New ‘White Heart’ park in Saint John, N.B. [Video]

This story contains references to suicide.

A new garden is officially open on a busy Saint John corner, with the goal of bringing visibility to mental health and suicide prevention.

The ‘White Heart’ installation, on the corner of Chelsey Drive and Douglas Avenue, is near the Reversing Falls Bridge.

Gary Brown Sr., who began creating White Heart placements around Saint John in 2021 says he was pleasantly surprised when the city contacted him earlier this year to create a similar installation at the location.

“This one here is really important because it’s a dark space in our city, this bridge” said Brown.

There are several different signs and stickers around the bridge urging people in crisis to call for help, with longstanding calls for suicide barriers to be placed along the span.

“We’re just hoping this heart may attract someone who is in a bad place to come here, and maybe sit for a minute,” says Brown.

A stone walkway leads to two granite benches in front of a …