Press Release: ARPA Canada Supports Alberta’s Bill 18
March 19, 2026
OTTAWA, ON – ARPA Canada is pleased to see the introduction of Bill 18, the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act.
Euthanasia in Canada has been rapidly expanding. Initially legalized for those nearing the end of life, it was expanded to people with non-terminal disabilities and illnesses in 2021. It is scheduled to expand to people whose sole underlying condition is mental illness on March 17, 2027.
“Euthanasia is now the cause of death for more than 1 in 20 Canadians,” said Daniel Zekveld, Policy Analyst with ARPA Canada. “What was once intended as a last resort has now become an alternative to care and support in many cases.”
Zekveld noted that “Far too often, we’ve seen stories of Canadians being offered MAID instead of help and support to live well. Through Bill 18, Alberta is addressing many of the serious problems with Canada’s MAID regime.”
MAID remains an exception to homicide in Canada’s Criminal Code, yet there is very little effective oversight of the practice in Canada. “Alberta is right to prioritize caution when it comes to MAID and to ensure medical professionals are complying with both federal and provincial regulations and safeguards,” said Zekveld. “The lives of Albertans depend on it.”
Federal law, through the Criminal Code, sets out basic eligibility and procedural requirements for obtaining MAID in a manner that does not constitute culpable homicide. “Canada’s criminal law does not absolutely prohibit euthanizing persons who are not dying. But that does not mean a province may not restrict or prevent the practice as a matter of professional ethics and patient safety,” explains John Sikkema, ARPA’s legal counsel. “In other words, by not criminally banning it, Parliament is not mandating that provinces provide it, or even permit it.”
“Current federal law is inadequate to prevent patients from feeling pressured to consider MAID, or to screen out vulnerable patients who may seek MAID due to remediable suffering,” said Zekveld. “Alberta is simply using its jurisdiction over how MAID is offered and monitored within their healthcare system to protect Albertans.”
In response to serious concerns raised by disability rights advocates and others, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities last year recommended that Canada repeal MAID for those who are not nearing natural death and cancel the upcoming expansion of MAID to mental illness, advance requests, or mature minors.
“Alberta is the first Canadian jurisdiction to heed the warnings of the United Nations to protect people with disabilities, while also explicitly prohibiting MAID for mental illness, mature minors, and advance requests” said Zekveld. “The federal government and other provinces ought to follow suit and promote suicide prevention, care, and support for those who are not nearing natural death.”
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For further comment or interviews, please contact Daniel Zekveld at 1-866-691-2772 or at [email protected].
