The Crossroads of Grief: Reflecting on our work with Marginalized Grieving Youth

February 6, 2020
FULL RESEARCH REPORT SUMMARY The Crossroads of Grief: Reflecting on our work with Marginalized Grieving Youth In the Fall of 2019, The Children and Youth Grief Network (CYGN) completed the project; The Crossroads of Grief: Understanding Grief & Diversity (funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation). The FULL Summary Document (including recommendations) is below. Please click here for more information

Large majority of Canadians now open to discussing end-of-life care

October 31, 2013
More than 80% of Canadians say they’re comfortable talking about end-of-life care issues, according to an Environics Research survey commissioned by Saint Elizabeth Health Care. “The survey shows 34 per cent of respondents say they’re ‘very comfortable’ discussing these issues,” Saint Elizabeth noted in a press release this morning, “while a further 47 per cent are ‘somewhat comfortable’. Only three per cent say they’re not at all comfortable.” The survey also shows that only one quarter of Canadians over the age of 30 have made Continue reading →

Supreme Court rules consent required before ending care

October 21, 2013
The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed an appeal by doctors at a Toronto hospital who sought to withdraw treatment from Hassan Rasouli, a severely brain-damaged patient who they say has no hope of recovery. Mr. Rasouli has been in a persistent vegetative state and ventilator dependent since October 2010. After an extensive internal review and discussion with the family, the hospital made the decision that CPR and intensive life support was not the standard of care for patients with this diagnosis, as no prolonged medical Continue reading →

Dr. Larry Librach shares his thoughts about life and death on "W5"

October 15, 2013
“People want to be at home, to have a choice in the setting where they’re going to die,” our friend and colleague Dr. Larry Librach told W5 in an interview that aired this weekend. “They want to have some independence around decision making. And I think we want to be free of pain and symptoms as much as possible.” Larry Librach chose to share his final weeks and days with W5. Click the link above to watch the interview, in which Dr. Librach shared his Continue reading →

British Columbia Court of Appeal upholds ban on assisted suicide

October 11, 2013
In a split two-to-one decision yesterday, the British Columbia Court of Appeal ruled to uphold Canada’s ban on physician-assisted suicide. The federal government had previously appealed the landmark ruling of Carter v. Canada, which stated that voluntary euthanasia should be allowed under strict conditions. The British Columbia Supreme Court ruled last year that prohibiting assisted suicide violated the Charter rights of gravely ill Canadians. “These are complex issues that involve real people and real emotional situations,” said Hugh Scher, the legal counsel for the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. Continue reading →