As the Canadian federal election of 2025 approaches, many citizens are starting to make known the issues they are hoping to get resolved in this election. As the main topic of the election campaigns have been the economical state of the country following tariffs and tariff threats put on by U.S. President Donald Trump. Some citizens still would rather focus on other issues that revolve health and law.
Early April saw a protest occur on Commissioners Rd. Concerned citizen Harry Lamb helped organize the event that saw around 10 people gather to protest allowing mentally ill people to receive medical assistance in dying or MAID.
“Everybody has a position on euthanasian, you know, some are pro it, some are for it. This is more of a position of do you really think mentally vulnerable people should be given a decision to end their lives,” says Lamb.
Source: XFM/Daniel Hernandez
The focus of the protest is to help pas bill C-314. This bill would disqualify mental illness as a valid sole reason for a person to receive MAID. Mental illness is still currently not enough to qualify someone for MAID however that exception was set to be lifted on Mar. 17, 2024. That did not come to be as the government extended the deadline until Mar. 17, 2027.
Just because it is not an issue yet, for Mr. Lamb this is something that must be addressed as soon as possible. The protestors have reached out to London West MP Arielle Kayabaga to speak about the issue, however they have yet to receive a response.
Source: XFM/Daniel Hernandez
“At the end of the day, you know, has it come to the point where mentally ill people are not going to be given the courtesy or the compassion of getting help, and if that form help is you know, we’d like to help you end your life. What a pathetic statement that, that would be our culture, and I think that Arielle Kayabaga should be ashamed of herself.”
The Canadian federal elections will take place on April 28. This will leave who ever takes power in charge of the issue with bill C-314, MAID and mental illness.