Canada’s assisted-suicide program gets parliamentary pushback

By SUZANNE DOWNING

March 15, 2026 – Canada’s physician-assisted dying program is expanding at a pace unmatched anywhere in the world, with tens of thousands of deaths since its legalization and renewed debate over safeguards, family involvement, and potential eligibility expansions.

The program, known as Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), accounted for 16,499 deaths in 2024, according to the latest annual report from Health Canada released in November. It marked a 6.9% increase from the 15,343 assisted deaths recorded in 2023.

MAiD deaths represented about 5.1% of all deaths in Canada in 2024, meaning roughly one in every 20 Canadians who died that year did so through the program. It was one in four in 2025.

Since the country legalized assisted dying in 2016, 76,475 people had died through MAiD methods by the end of 2024. Based on the pace of recent cases, estimated at roughly 45 assisted deaths per day in late-2024 data, reports suggest the country could reach 100,000 cumulative deaths by summer 2026 if the trend continues.

Even as the program grows, Canada’s federal government is preparing for another major policy decision.

A special joint parliamentary committee was revived this month to review whether MAiD should be expanded to individuals whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness. That category is currently excluded from assisted suicide parameters.

Parliament delayed the expansion in 2024 through a bill that pushed the possible start date to March 17, 2027. Lawmakers are now reviewing whether safeguards, training, and oversight mechanisms would be sufficient before the change takes effect.

Another unresolved issue is advance requests or directives for assisted death, particularly for conditions such as dementia. Health Canada published a national consultation summary in late 2025 outlining feedback from public consultations conducted across the country.

A new study led by researchers at the University of Alberta, funded by Health Canada and published in BMC Palliative Care, highlights the complicated experiences families have had with the program.

Researchers interviewed relatives connected to 35 MAiD cases across five provinces—British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec—between October 2024 and January 2025.

Some families described compassionate end-of-life care for loved ones suffering from severe illness.

Others, however, said the experience was disturbing or traumatic, citing rushed evaluations, limited family involvement, and what they felt were inadequate assessments of mental health.

Researchers wrote that such cases “raise the complex issue of patient autonomy versus family involvement.” Some participants reported learning about MAiD decisions only after the death of a family member occurred.

The study concluded that involving families could help increase transparency and reassure relatives that safeguards were properly followed.

Several participants in the study reported concerns about how quickly some approvals occurred.

In some cases, families described assessments conducted remotely over Zoom (video via computer), or situations where a second required medical assessment appeared to simply “rubber stamp” the first.

Canadian law requires two independent assessors to confirm that a patient meets eligibility criteria before MAiD can proceed.

Relatives also raised concerns about whether mental health conditions were adequately considered during eligibility reviews.

One participant said their mother chose assisted death after months of waiting unsuccessfully to see medical specialists, calling the decision “desperation, not anything to do with dignity.”

Several widely reported cases have intensified scrutiny of the program.

In December, Kiano Vafaeian, a 26-year-old struggling with diabetes-related vision loss and depression, died by MAiD methods in Vancouver after reportedly being denied assisted death multiple times in Ontario.

Another controversial case involved Alan Nichols, a 61-year-old with a history of depression who was euthanized in 2021 after being hospitalized during a psychiatric episode. Hearing loss was listed as the primary medical condition on his MAiD application, despite objections from family members and a nurse practitioner.

Vulnerable individuals, including those dealing with disability, poverty, or social isolation, could be steered toward assisted death. Supporters of MAiD say the program allows Canadians suffering from grievous and irremediable conditions to maintain control and dignity at the end of life.