Protecting Vulnerable Canadians: The Impact of MAiD for Mental Illness

On Monday, September 21 from 6:30 PM onward, join Cardus together with speakers from Inclusion Canada, Indigenous Disability Canada, and Christian Legal Fellowship for a panel and networking reception on Protecting Vulnerable Canadians: Considering the Impact of MAiD for Mental Illness.

Statistics Canada reported in 2022 that 1 in 3 Canadians who had a mood, anxiety, or substance use disorder described their mental health care needs as unmet or partially met. This increased to approximately three quarters when Statistics Canada surveyed Indigenous people in 2024. A 2023 Angus Reid poll found that 41% of Canadians who sought mental health care encountered barriers to access.

Additionally, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has called upon Canada to repeal Track 2 MAiD, including the mental illness expansion, because it allows the state “to enable [disabled persons’] death without providing safeguards that guarantee the provision of support”. From 2019 to 2023, 42 percent of all MAiD deaths involved people who required disability services.

While Canadians may have different views on MAiD - the consensus is clear that MAiD for mental illness would increase the vulnerability of those experiencing disability, poverty, social isolation, or inadequate access to care.

Advocates, practitioners, and legal experts have sounded the alarm that we should not permit MAiD for Canadians suffering from mental illnesses as their sole underlying medical condition.

Join us on September 21 to hear from these groups about why preventing the expansion of MAiD for mental illness must be a priority for all parliamentarians this fall session.

Our speakers are:

Krista Carr, CEO of Inclusion Canada. Inclusion Canada is a national federation of people with intellectual disabilities, their families, allies and organizations working to advance the full inclusion and human rights of people with an intellectual disability.

Neil Belanger, CEO of Indigenous Disability Canada. Indigenous Disability Canada works to advance the unique disability and health priorities of Indigenous persons through collaboration, consultation, and the delivery of comprehensive client services.

Derek Ross, Executive Director of Christian Legal Fellowship. Christian Legal Fellowship intervened in landmark cases on MAID including the Truchon c. Procureur général du Canada case. CLF also intervened at all three levels of court in the Carter v. Canada case.

Join us from 7:30 PM onwards for a networking reception with representatives from our supporting partners.

Program

6:30 Doors open and arrival

6:45: Welcome and panel discussion; Audience Q&A

7:30 Networking reception

9:00 Event concludes