More than 15,000 Canadians have died by euthanasia (MAiD) .

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

I conservatively estimate that there has now been more than 15,000 (MAiD) euthanasia deaths in Canada since it was legalized.

On January 30, 2020 I published an article stating that, in Canada, there had been more than 5000 MAiD assisted deaths in 2019 and at least 13,000 assisted deaths since it was legalized. 

That article was written to correct the media who were reporting that there had been 6700 euthanasia deaths in Canada since legalization.

Petition: Reject euthanasia Bill C-7 (Link).

On February 24, at the press conference announcing Bill C-7, the bill to expand euthanasia, the federal government estimated that there had been more than 13,000 assisted deaths, since legalization, with 5444 in 2019 and 4438 in 2018.

The Third Interim report on MAiD stated that there were 3714 reported assisted deaths up to December 31, 2017. Since the government estimated that there were 4438 in 2018 and 5444 in 2019, therefore I can estimate that 13,596 Canadians died by MAiD up to December 31, 2019.

The data indicates that the number of assisted deaths is continuing to increase but based on 2019 data I can state that there has been at least 1814 (more likely 2000) assisted deaths in 2020. Therefore as of April 30, 2020, there has been at least 15,410 euthanasia deaths.

This data does not account for the under-reporting that was uncovered in the Quebec euthanasia report.

The federal government is slow in releasing official assisted death statistics but we do have accurate 2019 data from Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Alberta.

According to the data from the Ontario Office of the Chief Coroner there were 1789 reported assisted deaths in 2019, 1499 in 2018, 841 in 2017 representing nearly a 20% increase in Ontario assisted deaths in 2019.

The new Ontario assisted death data indicates that there were 570 reported assisted deaths in the first three months of 2020 with 199 in March alone. The euthanasia rate is sadly increasing, even during the Covid-19 crisis.

Petition: Reject euthanasia Bill C-7 (Link).

The Canadian government must reject Bill C-7 and begin the promised 5-year review of the euthanasia law with an open view to what is actually happening rather than continuing to expand euthanasia, making Canada the most permissive euthanasia regime in the world.

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