This central Alta. barber is using mullets as a mental health conversation starter
A mullet haircut may not be for everyone, but the Canadian Mental Health Association hopes in central Alberta it means having a meaningful conversation about mental health.
John Lecuyer had been battling depression and alcohol addiction for years. Last November, he decided he couldn't take it anymore and grabbed a gun.
"I shot myself in front of my wife," he said. "It was horrible. I put her through hell for that."
Lecuyer spent a month in the hospital and while he was recovering he decided he wanted to talk about his own battle with mental health, so other men would not feel alone.
"I would never share anything close, but now I feel like I've got to spread the word because I don't want anybody to ever do this, to ever go through this."
Lecuyer first shared his story with his barber Jeremy Deleeuw. Deleeuw said it left a lasting impact on his life.
"I haven't been doing this very long, and the stories that you hear are pretty unreal at times," said Deleeuw.
Now men from central Alberta are coming to Mullets Barber Shop to talk, and to get a very specific haircut.
"I kind of forget it's there until people look at you," laughed Kevin Webber, a client of Deleeuw. "At work I'll get a couple thumbs up."
He's taking part in the Mullets for Mental Health Campaign. The 'business in the front, party in the back' hairstyle is serving as a signal that it's okay for men to talk about the mental health issues they're facing.
"It's definitely getting to a point where people need to be more aware and make it more acceptable in society to be able to ask for help and get it," said Webber.
Participants are encouraged to create their own custom fundraising pages and share them on social media. Money raised will go towards the central Alberta Canadian Mental Health Association.
"Four out of five completed suicides are male, so we really wanted to come up with a campaign that it's okay to reach out," said Sephanie Portingale, from central Alberta CMHA.
The next time you see someone rocking the retro style, Lecuyer hopes it serves as a reminder to start a conversation with the men in your life.
"As a guy, it's hard to share that stuff," he said. "You're supposed to be tough and deal with everything and whatever, but that's not the case. You['ve] got to be able to speak up and seek out when you need it."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nav Sangha
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.