Posted October 09, 2026
Today’s article is far from the first time we’ve discussed Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) program in this space. However, it may be the first time that it feels like there’s good news to share. After five years of trying to justify expanding the program to extend eligibility for assisted suicide to those struggling with mental health, Canada has finally given up (at least for now).
Justice Minister Sean Fraser announced earlier this week that they have accepted the determination that it is simply not possible to “reliably distinguish a request for MAID based on mental illness from the intent to commit suicide.” To be honest, I’m not entirely sure how to distinguish—on a practical level—between someone who wants doctors to kill them and someone wanting to kill themselves, either. However, it’s enough for the government to draw a line at mental health, and that’s good news.
The broader point seems to be that MAID was originally intended for those with no hope of recovery, and psychiatrists simply do not feel like they can know who will or will not recover from a mental illness.
Now, it’s still possible that such individuals will be able to convince a doctor to approve their assisted suicide on other grounds. An “intolerable” quality of life has been accepted as the standard in some parts of the country since 2021. But chances are good that at least some people will continue seeking life-saving treatment rather than submitting to a life-ending procedure as a result of this week’s decision, and that’s cause for celebration.
Unfortunately, the good news comes with a caveat.
Extending MAID access to those with mental health problems was originally passed several years ago, though its implementation was paused while further research was conducted. It was set to go into effect in March of next year, though, which led a member of Canada’s conservative party to propose legislation banning mental disorders from becoming eligible.
The bill would have accomplished a very similar purpose to the ruling party’s new position and was scheduled for a vote only a few hours after Fraser made his decision public. Once news broke that they could soon vote for Fraser’s proposal instead, the bill failed to pass by a final tally of 187–141.
In its place, the government is promising new legislation that will codify its position on mental health eligibility while also adding a provision designed to make it easier for people with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other illnesses to seek pre-approval for the MAID program before their condition deteriorates to the point that it would be too late. As a result, voting to prohibit mental health issues as grounds for MAID means voting to support advanced approval for these other diseases.
These kinds of advanced directives are currently considered criminal under federal law. However, certain provinces—Quebec being the most notable—have allowed them for some time.
The problem is that many of the individuals who sign up out of fear following their initial diagnosis no longer want to die when the time comes. It’s then left to the provider to decide whether the individual’s refusal is “a symptom of the patient’s underlying illness or an objection to MAID.” In short, the doctor gets to decide, not the patient.
Most are likely to honor the patient’s request, but pressure from family and others can sway their decision, leaving the individual with little recourse.
Should the bill pass, doctors in provinces like Alberta—where advanced directives are not permitted—would have federal protection when allowing or encouraging patients to sign their lives away. That’s clearly a problem, but one that is likely to become a reality in the near future.
Still, there are reasons for hope in Canada and beyond, and they have nothing to do with the machinations of its government.
The appeal of suicide, in whatever form it takes, is often derived from a belief that the pain and suffering of this life outweighs the benefits of continuing it. I’ll freely admit that I don’t know what it’s like to be trapped in a failing body like someone with ALS, or to be a body devoid of a fully functional mind like someone with dementia, and I pray I never find out. If I were in such a situation, I imagine there would be times when the temptation to simply end that suffering would be immense.
However, choosing to take that step is to give in to the idea that there’s nothing God can do to bring good from the pain. And, as hard as it may be to believe in the moment, we serve a God who specializes in that kind of redemption. To paraphrase the apostle Paul, though, how are people going to believe that redemption is a possibility unless someone tells them? And how can someone tell them unless they’re sent?
As Christians, we have been given the amazing opportunity to be vessels of God’s hope to a world that, far too often, appears to be devoid of it.
As Peter wrote to the early Christians, “in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15). Understanding the nature of that hope is essential to being the blessing God has called us to be, though.
In Romans 5, Paul writes:
We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:3–5).
If we want to make a difference in the lives of those who are suffering and bring hope to those who have given up on the very concept, then empty platitudes and promises that things will get better are not sufficient.
The truth is, this side of heaven, sometimes things won’t get better. Sometimes illness leads to death, and pain only gets worse. That’s why the hurting need a hope that has nothing to do with their present circumstances. And it’s why Christians are uniquely gifted to be a blessing to those for whom the best the world can offer is simply not enough.
So, the next time you encounter someone who is tempted to give up on the idea that this life is worth continuing—regardless of how far down that path they are—will you be ready to share the hope that is in you? Do you have that hope to share?
Allowing the suffering we face to build endurance, character, and hope is no more a guarantee for us than it is for anyone else. It is a work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, but one that only comes when we turn to the Lord and embrace his redemption of the suffering we face.
But when we do, he equips us with the hope to endure our own pain while preparing us to help others do the same. And praise God for that.
“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” —C. S. Lewis
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