internationally respected speaker, author, and broadcaster. Author of two marketing books, Brand Like A Rock Star (2011) and Start You Up (2014), Steve frequently speaks to conferences and conventions worldwide about how successful brands are conceived, built, and sustained. Steve is also the VP/Programming for Newcap Radio, overseeing 95 radio brands across Canada. In 2014 Steve was honoured as International Radio Programmer of the Year at the Worldwide Radio Summit in Los Angeles. As a media and branding commentator, Steve has appeared in Fast Company, Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, MSNBC, and USA Today.

ARIEL TWETO

Born in Unalakleet, Alaska (population 700), Ariel is no stranger to “hard to reach” places. She even has her pilot’s license, which will certainly come in handy!

Attending college on a basketball scholarship, Ariel lived in Boston and then California where she conceived and created her first national TV show, featuring her family of pilots (Discovery Channel’s Flying Wild Alaska).

TV personality, writer, and producer, Ariel also does motivational speaking and is involved in several non-profit projects supporting suicide prevention in Alaska.