Category: medical assistance in dying

Canadian Health Care at a Crossroads

Commentary The week spanning July 10–17 was a revealing one for Canadian health care, and what we have witnessed is not good. In Fredericton, N.B., a senior passed away while waiting for care at a hospital emergency department. A witness noted that the man was “clearly in discomfort,” yet it wasn’t enough to gain the…


Woman Applies for Assisted Suicide, Saying Long COVID Has Rendered Her Unable to Work

A Toronto woman says she will apply for medically assisted death due to her long COVID symptoms, which she says have rendered her unable to work. Tracey Thompson, who contracted COVID-19 over two years ago, says the enduring symptoms and lack of financial support have led her to start the process of applying for Medical…


Eco-Anxiety and Medically Assisted Suicide: Man Seeks Death Due to Anxiety Over Climate Change

A climate change activist diagnosed with eco-anxiety has requested a medically assisted death, a sign that some observers say indicates restrictions on the practice have quickly become flimsy since legalization in 2016. Howard Breen, a 68-year-old eco-activist from Ladysmith, B.C., is a member of the group Extinction Rebellion, which describes itself as an international movement…


Police Investigating Medically Assisted Death of BC Woman

Police in Abbotsford, B.C., are investigating the medically assisted death of a woman whose daughters are raising questions as to why the procedure was approved when their mother’s mental health wasn’t in an adequate state to make that kind of decision. Donna Duncan, a long-time psychiatric nurse, died on Oct. 29, 2021, after she was…


Police Investigating After BC Woman Dies By Assisted Suicide

Police in Abbotsford, B.C., are investigating the medically assisted death of a woman whose daughters are raising questions as to why the procedure was approved when their mother’s mental health wasn’t in an adequate state to make that kind of decision. Donna Duncan, a long-time psychiatric nurse, died on Oct. 29, 2021, after she was…


BC Hospice Society Opposed to MAiD in Palliative Care Faces Momentous Vote at AGM

Having lost its 10-bed hospice due to B.C. government regulations, the Delta Hospice Society (DHS) will soon face what it expects to be a fierce confrontation at its annual general meeting as it attempts to adopt an explicit anti-euthanasia stance on its way to building a new private facility. “This AGM is the ultimate showdown…


O’Toole Versus the Grassroots: Conservative Leader Finds Himself Divided From Base

OTTAWA—Erin O’Toole insists the Conservative caucus is united behind his leadership. But can he be as confident about the party’s grassroots? The reaction from a handful of third-party organizations, which represent swaths of the Conservative faithful, suggests the answer is likely a no. “If they keep throwing their base under the bus, there’s not going…


Canada’s New Parliament Should Prioritize Freedom of Conscience Protection, Says Think Tank

When Parliament returns this fall it should take steps to better protect freedom of conscience, a vital component in harmonizing diverse views on various social and medical issues in Canada, a new report says. Titled “Our Inner Guide: Protecting Freedom of Conscience” and published by public policy think tank Cardus, the report emphasizes the importance…


Liberals Pass Controversial Medically Assisted Dying Bill, With help of Bloc Quebecois

A revised bill that expands access to medically assisted suicide was passed in the House of Commons on March 11. In order to force a vote before a March 26 deadline as well as force closure on debate, the Bloc Quebecois joined with the minority Liberal government to help pass the controversial bill. Bill C-7…


Canadians Who’ve Recovered from Depression Urge MPs to Vote Against Bill C-7

Canadians who had recovered from depression are urging MPs to vote against amendments to a bill that would expand access to medically assisted deaths for people suffering from mental illnesses. In a press conference co-hosted by Conservative MPs on Monday, witnesses expressed concerns about the Liberal government’s latest amendments to Bill C-7, which would allow people who…