The Suicide Magnet

Inside the Battle to Erect a Safety Barrier on Toronto’s Bloor Viaduct

Paul McLaughlin

• Publisher: Dundurn Press
• Year: 2023
• eBook ISBN:
  9781459751422
• Print ISBN:
  9781459751408
• Subtopic: Architecture General

FINALIST FOR TORONTO BOOK AWARDS

The inside story of the grassroots fight to have a suicide barrier erected on Toronto's "bridge of death."

Most Torontonians have no idea their city once hosted the second most popular suicide magnet in North America, behind the Golden Gate Bridge. Since its completion in 1918, more than four hundred people jumped to their death from the Bloor Viaduct, which spans the cavernous Don Valley.

That number might still be rising if not for the tireless efforts of a group of volunteers, led by two citizens, who fought City Hall for years to get a suicide barrier erected. Not only did they win, they saved numerous lives and brought to light valuable research on how barriers actually lower suicide numbers overall. The resulting barrier — The Luminous Veil — has been praised for its ingenious and inspiring design.

The Suicide Magnet tells how the battle was won, and explores the ongoing efforts to help those suffering from mental health challenges.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• 1 Bridge of Troubled Souls
• 2 A Monument to Progress and Despair
• 3 An Unlikely Duo
• 4 The Fatal Attraction of Suicide Magnets
• 5 Ken Dryden Reacts Personally
• 6 The Stars Align
• 7 The Black Dogs
• 8 The Copycat Question
• 9 The Media and Suicide
• 10 The TTC Pushes the Stop Button
• 11 Death on the Rails
• 12 Al Birney’s Shining Moment
• 13 The Project Steering Committee in Wonderland
• 14 The Struggle Is Finally Over
• 15 A Vision (Partly) Realized
• 16 The Ironic Demise of Ellis Galea Kirkland
• 17 Backlash, Vindication, and Grief
• 18 The Veil Is Finally Lit
• 19 The Barrier Saved My Life 205
• Acknowledgements
• If You Need Help
• Image Credits
• Index
• About the Author