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Four Quebec residences, including Maison
Michel Sarrazin (first of its kind in Canada), have so far officially
said they would not practice “medical aid in dying”.

The other three, which consist of the West Island Palliative Care Residence in
Montreal, La Maison Au Diapason in Bromont, and Soli-Can in Lac Saint-Jean Est,
all announced that they will not introduce within their walls medical aid in
dying on request and stressed the incompatibility between this practice and
their philosophy.

“For us, medical aid in dying is euthanasia; it does not fit into our
concept of palliative care; it is not a treatment,” recently summarized
Dr. Michel L’Heureux, Director of La Maison Michel Sarrazin, on Radio-Canada
after his organization had announced its decision.

“If quality palliative care is available, few people will choose to end
their lives prematurely”, says Teresa Dellar, Co-Founder and Executive
Director of the West Island Palliative Care Residence. “We can’t
allow the premature ending of lives to become a substitute for our
responsibility to provide compassionate care and symptom relief at the end of
life.”

“Considering our philosophy of care, medical aid in dying cannot be part
of our mission,” wrote La Maison au Diapason. Based on the definition of
the World Health Organization, palliative care supports life and regards dying
as a normal process which it does not hasten or delay.

Réal Bouchard, President of Soli-Can, reiterates the philosophy of his establishment:
“We believe that the person who passes through the last stage of his life
has one last chance to achieve his own identity by integrating all aspects of
his existence.”

Mr. Bouchard also focuses on the concept of dignity: “Dignity is intrinsic
to human beings, and we believe it is not because a person is weak and sick
that he is deprived.”

According to Bill 52, palliative care hospices have the right to refuse to
provide “medical aid in dying”.  This is not the case in Quebec hospitals, which
will offer this option. When we know that a very large majority of palliative
care physicians oppose euthanasia (which the Commission on Dying with Dignity
did not expect), there is cause for concern for the hospital environment:
because they can avoid situations contrary to their beliefs and philosophy of
their practice, will palliative care physicians become increasingly rare in our
hospitals?