Upon introducing Bill 18 in the Alberta legislature, MLA Mickey Amery said, “It is my hope, Mr. Speaker, that if Bill 18 is passed, it will set an example for the rest of Canada because hope should always be easier to access than death.”

Indeed, the Alberta government is showing national leadership on an issue where Canadian jurisdictions have largely ignored the problems.

ZEKVELD: Alberta showing national leadership on assisted dying Back to video

Provinces seem to pay little attention to a procedure that ends thousands of lives every year. In Alberta, 1,242 people accessed Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in 2025, a number that has more than doubled since 2020. Overall, Canada will likely see its 100,000th euthanasia death this year.

The rapid growth of euthanasia is Canada has led to international criticism. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities last year called on Canada to repeal MAID for those whose death is not “reasonably foreseeable,” and to refuse to expand any further. That committee also recommended better oversight of MAID in Canada.

The federal government has not acted........

© Edmonton Sun