Maria Canton
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Apr 03/00) - Ten years ago, Errol Fletcher attended a community brainstorming session in an attempt to find a solution to a rash of suicides in Iqaluit.

What grew out of that meeting was a help line for Iqaluit residents in distress.

Today that crisis line is known as Kamatsiaqtut -- The Baffin Help Line.

It has grown from 14 to 47 trained volunteers "on the line" seven nights a week and is available to everyone with access to a phone in Nunavut and Nunavik.

"After we were set up it didn't take long to get the first call," said Fletcher, who was teaching social work courses at the time.

"After the first meeting we decided a crisis line would be a good place to start, but then realized we didn't have anyone with experience in that area."

Enter Sheila Levy.

Levy had been teaching at different communities in the North for several years and was trained and experienced in handling crisis situations.

Levy and Fletcher then trained 12 volunteers who were all instrumental in giving the first telephone counselling and listening service its start on Jan. 15, 1990.

"We were constantly training people to keep enough volunteers on the phones," said Levy, who is a counsellor at Inuksuk high school.

"We hoped the line would stand the test of time and by starting small we managed to succeed. If a service like this fails, no one will trust the idea again."

The service is offered in English, Inuktitut and French when possible, and Levy says it is difficult to even take a guess at how many calls have been fielded over the past decade.

"Most nights are fairly steady with calls -- some nights a lot, other nights none or only one," she said.

"We get calls from the communities and I think it's the anonymity of the call that the people like -- that they can call someone who doesn't know them or won't see them the next day."

And as Kamatsiaqtut continues to serve those who need it, the society recently held its tenth dinner and fund-raising celebration that saw 130 people in attendance.

"People are always so generous and we are very, very grateful. This has been has our most successful year with fund-raising."