Canada Reconsiders MAID Expansion
In a major move welcomed by many faith communities and medical professionals across Canada, a parliamentary committee has officially recommended an indefinite pause on expanding Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) laws to include individuals suffering solely from mental illnesses.
The recommendation from the Special Joint Committee on Medical
Assistance in Dying, detailed in a comprehensive 88-page report released on June 17, 2026, suggests that Canada is not ready for this expansion, citing widespread concerns over safeguards and medical uncertainty. This development has turned what many feared would be a stressful countdown into a moment of profound gratitude for those who have been praying and advocating for protection.
Under current federal law, individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness would become eligible for MAID by March 2027. While the federal government reviews the committee's new recommendation to halt this timeline indefinitely, advocacy organizations and faith leaders are reflecting on the shift with a sense of relief, while continuing to encourage direct communication with Members of Parliament to ensure the recommendation becomes permanent law. Legislative efforts like Bill C-218 (the Right to Recover Act) continue to circulate in Parliament, but the committee's report marks the most substantial step toward a permanent reversal yet.
This recommendation aligns with the official theological position of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. At Synod 2025, the denomination unanimously voted to commend the report of its Assisted Suicide Task Force. The assembly voted to deplore the legalization and practice of medically assisted death, including any efforts to expand it to minors and those suffering solely from psychological disabilities.
Brian Dijkema is president of the Canadian public policy think tank Cardus and a member at First Hamilton (Ont.) CRC, and he also served on the CRCNA’s Assisted Suicide Task Force. He notes that the committee's recommendation reflects a massive consensus among medical professionals. He explained that psychiatrists and mental-health hotlines are warning that under these circumstances, euthanasia becomes indistinguishable from suicidality. Dijkema said, "The experts are saying that we have a 50/50 chance of determining whether a mental illness is irremediable or not.” Doctors should not be ending lives based on such uncertainty, he said.
While the synodical decision serves as a theological and moral mooring for church members, the arguments raised by the church's task force mirror the medical criticisms currently dominating Parliament. Writing in The Banner, Jessica Joustra of Calvin Theological Seminary highlighted that more than 90 percent of patients seeking MAID cite a loss of autonomy, hopelessness, and the fear of being a burden to their families. These represent existential and social issues rather than unmanageable physical pain.
Stephen Vander Klippe, a practicing physician who chaired the denominational task force, emphasized at Synod 2025 that the medical system must maintain a clear line between the intent to relieve suffering through robust palliative care and the intent to end a life.
Dijkema said, "We live in a culture that prioritizes comfort and productivity. But a human being's value does not diminish with disease, disability, or age." Referring to Shakespeare's stages of life, he pointed out that we enter the world as helpless, dependent babies, and we often leave it the same way. "We value babies intensely even though they cannot 'produce' anything. We must learn to view our neighbors with that same unconditional love."
Dijkema also said that there is a boundary between choosing a natural death and choosing MAID. "With palliative care, the primary intent of medicine is to comfort and relieve pain, allowing the body to die naturally. With MAID, the explicit, primary intent of the medical action is to kill."
Though the shift is cause for encouragement, the Christian Reformed Church’s Centre for Public Dialogue notes that steady advocacy remains important. Because the final decision to adopt this recommendation now rests with the federal Cabinet, citizens are encouraged to write directly to the Minister of Justice, urging the Canadian government to formally and permanently accept the committee’s recommendation to exclude mental illness from MAID. Dijkema also encourages people who work on the front lines of health care to utilize their professional credibility. "Lawmakers need to hear from doctors and nurses on the front lines who want to protect the ancient Hippocratic oath to 'do no harm,'" Dijkema said.
Beyond political advocacy, the pause gives people more time to take action. Local congregations can take practical steps to walk alongside people facing isolation and mental illness in their communities, addressing the very loneliness and despair that often drive requests for MAID.
For families who have already been personally affected by such difficult decisions, at Synod 2025 Dijkema offered a word of pastoral comfort. "For those who have had members of their family go through it, you have to throw yourself at the mercy of Christ. Remember, the Lord is gracious and compassionate."
Becky Jones, a Thrive regional connector who is also an ordained chaplain, said, “As a spiritual care provider working with palliative clients in my community, I work within a system that provides the option to access MAID. What I have seen is a circle of care that works to resource people living with mental-health issues. I hope we as a community of care continue to explore how we can expand our access to care so that people living with mental-health issues get proper access to the support that is needed.”
Additional educational toolkits, sample letters, and Faith in Action resources can be accessed directly through the website of the Christian Reformed Church's Centre for Public Dialogue.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, here's where to look for help in Canada and the U.S.:
CANADA
Talk Suicide Canada
Call Talk Suicide Canada at 1-833-456-4566 (24/7) or text 45645 (4 p.m. - 12 a.m. EDT). For residents of Québec, call 1-866-APPELLE (1-866-277-3553) (24/7) or visit suicide.ca.
USA
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741) or visit 988lifeline.org.
