[3] The most prominent part of the initiative is "Bell Let's Talk Day," an annual one-day advertising campaign held on the fourth or last Wednesday of January where money is donated to mental health funds based on the number of social media and communication interactions that include the branded hashtag, #BellLetsTalk, or its Canadian French equivalent, #BellCause.

[13] The program was designed with a marketing motive in mind; the topic of mental health was chosen largely because it was uncharted territory in the corporate sponsorship area and was sure to be influential.

[14] The name "Bell Let's Talk" was chosen both as a reference to the campaign's goals of encouraging participants to speak up about mental health issues, as well as a play on the company's role in the telecommunications industry.

[5] Regarding #BellLetsTalk's progress, Mary Deacon noted that, "It's been an incredible outpouring of support for those who struggle with mental illness over the last 8 years, and we're now ready to break a billion total messages.

"[15] Through the use of various outlets, the campaign aims to support mental health issues through four main sectors: anti-stigma, care and access, research, and workplace leadership.

For every "interaction" on Bell Let's Talk Day, the company pledges to donate five cents towards Canadian mental health, which is then divided among various community projects and major institutions across Canada.

Famous for being the only Canadian dual-season athlete to win multiple medals, Hughes herself has had depression throughout her life, and has taken part in many outreach events to support mental health awareness.

Experts of the movement include 22 people, primarily with medical and higher degrees; their primary role is to offer support and raise awareness for mental health initiatives.

[3] By contrast, Ambassadors of the movement include 6 people whose lives are all within the public eye; their primary role is to inspire change about how mental illness and health are discussed.

Brock University led the creation of their Thrive Week, a series of events coinciding with Bell Let's Talk day to promote self-care and mental health awareness in the school.

Presented by Ryerson's tri-mentoring program, the event included food, games, and a photo booth to promote sharing images on Instagram using the hashtag.

[26][29] Spokesperson Clara Hughes played a large role in the partnership, stating that "athletes are deeply involved in campus life and passionate about their school communities, and I offer my heartfelt thanks to them all for bringing their incredible energy and ideas to the mental health cause.

[17][32] Following the 2013 campaign, a $1 million contribution went to the True Patriot Love Fund, a Canadian foundation established in 2009 to help support soldiers and military families deal with the mental health issues associated with a return from service.

"[43] Another $250,000 donation to the Embrace Life Council in Nunavut was aimed at helping spread awareness and education at the community level surrounding suicide prevention.

[45] The McGill University Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital received $250,000 for their research project that would span the next three years looking into the different ways that mental health issues are observed and treated across cultures.

The hospital's Multicultural Human Resource Centre was also being expanded as part of the project, being translated into several more languages to offer support across cultural boundaries.

"[48] Third, $150,000 was granted to Ogijiita Pimatiswin Kinamatwin (OPK), a Winnipeg-based foundation that works to provide education and life support for at-risk youth and young adults from Indigenous communities in Manitoba.

[49] OPK focuses primarily on underprivileged Indigenous youth who are suffering from the intergenerational impact of the Indian Residential School (IRS) system on their culture and economy.

Celebrities like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle joined in this year,[65] as did Ellen DeGeneres, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ryan Reynolds.

On March 9, Bell announced a new $10M partnership with the Graham Boeckh Foundation to support integrated youth mental health and wellness services across Canada,[66] with the first donation going to Quebec's Aire ouverte centers.

[70] Two Nova Scotia hospitals will soon offer a new type of treatment for depression, PTSD and other mental health disorders thanks to a donation of $420,000 from Bell Let's Talk on January 7.

The following day, Bell Let's Talk donated $500k to youth organization Jack.org to equip Jack Chapter leaders with training, mentorship and digital education tools to support the mental health of young people across the country.

The donation will not only help the program adapt to the COVID-19 context, it will permanently increase access to Sainte-Justine's expertise for patients living outside of Montréal, who represent 75% of its clientele.

In October, Bell Let's Talk and iHeartRadio launched a brand new podcast, "From Where We Stand: Conversations on race and mental health" hosted by Anne-Marie Mediwake, Jamar McNeil and the late Candy Palmater.

The Diversity Fund announced $600,000 in new grants to 6 organizations: Black Youth Success, Life with a Baby, L'Hybridé, Kitikmeot Heritage Society, Nisa Helpline and Wolf Lake First Nation.

[84] Bell has committed to donating $10 million to organizations that support mental health issues instead of continuing to pledge 5¢ per text or social media interaction.

Costa notes, "This is a profoundly different agenda than trying to make sense and meaning of the impact of poverty, isolation, disconnection—including digital disconnection—that so many experience when outcast from the social world due to prejudice.

The CBC reported she was fired "just one hour after sharing her struggles with mental illness with her colleagues and giving her supervisor a doctor's note stating that she needed two weeks off work to adjust to her new medication.

[89] Criminal defense lawyer Michael Spratt said in an interview on CBC Radio's As It Happens, "Bell Canada is profiting off inmates who face high levels of mental illness and preventing them from reaching much needed support systems."

He also states, "Calls are restrictively expensive and difficult, preventing inmates, who are often mentally ill, from talking to their counsellors, families or broader support systems.