Lake Harbour (Mar 10/03) - Each year, teachers at Qaqqalik School are asked to prepare a professional growth plan. Philip Flynn decided to do something about suicide.

Barbara Lamoureux has talked to more than 230,000 students across Canada about suicide.

"As a teacher, we deal with a lot of kids who are thinking of suicide or have questions about it," said Flynn. "I wanted to get something in the community to help answer those questions."

Barbara Lamoureux from Edmonton, Alberta brought the many of those answers to Kimmirut last week. She is the Canadian representative of the International Yellow Ribbon Program. She has travelled across the country talking about suicide and helping others find someone to talk to. Her visit to Kimmirut is her first to the North.

Since she started in 1997, Lamoureux has talked to more than 230,000 people. Her kids wish she would stay home more often, but until Lamoureux feels her message is being heard, she won't stop.

"What we went through when we lost Louis and seeing what it did to his family and friends, I just don't want anyone else to ever have to go through that. I want everyone to know it's okay to ask for help," said Lamoureux.

Louis, her step-son, committed suicide in 1995. Two years later, Lamoureux and her husband brought a representative from the Yellow Ribbon Program in Colorado to Alberta.

Lamoureux took over. She is good at connecting to people because she doesn't hold back. She tells her audience what the suicide of her step-son did to her family and how the Yellow Ribbon Program could have helped.

Since the program started, more than 4.5 million Yellow Ribbon cards have been handed out around the world. The card is designed to fit in a person's wallet. If someone does not feel comfortable asking for help, they can simply pull out the card and hand it to someone. It is a cry for help.