Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk rolls into New Brunswick tomorrow on the road to a stigma-free Canada

Setting out from Rimouski, QC on Saturday morning, Clara Hughes brings the mental health message to Edmundston, NB tomorrow and then on to Woodstock, Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton

RIMOUSKI, QC, April 4, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Tomorrow morning, six-time Olympic medalist and Bell Let's Talk national spokesperson Clara Hughes rides into New Brunswick to spend the next 7 days bringing the mental health message to communities around the province.

Today, Clara is in Rimouski on Day 22 of her Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk, the unprecedented 110-day, 12,000-kilometre bike journey around Canada to achieve a nation free of the stigma around mental illness.

"I'm really looking forward to meeting the people of beautiful New Brunswick to share our mental health stories and talk about how we can all contribute to making Canada stigma-free," said Clara. "I've had such a wonderful and productive time at school events and community gatherings in Ontario and across Québec and would like to thank everyone here in Rimouski so much for their warm welcome today."

As part of her tour through Rimouski today, Clara will attend a welcome event at BMO Bank of Montreal, 85 Avenue Rouleau, at 2:30 pm.

Clara's Big Ride in New Brunswick
Clara will visit the following communities during her Ride through New Brunswick:

Edmundston– April 5 to 7
Woodstock - April 7 to 8
Fredericton– April 8 to 9
Saint John– April 9 to 10
Moncton– April 10 to 11

Clara will start each day of the Big Ride in New Brunswick with presentations at schools and other community events organized by local Community Champions. More details on daily events and the Big Ride Community Champions can be found at Bell.ca/ClarasBigRide.

"We thank our Community Champions in New Brunswick and across Canada for their leadership and hard work in helping to make their communities stigma free," said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let's Talk. "With the support of our partners across Canada, Clara's Big Ride is growing awareness, acceptance and action in communities at the grassroots level."

Share in Clara's Big Ride
Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk began on March 14 and will cover 12,000 kilometres through every province and territory before concluding in Ottawa on Canada Day, July 1. Everyone can participate in the Ride through community events and social media. Please visit Bell.ca/ClarasBigRide or follow the latest Ride news on Twitter at @Bell_LetsTalk or on Facebook at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk.

Clara's Big Ride is powered by our National Partners – Aimia, BMO, Canadian Tire, Cisco, Lundbeck, President's Choice and Samsung – who are providing significant support for the Ride. For more information, please visit Bell.ca/ClarasBigRide/Partners.

Bell Let's Talk
The Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative is a national charitable program that promotes Canadian mental health across Canada with Clara's Big Ride, the Bell Let's Talk Day anti-stigma campaign and significant funding for community care, research and workplace best practices. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

SOURCE Bell Canada

Media inquiries: Jacqueline Michelis, Bell Media Relations, 613 785-1427, jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca; Christine Manore, Bell Aliant, Corporate Affairs, 506 859-3171, christine.manore@bellaliant.ca