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​Q: What is MAiD?

A: Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) is a legal medical procedure in Canada where a doctor or nurse practitioner provides medication that ends a person’s life at their request, to relieve intolerable suffering from a serious and incurable condition.

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Q: Who can get MAiD in Canada right now?

A: Under the current federal law, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old and eligible for Canadian health care.

• Have a serious and incurable illness, disease, or disability.

• Be in an advanced state of irreversible decline.

• Experience unbearable suffering that cannot be relieved in a way you find acceptable.

• Be mentally capable of making health decisions at the time the procedure is performed.

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Q: Why is mental capability at the time such a problem?

A: Many people lose mental capacity in the final stages of diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other cognitive decline. By the time they meet the conditions they would want for MAiD, they can no longer legally consent — even if they asked for it earlier. This forces some to end their life earlier than they want, or leaves them enduring years of suffering they didn’t want.

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Q: What is an Advance MAiD Request “before diagnosis”?

A: It’s a legal document you could complete while you’re still healthy and of sound mind — even before any diagnosis — specifying the exact conditions when you’d want MAiD performed in the future.
Example:

“If I am no longer able to recognize my loved ones, cannot feed or dress myself, and live in fear or confusion, I would like MAiD to be performed.”

This is not currently legal in Canada. Our campaign is fighting to change that.

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Q: What changes are you asking for?

A: We want Canadian law updated to:

• Allow people to complete an advance MAiD request before diagnosis of cognitive decline.

• Clearly outline the medical safeguards, witness requirements, and review standards.

• Ensure people’s wishes are respected when the conditions they chose are met.

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Q: What needs to change for this to work?

A: We don’t need a new bureaucracy — we need clear national rules, one standard form, and a simple process that fits into the MAiD system we already have.
The Criminal Code must:

• Recognize “Advance MAiD Requests Before Diagnosis.”

• Set out exactly how and when they can be acted on.

• Require the same form in every province, signed and witnessed to confirm it’s the person’s true choice.

• Ensure the form is securely stored so doctors and families can access it when needed.

• Require two MAiD assessors (as already required) to confirm the conditions are met before carrying out the request.

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Q: Isn’t MAiD already being abused or offered recklessly?

This is an important concern. We agree:

• No one should be offered MAiD because the health system failed to provide proper supports like cancer treatment, mental health care, or care for our veterans.

• These are serious gaps in Canada’s health and social supports — and they must be fixed.

But that’s not what our campaign is about.

👉 Our petition is focused only on one specific issue:
Allowing Canadians to make an advance MAiD request before a diagnosis of cognitive decline (like dementia or Alzheimer’s).

This does not expand MAiD to new groups. It simply protects the rights of people who already support MAiD, so they don’t lose access to it if they decline too quickly to consent.

In fact, many of the heartbreaking stories we hear — of people living for years in diapers, unable to recognize family, trapped in suffering — are why this change is needed. With advance requests, people can write their wishes down clearly and have them respected later, instead of being left powerless.

✔️ Strong safeguards will still apply.
✔️ Supports for vulnerable groups must be strengthened.
✔️ This campaign is about dignity and choice for those who want it — nothing more.

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Q: What safeguards would protect against misuse?

A:

• Clear statement that this is voluntary — no one is required to complete one.

• Must be completed while of sound mind.

• Two independent witnesses.

• Clear, specific conditions written in plain language.

• Option to revoke or update at any time while still mentally capable.

• Family discussion and optional video record for clarity.

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Q: Isn’t this “playing God”?

A: No. This is about personal choice. Each person has the right to decide how much suffering they are willing to endure and how they want their end-of-life to look. If someone chooses not to have MAiD, that choice is respected just as strongly.

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Q: What about vulnerable people?

A: The advance request is voluntary and can only be completed by the person themselves while of sound mind. It cannot be done by anyone else on their behalf. Strict safeguards remain to prevent abuse.

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Q: What does Quebec’s law have to do with this?

A: Quebec recently passed a law allowing advance MAiD requests after diagnosis of cognitive decline. This is progress, but for many people it is still too late — our goal is to allow advance requests before any diagnosis.

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Q: How can I help?

A:

• Sign the petition and share it with friends and family.

• Talk about this issue openly — many people don’t realize the current law’s limits.

• Post our campaign graphics and messages on your social media.

• Join our Facebook page: MAiD – Medical Assistance in Dying – The Laws Need to Be Updated.

• Send friends and family to this website to read the MAiD Laws Overview and sign the petition.

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Q: Why does this matter to me?

A: This is about protecting your future choices and the choices of the people you love. Diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia, and cognitive decline can happen to anyone, and the current law leaves too many families powerless in the face of suffering.

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Q: How will MAiD work when we are successful in updating the current laws?

A: When the laws are updated, Canadians will be able to complete a legally recognized Advance MAiD Request Form at any time while of sound mind — even years before any diagnosis.

The form will allow a person to clearly state the exact conditions under which they would want MAiD if they ever lost decision-making ability due to Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other cognitive decline. This could include:

• No longer recognizing family members.

• Losing the ability to feed, bathe, or toilet independently.

• Living in constant distress or fear.

The form will be securely stored and accessible to medical professionals and designated family members. When those conditions are met, a medical team would follow the person’s instructions, providing a peaceful, planned, and compassionate procedure surrounded by loved ones if desired.

Safeguards will ensure the conditions match the person’s request and that there is no sign of comfort or contentment that would make the request no longer applicable.

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Q: If a person is still of sound mind and wants MAiD, do they have to wait until their advance request is triggered?

A: No. If someone is of sound mind, they can apply for MAiD through the normal process that exists today. The advance request is simply a safety net for the future.

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Q: What if a person has no diagnosis and is just tired of living — can they use an advance MAiD request for that?

A: No. Both current MAiD law and our proposal require a serious medical condition that meets the legal criteria. Being “tired of living” without a qualifying diagnosis does not qualify.

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Q: Could advance MAiD requests be abused?

A: No. The law will still require a medical assessment and confirmation that the specific conditions in the request are met, and that they are due to a serious medical condition.

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Q: What if I write an advance request but change my mind later?

A: As long as you are of sound mind, you can revoke or update your advance request at any time. Only your most recent instructions will be used.

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Q: Won’t advance MAiD requests pressure vulnerable people into ending their lives too soon?

A: No. Advance requests must be voluntary, written while of sound mind, and cannot be triggered until very specific conditions are met — confirmed by two independent medical professionals.

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Q: How do we make sure family members aren’t pushing someone into this?

A: Safeguards include private medical assessments without family present, confirmation of voluntary choice, and the ability to revoke anytime while of sound mind.

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Q: Could this law open the door to people using MAiD for depression or just being old and lonely?

A: No. The requirement for a serious, incurable medical condition remains. Feeling tired of life or lonely does not qualify.

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Q: What happens if I make an advance request and then, years later, I’m happy but can’t speak for myself?

A: If your conditions aren’t met — for example, you still show signs of joy or comfort — the request would not be carried out.

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Q: How will doctors know when to follow an advance request?

A: Your request will list specific markers. Two independent assessors must agree they are met and caused by a qualifying medical condition.

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Q: Could this lead to MAiD being used on people who never wanted it?

A: Absolutely not. Without a valid, signed advance request made while of sound mind, it cannot happen.

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