Canada’s 988 crisis hotline launches today

On July 25, Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett joined representatives of Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to announce that a new suicide prevention and emotional distress hotline, 988, would be coming to Canada on Nov. 30.

The federal government is investing $156-million over a three-year period into the implementation and operation of crisis line, which will be handled by CAMH. The new three-digit number is now available across Canada to call and text in English or French 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The crisis line is modelled on the successful Kids Help phone, which was established in 1989. A 988 crisis line was launched in the U.S. one year ago.

Help is also available via a number of other organizations, including Talk Suicide Canada and, locally, Suicide Action Montreal.

9-8-8 will launch in #Canada on November 30!

Today, we welcomed Minister @Carolyn_Bennett and Parliamentary Secretary @ElisabethBriere for an important #announcement about the work being done to bring 9-8-8 to Canada. pic.twitter.com/Eg5ISXUuAQ

— CAMH (@CAMHnews) July 24, 2023

This article was originally published on July 25 and updated on Nov. 30, 2023.

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