Ontario: Euthanasia deaths are rising quickly.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The Ontario Office of the Chief Coroner released the updated data for MAiD (euthanasia and assisted suicide) deaths in Ontario indicating that since legalization (June 17, 2016) there have been (3822) reported assisted deaths up to September 30, 2019.

The number euthanasia deaths is increasing fast. The number of reported assisted deaths were 519 from July 1 - Sept 30, 406 from April 1 and June 30 and 368 in the first three months of 2019.  

Ontario is now on the pace of killing more than 2000 people per year by euthanasia and since the federal government has not appealled the decision by a Québec court that struck down the terminal illness restriction, the numbers of euthanasia deaths will likely increase faster.

Alan Nichols

In August, we learned that Sean Taggert died by euthanasia in British Columbia because the government refused to provide him the necessary home care for him to live with ALS.

In September we reported on the euthanasia death of a man in British Columbia who was not physically ill but living with chronic depression. Alan Nichols death uncovers that the data does not accurately state why people die by euthanasia and whether or not alternatives were tried.

Do you have a personal story concerning euthanasia. Sharing your story may help us prevent euthanasia deaths. Contact us at: 1-877-439-3348 or info@epcc.ca.

According to the Ontario data, there were 1293 reported assisted deaths in the first nine months of 2019, 1499 reported assisted deaths in 2018, 841 reported assisted deaths in 2017 and 189 reported assisted deaths in 2016.

In March I published an article explaining that the number of assisted deaths, in Canada, increased by more than 50% in 2018 from 2704 in 2017 to 4235 in 2018. 

 

If you have questions or concerns related to assisted death or ending of life medical decisions, we urge you to contact Compassionate Community Care for advice, help and support.

• 774 euthanasia deaths in the first 6 months of 2019 in Ontario (Link).
• Ontario: 368 people died by euthanasia in the first three months of 2019 (Link).
• Canadian healthcare system found it more convenient to kill a patient than provide the necessary home care (Link).
• Physically healthy depressed man died by euthanasia in BC (Link).
• Québec court expands euthanasia by striking down the terminal illness requirement (Link).