SYDNEY, N.S. -- A Cape Breton man is turning the tragic loss of his brother into a project aimed at helping others.

It’s been more than three years since the day that changed Michael Keating’s life forever.

“In 2017, I lost my brother Matthew,” says Michael.

Matthew Keating died on Sept. 14, 2017 after what his family describes as a ‘silent struggle’. He was just 27-years-old.

A cross bearing Matthew’s name can now be seen on a Highway overpass near Sydney.

Now his older brother Michael is giving back in his memory, with a focus on men’s mental health.

“Being able to talk about this with friends and family, and get things kind of out in the public realm, definitely helps take off some of the stigma for me, and stigma for my family,” says Michael.

Michael’s ‘Three Brothers Project’ is off and running with a goal of raising $30,000 for an endowment fund in his brother’s name at the Nova Scotia Community College’s Marconi Campus, where Matthew graduated in carpentry.

Several Cape Breton businesses and community organization are already helping out.

“I think it takes a lot of courage,” says Tyler MacIntyre, co-owner of the Cape Breton Bread Factory. “Obviously he has a great support group behind him, his family and friends. I think he’s a great guy and I think he can help a lot of people.”

The project uses both in-person events and online platforms to start conversations about men’s mental health, including promoting physical fitness and healthy lifestyle.

While the endowment fund is a big goal, Michael says that’s just the start.

He hopes over time that the ‘Three Brothers Project’ will take on other initiatives and a life of its own.

“If we’re able to help one, or two other people because of this, the entire thing will have been worth it,” says Michael.

For now, he’s simply happy to give back in his brothers’ memory, and says the project is a fitting step given the kind of person he remembers Matthew as.

“Matt was an empathetic, compassionate guy, and being able to do this project in his memory, I think would make him immensely proud,” says Michael.

Donations can be made online through NSCC or at one of the Three Brothers Project events, like their upcoming ‘Moving for Change’ workout at Jono Athletics on Keltic Drive on Nov. 28.

Taking something positive from a family tragedy, and a bond between brothers that he hopes will have a far-reaching impact for years to come.