Tag Archives: maid

Robert Munsch and MAiD

September 18, 2025 humanistfreedoms

As reported by the National Post, Canadian children’s author Robert Munsch has stated that he must “pick the moment when I can still ask for it,” and worries that if he loses capacity before then, his family will be left to make one of the most difficult decisions that any person or family can make…whether Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) the appropriate choice for Robert Munsch.

Munsch was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and eventually studies for 7 years to be a Jesuit priest while working part-time at an orphanage and then spend ten year working in daycare. Munsch became a Canadian citizen in in the 1970s and became a member of the Order of Canada in 1999.

One of his books, Giant; or Waiting for the Thursday Boat (1989), was banned in some places as offensive to religion, e.g., a character threatens to “pound God into applesauce.” Because of its depiction of God as a little girl, and threats toward God, it was challenged/removed from some school libraries in Ontario. In Middlesex County, the book was removed or restricted (for example from primary grades, or not read aloud by teachers) because of its religious content; In Welland (Niagara Region), similar challenges occurred.

Munsch is a Unitarian who attended the Unitarian Fellowship in Guelph “until the routine petered out when the kids got restless.” (Citation below.) Munsch and his wife have three adopted children. According to the Freedom From Religion Foundation,

Munsch became Canada¹s best selling author, but was not selling much in the USA. Then LOVE YOU FOREVER came out as a Canadian book in 1986. It sold 30,000 in 1986 and was the bestselling kid’s book in Canada that year, 70,000 in 1987 and was the bestselling Canadian kids book that year too. It sold 1,000,000 in 1988 . It was the bestselling Canadian kid’s book that year too. The strange thing was that it was also the bestselling kid’s book in the USA, only nobody knew it. It never occurred to Munsch that it could be an invisible bestseller.

On the official Munsch website, a candid advisory to parents says, “I am a storyteller. I write books for kids, I talk to kids, and I listen to kids. But that is not all that I am. Several years ago I was diagnosed as obsessive-compulsive and manic-depressive. Those challenges have led me to make some big mistakes. I have worked hard to overcome my problems, and I have done my best. I have attended twelve-step recovery meetings for more than 25 years. My mental health and addiction problems are not a secret to my friends and family. They have been a big support to me over the years, and I would not have been able to do this without their love and understanding. I hope that others will also understand. I hope that everyone will talk to their kids honestly, listen to them, and help them do their best with their own challenges.“

And that seems like some pretty reasonable perspective at any stage of life, doesn’t it?

Up For Discussion

If you’re interested in analyzing and discussing this issue, there are actions you can take. First, here at Humanist Heritage Canada (Humanist Freedoms), we are open to receiving your well-written articles.

Second, we encourage you to visit the New Enlightenment Project’s (NEP) Facebook page and discussion group.

Citations, References And Other Reading

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The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

Uncategorized

Health Canada’s 5th Annual Report on Medical Assistance In Dying (MAiD)

January 19, 2025 humanistfreedoms

Health Canada released its fifth annual report on medical assistance in dying (MAiD) on December 11, 2024. The report “provides a summary of MAID requests, assessments and provisions for the 2023 calendar year.” To view a PDF version of he report, click the image of he cover below.

The December 2024 report is the first report to present data collected under the amended Regulations for the Monitoring of Medical Assistance in Dying, which came into force on January 1, 2023. The data includes new information on who requested MAiD, what health and other support services were offered and, where possible, how assessments were informed. Given that this was the first year collecting these additional variables, including self-identification measures such as race, Indigenous identity, and disability, there are some important data limitations to consider, including: an inability to present trends over time, some missing data, and limited quality and reliability of some measures. Nevertheless, the report provides important insight into who requested and received MAID, as well as how and where it was delivered.

TVO’s The Agenda hosted a discussion of the report early in 2025.

Humanists Should Analyze and Discuss this Issue

Second, we encourage you to visit the New Enlightenment Project’s (NEP) Facebook page and discussion group.

A federal election is likely to be held in Canada in 2025. MAiD will likely be a significant “hot button” issue in the election as politicians seek out issues that will attract voters. Canadian humanists who value their rights and freedoms can help to ensure discussions of MAiD are based on fact rather than emotion and rhetoric. Is there a better place to start than within humanist publications and communities?

What do Canada’s Humanist Organizations have to say about this contemporary human rights matter?

BC Humanists: Medical assistance in dying should be available for any Canadian who freely chooses it, even if they are not terminally ill. There is no moral argument to limit access to a physician-assisted death to individuals with “a grievous and irremediable medical condition.” Safeguards should ensure that decisions are free, voluntary, and informed but should not make access unjustly difficult. Medical assistance in dying should be guaranteed through the publicly funded healthcare system and institutions that refuse should see their funding removed. Ian Bushfield, BC Humanists’ Executive Director told us that, “it’s reasonable to say we support the expansion of MAID to persons whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness.“

Continued or increased restrictions to accessing MAID do not serve to protect the disabled but rather perpetuate a paternalistic relationship between the government and those individuals. To ensure the equal dignity of all people, we must afford everyone choice in life and choice in death.

Citations, References And Other Reading

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

Uncategorized

The Ultimate Choice: A Podcast about Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)

March 3, 2024 humanistfreedoms

The Ultimate Choice, a groundbreaking docuseries from TVO Today, with the Toronto Star and the Investigative Journalism Bureau was released on January 25, 2024. It follows the journey of Michael and his wife, Ann. Michael, housebound by pain and incurable disease, sees his choice for a medically assisted death (MAiD) as a powerful solution to his suffering. The series explores Michael’s motivations and how his decision affects his family, friends, and longtime doctor. Hosted by investigative reporter Rob Cribb, the podcast also challenges him to come to terms with his own family history as he dives into this highly charged story. Both a portrait of a family’s autonomy and a hard-hitting exposé, The Ultimate Choice reveals the political and ethical stakes behind Canada’s debate to expand MAID like never before.

What do Canada’s Humanist Organizations have to say about this contemporary human rights matter?

Continued or increased restrictions to accessing MAID do not serve to protect the disabled but rather perpetuate a paternalistic relationship between the government and those individuals. To ensure the equal dignity of all people, we must afford everyone choice in life and choice in death.

Citations, References And Other Reading

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.