'We bear a lot of brunt': First responder community laces up for mental awareness

Players can be seen at the Grant Fuhr Arena in Spruce Grove at the third-annual Battle for the Badges on March 23, 2024. (Dave Mitchell/CTV News Edmonton)

First responders faced off for mental health in Spruce Grove Saturday.

Firefighters and RCMP officers hit the ice in a game against the U18 AA Parkland Athletic Club Saints for the third-annual Battle for the Badges charity hockey game.

The game is a fundraiser for the Legacy Place Society, an organization supporting first responder mental health.

It was free to attend with donations accepted at the door. Raffles and a 50/50 helped with fundraising efforts.

The game's founder Miles Valiquette, a Spruce Grove RCMP officer, said maintaining good mental health is critical for first responders, as the nature of their work can take a serious toll on emotion and mental well-being.

"Mental health is going on in everyone's world, and we're just trying to bring awareness to that. As first responders we bear a lot of brunt for that," Valiquette said. "I think the stigma is slowly going away, but there's still a lot of work to do."

The second-annual Const. Brett Ryan award was presented and a moment of silence was observed.

Ryan, an Edmonton police officer, was a close friend of Valiquette's and an official at the first Battle of the Badges game.

He was lined up to officiate the 2023 game when he was killed in the line of duty alongside Const. Travis Jordan.

A scholarship was set up in Ryan's name and will be awarded each year to a U18 PAC player who shows community values and strong ethics.