In Memory of Matt: Resilience and Support

Matt passed away peacefully and suddenly on Monday February 5th. He was 38.

Matt devoted himself completely to his passions and close friends, and touched many, many people with his wit and jovial personality. I am incredibly proud of how he worked to overcome his struggles of the last few years. Through my sadness and emptiness, I find some peace in the fun and laughs he shared with me and my family over the last few months.

We have no immediate plans for a memorial but will share these with plenty of notice when we’re ready.

To honour Matt and support the 50% of Canadians that face mental health challenges before age 40, we are helping to raise funds for the Distress Centre Calgary. Your tax-deductible donation will help keep staff on the lines and keep their critical team running.

Matt was one of the first people I knew to acknowledge, discuss and destigmatize mental health challenges in friends, family, entertainers and himself. This takes guts. Please try to talk about it with people you care about before you might need to. If you see signs in yourself or people you love: be brave, be kind, call it like you see it and be there to help. The Distress Centre and 2-1-1 helped me learn how to help.

Distress Centre Calgary provides 24-hour crisis support, professional counselling, youth peer support, and navigation and referrals through 211 and Coordinated Entry.

Contact 211 to gain access to a broad network of community, social, health, and government services. Your call, text, or chat will be answered by a professional 211 community resource specialist who is trained to assess your needs and refer you to the appropriate service(s).

211 services are available across Alberta and can help in over 170 languages over the phone. Ways to contact 211 include:

If you’re experiencing an emergency, please call 911. Learn more about 211 Alberta by visiting the 211 website.