Forest of Hope unveiling in Stony Plain to support suicide awareness and healing

STONY PLAIN, AB: A new Forest of Hope will soon take root in Stony Plain. Residents are invited to attend the forest’s official opening on Tuesday, September 10 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. The forest will be the fourth of its kind in Canada and will be located in the green space directly north of the Stony Plain courthouse at 4200 46 Street, Stony Plain.

Forest of Hope is a long-term program created by the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP) with the goal of raising awareness and supporting healing for those impacted by suicide. Every year, a new location in Canada is chosen for the next Forest of Hope, which is planted with seedlings in honour of loved ones who died by suicide, those impacted by suicide, and in the name of hope. The first Forest of Hope was planted in Ontario in 2022, followed by Nova Scotia in 2023 and Manitoba in 2024.

“The Forest of Hope will be an important space in Stony Plain for our community,” says Mayor William Choy. “It will serve as a place to promote suicide prevention education and awareness, pay tribute to loved ones, as well as a beautiful green space to visit.”

“It’s exciting to see this project come to completion and to welcome the community to this space.” says Community Development Officer Brooklyn Bignell. “The Forest of Hope is and will remain a place to show everyone in our community that they are cared for, they are not alone, and that resources are available.”

This project has been developed in collaboration with the Town of Stony Plain’s Roots of Hope Roundtable, a committee dedicated to reducing the impacts of suicide in the Tri-Municipal Region.

For more details about the project, including unveiling event details, visit Forest of Hope. To learn more about CASP, their advocacy, communication, and education efforts, and the Forest of Hope Program, visit www.suicideprevention.ca