Thoughts and Ideas Is nothing sacred (if you don’t believe in God)? 26 Sep 2025 “Once you accept that people ought to have autonomy—once you accept that life is not sacred and something that can only be taken by God, a being I don’t believe…
In the News Canada’s New Government 6 May 2025 P.M. Mark Carney We've just had a federal election in Canada. The focus, quite rightly, was on urgent matters of sovereignty threats and trade war practices posed by our vast…
In the News Do they think disabled people forgot …?? 2 Apr 2025 In a formal and respectful process that took several years (2002-2006), disabled people around the world worked hard on a comprehensive document that would reflect their actual social conditions, expose…
In the News International Body rules against Track 2 Maid 28 Mar 2025 In a major review of Canada's compliance with its treaty obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Canada has been found wanting, and among…
Disability arts and culture… “Life After” 15 Feb 202515 Feb 2025 Have you ever wondered "Whatever happened to X" -- someone who made big news but then faded from view and from public consciousness? Disabled film-maker, Reid Davenport, was reading a…
In the News They want to have a Conversation about Advance Directives … 6 Feb 20259 Feb 2025 Readers of this blog should be aware that the government is conducting a "conversation" -- not a consultation -- about advance directives for MAID. This exercise opened in mid-December 2024…
In the News Loneliness and MAiD: 2023 Statistics You Need to Know 20 Dec 2024 The 2023 MAiD numbers are out, just in time for Christmas, when people are distracted by shopping and partying and decorating, baking and otherwise "getting ready". Nobody wants to be…
In the News Families vs. MAID (Part 2) 2 Nov 2024 A new case has arisen (A.Y. vs. N.B.) and prompted me to tackle my promised Part 2. This new case too is about love -- about the desire of A.Y.…
In the News An Important event! 26 Sep 2024 I have been "away" from these pages for too long, but now I'm back. I'm back because there is really big news to share with you today. Four national disability…
In the News Family Members vs. MAiD 27 Mar 20241 Nov 2024 I'd like to write about love, actually. No, not the movie, although it is one of my Christmas favourites, eagerly anticipated every season. No, I've been thinking about love in…
Thoughts and Ideas An Appointment with Death 22 Feb 2024 "I lost two friends to MAiD last week. Granted both were terminally ill, but it still seemed shockingly fast to me that they died so quickly. My friend was in…
Thoughts and Ideas Brace Yourselves 7 Feb 2024 Hello readers. First let's start by thanking the government and the majority of its AMAD committee for actually listening to and learning from a host of witnesses who urged them to…
Thoughts and Ideas When is suicide considered “rational”? 14 Dec 2023 by Policy Options. Originally published on Policy Options by Mary Shariff and Derek RossDecember 6, 2023 It is currently a crime in Canada for a doctor to end the life of a…
Uncategorized 4th Glossy Nothing-to-see-here Don’t-worry-about-it Annual Report on Medical assistance in Dying 2022 8 Nov 2023 A few months late, the 4th Annual was released to little fanfare. Here are a few thoughts and observations about what you might have missed. We'll start with their Chart…
In the News… About those Recommendations 23 Mar 202323 Feb 2024 Hello readers. Because I have not yet been able to bring myself to the task of explicating the AMAD Committee final report's 23 Recommendations, this week's blog post is the…
Thoughts and Ideas Gaslit! 6 Mar 202323 Feb 2024 What I intended to write about this week was the report. By that I mean the final report of the joint committee whose hearings were intended, at least in part,…
Uncategorized ACEs AND MAID 23 Nov 202230 Sep 2023 What are ACEs, you ask? I'm so glad you did. Keep reading! (There's a really helpful video coming up ...) Last time around, I wrote about the need for research…
Thoughts and Ideas Helen Long Says you don’t exist — But we see you! 27 Jul 202230 Sep 2023 Dying with Dignity CEO, Helen Long, recently published a long article in McLeans Magazine (May 31/22), detailing the results of DWD's most recent survey. On the basis of that survey,…