A funeral home in Canada has decided to make euthanasia even more appealing by offering patients a room where they can undergo assisted suicide right on-site.
The Haut-Richelieu funeral home in Quebec is offering a $700 service that allows assisted suicide or euthanasia in its showroom.
The package, which is being described as “turnkey” comes as a growing number of Quebec citizens are choosing Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), the country’s term for legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide. The province saw 63 MAiD deaths in 2015-2016 and a staggering 3663 in 2021-2022.
“We were a little cautious at the start, because it may seem opportunistic for a funeral home, but honestly, our approach to customers is always done in a state of benevolence,” a company counselor told LaPresse.
“With medical assistance in dying, it takes a company anyway to pick up the remains. It’s essential,” one doctor told LaPresse. ”So if for an additional fee they provide people with a living room for a few hours before medical assistance in dying, why not? It’s a matter of personal choice.”
Mathieu Baker, the head of the funeral home, admitted that not all of the family may be on board with their loved one’s decision.
“There are a lot of emotions,” Baker said. “The person who made the decision is usually very convinced, but the kids, the siblings, or other family members aren’t necessarily on the same page.”
Though funeral home suicides aren’t a new idea, the Quebec government is now saying they will look into whether or not it is legal for funeral homes to monetize MAiD deaths.
“Several questions may arise, and we will take the time to validate,” Sarah Bigras, a spokesperson for Quebec’s minister responsible for seniors told CBC. “The important thing is to put people’s wishes first while ensuring that the proposals are not part of a monetization of the practice.”
As is evidenced by the skyrocketing numbers of MAiD deaths, Canada has been on a fast track to normalize assisted suicide and euthanasia. Adding a suicide room as a “service” to families is just the next step in the apparent crusade to make assisted suicide the obvious choice for those who are sick, suffering, lonely, depressed, or even impoverished.
Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada Executive Director Mike Schouten told True North that he isn’t surprised by the current trajectory.
“As safeguards continue to be relaxed, and as euthanasia is offered as an easy and normalized solution to suffering, it is tragic but unsurprising that others desire to profit, including funeral homes,” he said.
“In only seven years Canada has secured one of the most expansive euthanasia and assisted suicide regimes in the entire world. Canadians must continue to advocate for helping others to live well, rather than further normalizing assisted death.”
