In August, Debra Westbrook and her family spoke out in their local newspaper and on our blog about the obstruction their father faced in his months-long struggle to access assisted dying at their local hospital. Less than two months later, that same hospital made a major change to prevent the same...
The top court in Ontario has agreed to hear an appeal into a legal challenge against a regulation that protects patient access to assisted dying in the province. In January, the Superior Court of Justice decided that the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario’s (CPSO) policy on effective referral for...
This a summary of the findings of a new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Dying With Dignity Canada in April 2022 regarding support for medically assisted dying in Canada. 2022 Ipsos poll: Support for medically assisted dying in Canada A sample of 3,500 Canadians aged 18 years and over...
It was a horrifying emotional and physical roller coaster that never seemed to end. Austin, an Ontario-based man whose last name has been withheld for privacy reasons, first made the request to die with medical assistance in late 2016, at the age of 89. Time and time again, his access was...
In this blog post, Barrie Radcliffe of Barrie, Ont. candidly shares how the late-stage consent requirement in Canada's assisted dying law had tragic, heartbreaking consequences for his wife, Lynne. Let me tell you about my wife, Lynne. Lynne and I shared 44 volatile years together. She was feisty, kind, caring,...
Not long after Canada passed its assisted dying law in June 2016, British Columbia's Mary John submitted her request and was approved. But her joy over being able to die on her own terms quickly turned to additional pain and frustration when hospice staff repeatedly obstructed her access, needlessly prolonging...
Readers of the Dying With Dignity Canada blog will be familiar with Don Kent, the Ottawa-area man who candidly documented his quest for an assisted death in a seven-part series called Don’s Journey. Don gave us all an honest look into the end of his life, from his terminal cancer...
This blog post answers some of the questions asked before, during, and after DWDC’s webinar, “Looking Forward: The future of MAID in Canada.” If you prefer to view this content in video format, the full webinar recording can be accessed here. Update - Bill C-7 passed on March 17, 2021. Please note that...
Rob Jonquière is the current Executive Director of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies (WFRtDS), and has held that role since 2008. Jonquière was also the CEO of The Dutch Association for a Voluntary End of Life (NVVE) from 1999 to 2008. Prior to his advocacy work, Jonquière...
In December 2018, the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) released three long-awaited reports examining the future of assisted dying in Canada. The non-partisan think tank was tasked by the federal government to study three groups of suffering Canadians currently excluded from our assisted dying law. With the reports public, two...
Navigating a request for medical assistance in dying in British Columbia To begin the process of requesting medical assistance in dying (MAID), it is recommended that you speak with your health care provider or provincial MAID team. Alternatively, you can contact Dying With Dignity Canada’s Support team at support@dyingwithdignity.ca or...
Ernest Frederiksen, a man living in Alberta, has fibromyalgia. The excruciating pain he suffers daily has, in his own words, turned him into a shadow of his former self. Despite his suffering, however, Ernest has been denied medical assistance in dying because he does not meet certain requirements under Canada’s...
Watching a family member access medical assistance in dying (MAID) can be a complicated emotional experience, one that Nova Scotia’s Jenny Hasselman knows all too well. Hasselman supported her mother — her favourite person in the world — on a journey with assisted dying after her mother’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis....
In this moving and emotional testimonial, British Columbia’s Bill Currie shares what it was like to support his mother, Minnie, on her journey with assisted dying. “There has never been, nor will there ever be, anything quite as special as the love between a mother and a son.” - Author Unknown...
On March 17, 2021, Bill C-7 received Royal Assent, a huge milestone for medical assistance in dying (MAID) and end-of-life rights in Canada. With the new law in place, the next step is the Parliamentary Review committed to in the Bill. The review includes eligibility for MAID of mature minors and those...
Elizabeth’s life is full, but her future is uncertain. She lives with severe scoliosis, stenosis and arthritis of the spine. While she is currently able to manage the pain and reduced mobility, Elizabeth’s conditions will progress and cause more pain and suffering over time. She supports Canada’s assisted dying law...
Many recent documentaries and magazine articles have delved into what it’s like to support a family member who's accessed their right to assisted dying. But fewer have explored what it’s like for the handful of doctors and nurse practitioners in Canada who are involved in providing medical assistance in dying...
Dying With Dignity Canada was pleased to host the 2022 World Federation of Right to Die Societies (WFRTDS) International Conference.
The poll was conducted from January 19-24, 2023, before the Government announced its intention to delay MAID for mental disorders by one year.
For Liana Brittain, the days, weeks, and months after her husband, Paul, accessed his right to a peaceful death have been both painful and surreal. Unsure of where to go for support, she turned to Dying With Dignity Canada and ended up finding new purpose and life after loss. After...
Navigating a request for medical assistance in dying in New Brunswick To begin the process of requesting medical assistance in dying (MAID), it is recommended that you speak with your health care provider or provincial MAID team. Alternatively, you can contact Dying With Dignity Canada’s Support team at support@dyingwithdignity.ca or...
On March 9, Dying With Dignity Canada was joined by health law professor Jocelyn Downie and psychiatrist Justine Dembo to talk about myths and facts related to medical assistance in dying and mental disorders, as well as what we might expect in the coming months.
Dying With Dignity Canada (DWDC) is the national human-rights charity committed to improving quality of dying, protecting end-of-life rights, and helping Canadians avoid unwanted suffering.
In September 2016, Nova Scotia’s Douglas Henshaw became one of the first people to receive a medically assisted death in Canada. His wife, Sylvia — a Dying With Dignity Canada volunteer and member of our First Person Witness Council — reflects on four lessons she’s learned in the past three...
When Linda Levy of Toronto was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 2011, her health — and quality of life — deteriorated rapidly. Living with excruciating chronic pain and unable to do the things she loved, Linda began to explore her legal options and never once stopped advocating for...
Kathy watched Kim, her wife of 25 years, die a "soul-destroying" and traumatic death in 2014 — just two years before Canada passed its assisted dying law. A few years later, Kathy watched as her second wife, Lynne, was diagnosed with a terminal disease, but this time, assisted dying was...
Public healthcare facilities that ban assisted-dying services on their premises and force sick and frail patients to go elsewhere to access their right to choice are failing to provide patient-centred care, writes Dr. David Amies. Two distressing stories have appeared in the media recently concerning officials employed by Alberta’s Covenant...
The passage of Canada's medical assistance in dying law has transformed the way some Canadians experience the dying process. In her latest blog post, Liana Brittain reflects on this change and reminisces about how she and her husband, Paul, planned for his assisted death. When the Canadian federal government passed...
It is with both relief and sorrow that we announce the passing of AB, the Ontario woman whose court action has helped to clarify Canada’s assisted dying law. AB died last week, with medical assistance, after living for more than 30 years with an excruciating form of osteoarthritis. She was...
In January, Ottawa's Don Kent was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Suddenly faced with his own mortality at 56 years old, Don plans to pursue medical assistance in dying. In this very special blog series, he invites Dying With Dignity Canada supporters to follow along with him on his journey with...
MJ remembers her mother, Linda, as a strong woman who was always taking care of others. From her childhood in Quebec City to Montreal, MJ remembers Linda as a fiercely independent woman with a caring heart. Once Linda was diagnosed with lung cancer, however, she struggled through pain and ultimately...
Reaction to a recent article about MAID for anyone who finds their life intolerable, plus a conversation about assisted dying in Canada.
Medical assistance in dying (MAID) has been a legal option for qualifying Canadians since 2016. To access MAID, one must be approved by two independent physicians or nurse practitioners, and must meet the eligibility criteria found within the law.
Ron and his wife Lori generously shared their stories with us — Ron as a person living with chronic pain, the challenges of the health care system, and his decision to pursue medical assistance in dying (MAID); Lori as a caregiver to Ron and the experience of a loved one...
In this moving entry for the DWDC blog, Ontario’s Geraldine F. Neily honours Dale, her husband of nearly 63 years, who accessed his wish of a medically assisted death in October 2018. His end-of-life choice, she writes, was the final chapter in “a life well lived.” Dale Neily and I...
In February, Dying With Dignity Canada hosted a special webinar on the Council of Canadian Academies’ (CCA) reports on medical assistance in dying (MAID). That presentation focused on the CCA’s study on advance requests for assisted dying. For our June 18 webinar, we revisited the CCA's studies, focusing on the...
A cornerstone of Dying With Dignity Canada’s work is putting the person at the centre of our mission. On Wednesday, July 24, 2019, DWDC hosted a webinar that focused on the experiences of those who had supported a loved one through accessing medical assistance in dying (MAID). This webinar was...
Navigating a request for medical assistance in dying in the Northwest Territories To begin the process of requesting medical assistance in dying (MAID), it is recommended that you speak with your health care provider or local MAID coordination service. Alternatively, you can contact Dying With Dignity Canada’s Support team at...
Dying With Dignity Canada hosted the World Federation of Right to Die Societies International Conference in Toronto from November 3 - 6, 2022. Drs. Stefanie Green and Ellen Wiebe led a session on MAID in Canada: An update on how changes have affected patients and practitioners. This is a summary...
In January, Ottawa's Don Kent was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Suddenly faced with his own mortality at 56 years old, Don plans to pursue medical assistance in dying. In this very special blog series, he invites Dying With Dignity Canada supporters to follow along with him on his journey with cancer...
To begin the process of requesting medical assistance in dying (MAID), it is recommended that you speak with your health care provider or provincial MAID team. Alternatively, you can contact Dying With Dignity Canada’s Support team at support@dyingwithdignity.ca or 1-844-395-3640. We can answer general questions about MAID or provide navigation support.
Jeanie Gagnon’s Aunt Lizzie lived a long and full life before intolerable suffering led her to make the decision to access medical assistance in dying. In unspeakable pain and robbed of the ability to do the activities she loved most, Lizzie was unwavering in her choice. In this special Dying...
On Friday, June 17, 2022, Judith Rockert invited three staff members and one camera person from Dying With Dignity Canada (DWDC) into her Toronto home for an intimate conversation about her choice to access medical assistance in dying (MAID).
In August 2017, B.C.’s Adam Ross fulfilled his choice to die with dignity — the last option left to free him from a prolonged, untreatable pain condition. He died alone, without anyone’s assistance, taking care to minimize the burden on the people he loved. His story reveals how much work...
In recognition of Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week, we interviewed Dr. Jennifer Hancock — a critical care physician and a donation physician for Nova Scotia’s organ donation organization, Legacy of Life — about medical assistance in dying and organ donation. Please tell us a little about yourself and your medical practice I am...
Dying With Dignity Canada’s recent press releases, interviews, relevant and published articles.As part of our ongoing goal to educate the public about end-of-life rights and choices, we invite the media to reach out for discussion and updates.
When A.B., a terminally ill 81-year-old grandfather, became the first person in Ontario to be granted a physician-assisted death, there was not a dry eye in the courtroom. The man—a self-proclaimed lover of life, poet, and avid sports fan—had been given the “right of human dignity” after his advanced stage...
When Jana Buhlmann's husband, Chris, celebrated his 41st birthday, it was a bittersweet occasion because they both knew it would be his last. The very next day, Chris was scheduled to have his medically assisted death. He struggled with the decision, but he knew his grim prognosis and the imminent...
The option of an assisted death can be a source of hope and relief for Canadians who are suffering intolerably as the result of a severe medical condition. But what happens to the loved ones of the people who make that choice? When it comes to grief and bereavement, everyone's...
For many people, Canada’s current assisted dying law is cruel, inhumane, inaccessible and unconstitutional. We need your help to change that.
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