Bell Canada says it is ending its annual practice of donating five cents to mental health programs each time someone uses the phrase B次元官网网址淏ell LetB次元官网网址檚 TalkB次元官网网址� on a specific day in January.

Instead, the telecom giant says in 2023 it will make a $10-million lump sum donation to Canadian mental health initiatives, more than it has committed on any previous Bell LetB次元官网网址檚 Talk Day.

The change marks a B次元官网网址渇undamental shiftB次元官网网址� in BellB次元官网网址檚 LetB次元官网网址檚 Talk campaign, the company said Monday, and is meant to shift the emphasis toward B次元官网网址減ractical actionsB次元官网网址� that all Canadians can make to improve mental health in Canada.

B次元官网网址淎s a country, we have made great progress in moving mental health forward, and changed attitudes and behaviours around mental illness, but despite these gains, we must all do more to address the mental health crisis in Canada,B次元官网网址� said Mirko Bibic, president and CEO of Bell Canada and BCE in a news release.

B次元官网网址淲e are at a pivotal time when change is urgently needed, so I am pleased to announce that Bell will commit an additional $10 million to Canadian mental health initiatives and on Bell LetB次元官网网址檚 Talk Day, we will put the focus on community organizations that are helping to drive this change and moving mental health support forward.B次元官网网址�

Since its inception in 2010, BellB次元官网网址檚 LetB次元官网网址檚 Talk campaign has raised more than $129 million for mental health initiatives and provided funding to more than 1,400 organizations providing mental health supports and services across Canada, including hospitals, universities, local community service providers and other care and research organizations.

The campaign also aimed to raise awareness and destigmatize mental health. By pledging to donate five cents each time a Canadian used the hashtag #BellLetsTalk on social media or via text, Bell encouraged Canadians to open up about their own struggles and experiences with mental health.

Last year, the phrase B次元官网网址淏ell LetB次元官网网址檚 TalkB次元官网网址� was used more than 165 million times online on LetB次元官网网址檚 Talk Day, raising more than $8.2 million.

However, the LetB次元官网网址檚 Talk campaign has also been the target of criticism. In 2021, just weeks after LetB次元官网网址檚 Talk Day, Bell Media announced hundreds of job cuts at its television and radio stations across Canada B次元官网网址� opening itself up to online jabs about the companyB次元官网网址檚 perceived lack of concern about its own employeesB次元官网网址� mental health.

In 2022, the workplace culture at Bell Media came under intense scrutiny in the wake of the ouster of former CTV National B次元官网网址 anchor Lisa LaFlamme. The controversy provided ammunition once again to Bell critics, many of whom said the company doesnB次元官网网址檛 walk the talk on mental health.

Bell said Monday that while itB次元官网网址檚 proud of the work the LetB次元官网网址檚 Talk campaign has done to raise awareness about mental health, mental health issues and substance use disorders still affect one in three Canadians.

The company said on this yearB次元官网网址檚 Bell LetB次元官网网址檚 Talk Day, Jan. 25, it wants the focus to be on the organizations providing mental health service and supports. It said the 2023 Bell LetB次元官网网址檚 Talk multimedia campaign will be titled B次元官网网址淟etB次元官网网址檚 Change ThisB次元官网网址� and will emphasize practical actions everyone can take throughout the year to improve mental health in Canada.

The company said it is encouraging Canadians to use the #BellLetsTalk hashtag to share examples of what they are individually doing to improve mental health for themselves and others.