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A University of Ottawa student has died over the weekend, the school’s administration says.

“On behalf of the University of Ottawa, I offer my deepest condolences to the student’s family, friends and loved ones,” wrote U of O president Jacques Frémont in a media statement

This is the fifth student death to occur in the past 10 months. The university says the student’s identity will not be disclosed out of the respect of the family.

“At this sad time, my thoughts turn to our community,” wrote Frémont. “If you have been touched by this loss in any way and are feeling overwhelmed or in need of emotional support — whether you are a student, professor or employee — I encourage you to seek out the mental health and wellness support available to you.”

The student’s death comes less than two months after thousands of students and petition signers demanded better mental health services from the university in the wake of four student deaths in 2019.

Frémont is set to make a public statement on Tuesday in Alex Trebek Alumni Hall at 1:30 p.m., according to a media advisory sent out by the university. 

A non-comprehensive list of local mental health resources appears below…

  • University of Ottawa Health Services (UOHS), 100 Marie-Curie Private
    • Offers counselling, psychiatric services, individual, couple or family therapy, access to psycho-educational groups and referrals to specialists off-campus
  • Student Academic Success Service (SASS), 100 Marie-Curie Private
    • Offers individual counselling, peer-counselling, workshops, online therapy and group counselling using new stepped model; referrals
  • Faculty mentoring centres (locations differ by faculty)
    • Specialized mentoring services catered to the needs of students in each faculty

Off-campus…

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