Shaf Hussain, a spokesman for Providence Health Care, which owns St. Paul’s Hospital, declined to speak on the pending litigation.
“Providence Health Care isn’t able to comment or speculate about what an advocacy group may be planning,” he told CNA. “We have not been served with any court documents regarding this matter.”
Daphne Gilbert, the vice chairwoman of Dying with Dignity Canada, told National Review that the lawsuit would function as a “test case” for forcing Canadian hospitals to take part not just in the killing of patients but in other forms of ideological medicine such as abortion and transgender procedures as well.
“It would pave the way for the secularization of medical care in Canada,” she told the outlet. “Religious institutions would either have to decide to get out of the business of offering medical care — and it could be taken over by the province — or these institutions would have to align their care with the constitution, even if it opposes their values.”
The looming litigation comes shortly after the Canadian government’s decision to delay expanding its assisted suicide program to include those suffering from mental illness. The government said it was putting off that decision until at least 2027.
Approximately 13,000 Canadians killed themselves using government-sanctioned assisted suicide in 2022, according to the Canadian government’s most recent report.