Manitoba: MAID euthanasia deaths are increasing quickly.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Last week I reported that there were approximately 5000 assisted deaths in Canada in 2019 and 13,000 since legalization.

On January 20th I reported that, in Ontario there were 1789 reported assisted deaths in 2019, 1499 in 2018, 841 in 2017 representing an almost 20% increase in 2019.

The increase in the second half of 2019 is striking. In Ontario there were 1015 assisted deaths in the second half of 2019 up from 774 in the first six months of 2019. Ontario will likely have more than 2000 assisted deaths in 2020.

On January 14th I reported that the Alberta data indicates that there were 377 reported assisted deaths in 2019 up from 307 in 2018, and 206 in 2017. The data indicates a 23% increase in Alberta assisted deaths in 2019.

A report by Marney Blunt for Global News states that the number of assisted deaths is increasing quickly in Manitoba. Blunt reported that the number of Manitobans dying by euthanasia skyrocketed in the past few years. The report stated:

When medically-assisted death first became legal in 2016, 42 people requested the service and 24 received it. That number rose in 2017, when 142 people requested MAiD and 63 people received it.

Those numbers almost doubled in 2018, when 239 requested and 138 received. Last year, 313 people asked for a medically-assisted death, and 177 people received it.

The data indicates a 28% increase in Manitoba reported assisted deaths in 2019.

Sadly, I expect a further increase in assisted deaths now that a Quebec court struck down the "terminal illness" requirement in the law. The Quebec court decision was not appealed by the government causing an incremental extension of the law to people who are not terminally ill and may be psychologically suffering.

After the election, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that a first priority for the government is to amend Canada's euthanasia law.

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