NCI Testimony: Angelina Ireland on the Weaponization of MAiD

Angelina Ireland explains how Canada’s euthanasia regime has expanded far beyond its original mandate

May 14, 2025

In her testimony before the National Citizens Inquiry, Angelina Ireland exposed the systemic expansion of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canada. She warned that Canada’s euthanasia program—originally sold as a compassionate option for the terminally ill—has turned into a predatory system, targeting not only the vulnerable elderly but potentially children, under the guise of “mature minor” consent.

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Angelina Ireland is the executive director of the Delta Hospice Society. You can support the Delta Hospice Society at:

Website: deltahospicesociety

The Coordinated Expansion of MAiD

Ireland described the MAiD regime as an “empire”—a coordinated, well-funded structure of government bodies, NGOs, legal decisions, and pharmaceutical partners working to normalize state-sanctioned euthanasia. Organizations like Dying with Dignity Canada, which receive both public and private funding, actively lobby to expand MAiD access and erode opposition. According to Ireland, these groups maintain connections to Health Canada, influence federal legislation, and receive millions annually while spending heavily on media campaigns to promote euthanasia as dignified and humane.

From Rare Exception to Institutional Compulsion

While the Supreme Court’s Carter decision initially framed MAiD as a rare, carefully regulated exception, Ireland argued the opposite has unfolded. With over 62,000 deaths since legalization—and indications that the real figure may be far higher—MAiD has become an expected and, in some cases, coerced option. Ireland cited discrepancies in how provinces record MAiD deaths, including instances where “unknown cause” is the leading cause of death. In Ontario, MAiD isn’t even listed on death certificates, obfuscating true numbers.

The Attack on Palliative Care

Ireland’s hospice was shut down after refusing to offer euthanasia, even though it operated under a private funding model and fulfilled a 50-year-old medical discipline focused on comfort, not killing. Fraser Health Authority evicted dying patients, seized the society’s assets, and cancelled a 35-year lease. Court decisions upheld the government’s actions and stripped the society of control over its own membership—forcing it to wage a grassroots campaign to retain its mission. Ireland made clear: real palliative care neither hastens nor delays death, and euthanasia violates its core philosophy.

Legal Erosion and the Threat to Children

Ireland expressed deep concern over the legal trajectory, including Quebec’s Bill 11 and the use of “mature minor” doctrines. She warned that children could soon be eligible for MAiD under expanded interpretations, especially as doctors are trained to initiate MAiD conversations. Ireland referenced cases where children were isolated from parental consent in other medical matters—arguing this same pathway could enable youth euthanasia. She revealed that, disturbingly, Health Canada has developed “activity books” introducing children aged 6–12 to the concept of medically assisted death.

Returning to a Focus on Healing

Despite court losses and state retaliation, Ireland emphasized hope. The Delta Hospice Society is now planning to rebuild—independent of government influence. She called on Canadians to support sanctuaries that respect life and to resist the cultural normalization of death. We must protect the vulnerable from a system designed not to heal, but to eliminate.