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ZEKVELD: Alberta showing national leadership on assisted dying

The province's Bill 18 would prohibit MAID for those whose death is not reasonably foreseeable

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Upon introducing Bill 18 in the Alberta legislature, MLA Mickey Amery said, “It is my hope, Mr. Speaker, that if Bill 18 is passed, it will set an example for the rest of Canada because hope should always be easier to access than death.”

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Indeed, the Alberta government is showing national leadership on an issue where Canadian jurisdictions have largely ignored the problems.

ZEKVELD: Alberta showing national leadership on assisted dying Back to video

Provinces seem to pay little attention to a procedure that ends thousands of lives every year. In Alberta, 1,242 people accessed Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in 2025, a number that has more than doubled since 2020. Overall, Canada will likely see its 100,000th euthanasia death this year.

The rapid growth of euthanasia is Canada has led to international criticism. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities last year called on Canada to repeal MAID for those whose death is not “reasonably foreseeable,” and to refuse to expand any further. That committee also recommended better oversight of MAID in Canada.

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The federal government has not acted on these recommendations, but Alberta is with the introduction of Bill 18.

Alberta legislation aims to put guardrails on MAID

Bill 18 would prohibit MAID for those whose death is not reasonably foreseeable and only permit those with a prognosis of natural death within 12 months to be euthanized. Alberta will explicitly prohibit — within its jurisdiction — MAID for mental illness, mature minors, advance requests, and those without decision-making capacity.

Alberta is also closing gaps in the provision of MAID to protect the vulnerable. That includes implementing more effective oversight and penalties for violating the Criminal Code and provincial regulations.

Lest it be unclear why this legislation is needed, consider examples from across the country.

In Ontario, the coroner established a MAID Death Review Committee in 2023. That committee has published several reports documenting troubling cases of MAID. In one case, a woman suffered from multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome and had a history of psychiatric care. Social isolation and difficulty securing housing contributed to her suffering and request for MAID.

Already in 2023, Dr. Michel Bureau, chair of Quebec’s commission on end-of-life care, expressed his concern that MAID in his province is no longer seen as a last resort. Quebec’s decision not to penalize doctors for allowing advance requests and thus violating the Criminal Code may also encourage a further culture of neglect.

In Alberta, a woman was deemed ineligible for MAID and her husband argued that her condition was a mental illness and thus should not qualify for MAID. Her husband noted that two experts assured her that her condition was treatable, but she did not seek treatment. After being approved for MAID in British Columbia, a court granted an injunction regarding the MAID death.

Provinces failing to protect the vulnerable people

Various cases raise questions about whether existing safeguards are being adequately applied. In fact, a recent investigative report in Ontario found over 400 cases of noncompliance between 2018 and 2023, of which only four were referred to the regulatory college and none were referred to police. Cases of possible non-compliance have also been found in British Columbia and Quebec.

Despite these problems, most provinces couldn’t be bothered to apply additional safeguards and oversight to ensure that MAID is provided in accordance with the law and in a way that protects as many vulnerable people as possible. Instead, they pass the buck to other governments or simply pretend the problems don’t exist.

MAID is not just another medical treatment or service. Rather, it is an exception to homicide under the Criminal Code, justifying clear attention from any government.

MAID was once intended as a last resort, but has rapidly grown beyond that. Canadian governments not only have the ability, but also the responsibility, to guard against the many problems with MAID in Canada. Alberta is showing leadership in protecting its province. Will anyone else step up?

— Daniel Zekveld is a policy analyst with the Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada

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