05/30/2026
If someone is standing on a bridge preparing to jump, we don’t tell them death is a solution. We call for help. We intervene. We remind them that their life has value. We do everything possible to save them.
So why is the conversation different when the suffering is called a mental illness?
Depression can convince a person they are a burden. Trauma can convince a person there is no future. Mental illness can rob someone of hope, even when recovery is possible. The very nature of these illnesses affects how people see themselves and the world around them.
Canada should be sending a clear message that every life is worth fighting for. Instead, we are moving toward expanding MAiD to people whose greatest need may be treatment, support, and hope.
This is a dangerous path for our society. A compassionate nation should never respond to emotional and psychological suffering by making death more accessible. We should be investing in mental health services, reducing wait times, supporting families, and ensuring that those who are struggling receive the care they deserve.
MAiD was introduced under the promise of limited circumstances, yet the boundaries continue to expand. Many Canadians are asking where the line will be drawn and who could be next. A society that normalizes death as a solution to suffering risks fundamentally changing how we view human dignity, vulnerability, and the value of life itself.
We must do better than this. We must be a country that stands beside people in their darkest moments, not one that offers them an exit. The measure of a compassionate society is not how quickly it helps people die, but how fiercely it fights to help them live.
