Radio Canada-CA reports: more than 100 people have received medical aid in dying in five provinces in Canada since the implementation of the Federal law, on June 17. It is at least the number which reached the CBC after contacting the authorities in the 10 provinces and 3 territories of the country, which have not all answered the request for various reasons.
Under the new federal law, Ottawa must establish a protocol to identify the data that should be collected when someone calls for aid in dying. However, the federal Government has not yet complied with this requirement.
- Ontario: 49
- British Colombia: 46
- Alberta: 15
- Manitoba: 8
- Saskatchewan: less than 5
- Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut: no
- New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Yukon: did not provide data.
The Government of Quebec, which was the first in the country to pass a law regarding end of life care, provided no response to CBC. For the period of December 2015 to June 2016, 253 patients requested medical help to die. Of this number, 166 Quebecers eventually got it, while medical assistance to die was not given to 87 patients. Among them, 16 people changed their minds.