May 15, 2022 | International
Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, and the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, with the support of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, tabled the final report of the Expert Panel on MAID and Mental Illness (Expert Panel) in Parliament. This was a requirement of the MAID legislation that came into force on March 17, 2021.
May 13, 2022 | Ottawa Ontario | Health Canada
Medical assistance in dying (MAID) remains an important and deeply personal issue for many Canadians. The Government of Canada is committed to a legal framework for MAID that ensures autonomy and freedom of choice for Canadians, has strong safeguards, and ensures the compassionate and rights-based consideration of every request for MAID.
Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, and the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, with the support of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, tabled the Final Report of the Expert Panel on MAID and Mental Illness in Parliament. This was a requirement of the MAID legislation that came into force on March 17, 2021.
Access to MAID in the case of individuals with a mental illness was delayed for 24 months in the March 2021 legislation to allow the Expert Panel to provide advice to the federal government on the safeguards, protocols and guidance that should apply in these cases.
The report sets out 19 recommendations for establishing a MAID regime that addresses situations regarding incurability, irreversibility, individual capacity, suicidality and the impact of structural vulnerabilities (structural vulnerabilities being the effects of interactions between a person’s sex, gender, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, sexuality, or institutional location, with one’s position in society).
The Expert Panel also concluded that many of these concerns are neither unique to requests for MAID from persons with a mental disorder, nor applicable to every requestor who has a mental disorder. In the view of the Expert Panel, their recommendations should apply to any case where similar concerns may arise, irrespective of the requester’s diagnosis. In keeping with their mandate, the Expert Panel has paid particular attention to these concerns in the context of mental disorders.
The Government of Canada values the time and expertise the Expert Panel members have dedicated to this process. The final report and recommendations are the product of careful consideration of all of the available evidence and the experience of the Expert Panel members and the government will review and consider the report carefully. This work will assist Parliament’s Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying as it continues its hearings and deliberations in the lead up to its own interim report on MAID and mental illness.
“Medical assistance in dying is an important, sensitive, and personal issue for many Canadians. The recommendations in this report involved the consideration of many complex clinical and legal issues to ensure safe and compassionate assessments. I thank the members of the Expert Panel for their important work in preparing this report, which our government will review with the same care and consideration you exhibited in preparing them.”
The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health
“Our Government is committed to ensuring that our laws protect all Canadians. Studying the issues relating to MAID and mental disorders, and providing recommendations on how we can safely provide this assistance to those who may want it, was not an easy task. I thank all the members of the Expert Panel for their contributions to this critical work.”
The Honourable David Lametti, P.C., Q.C., M.P.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
“As Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, I feel the weight of ensuring that the government moves forward with MAID for persons with a mental disorder in a way that is consistent with the goals of autonomy, equity, and respect. I am grateful to the Expert Panel members for their time, dedication, and thoughtful approach to this complex issue.”
The Honourable Carolyn Bennett
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
Marie-France Proulx
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health
613-957-0200
Chantalle Aubertin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
613-992-6568
Chantalle.Aubertin@justice.gc.ca
Maja Staka
Office of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
613-957-0200
May 14, 2022 | International
The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations; the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services Canada; and the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, will provide an update on the Government of Canada’s actions and investments to support Indigenous communities regarding the ongoing impacts of residential schools.
Ottawa, Ontario — The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations; the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services Canada; and the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, will provide an update on the Government of Canada’s actions and investments to support Indigenous communities regarding the ongoing impacts of residential schools.
Members of the media are invited to ask questions following the update either in person or via telephone:
Toll-free dial-in number (Canada/US):
1-866-805-7923
Local dial-in number: 613-960-7518
Participant passcode: 4308754#
Date: May 16, 2022
Time: 12:30 p.m. (ET)
Where:
Victoria Hall
111 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1M 5A1
Justine Leblanc
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Marc Miller
Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations
justine.leblanc@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca
May 13, 2022 | International
FedNor funding to help create five new businesses and maintain at least five more
FedNor funding to help create five new businesses and maintain at least five more
May 13, 2022 – Wahgoshig First Nation, ON
Strong municipalities and First Nation communities are key to a thriving regional economy. That is why we are working to help them develop and diversify their local economies. Through its Regional Development Agencies, such as FedNor, the federal government is investing to strengthen rural communities and enable small and medium-sized businesses to grow and create meaningful jobs for Canadians.
The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor, today announced a Government of Canada investment of $256,925 to help increase capacity and take advantage of economic development opportunities in Wahgoshig First Nation.
Provided through FedNor’s Community Investment Initiative for Northern Ontario (CIINO), the funding will enable Wahgoshig First Nation to retain an Economic Development Officer (EDO) on staff for an additional three-year period. Building on the success the position has achieved to date, the EDO will undertake a variety of priority projects that will help create jobs, support recovery efforts, strengthen the economy, and position the community for sustainable growth and prosperity. This includes pursuing renewable energy opportunities, maintaining and modernizing local businesses, and helping entrepreneurs start up tourism-related businesses.
Northern Ontario has been hard hit by COVID-19 and today’s announcement is further proof of the Government of Canada’s commitment to small businesses, municipalities and Indigenous communities, helping them to not just survive, but thrive. Initiatives like this will help get Canadians back to work and ensure that northern and First Nation communities are set to fully participate in Canada’s economic recovery.
“Strong regional economies are essential for Canada’s success and sustainability. Today’s announcement will help Wahgoshig First Nation take charge of its economic future, create employment opportunities and support a stronger, more diversified economy. We recognize the unique needs of Northern Ontario and are building capacity to ensure municipalities and Indigenous communities throughout the region can diversify, grow and achieve their long-term economic goals.”
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor
“Moving forward with our efforts to grow our economy and create local jobs is a top priority for our community. This FedNor investment is allowing us to retain an expert on staff that understands our economic goals and has the knowledge and experience to advance local priorities such as entrepreneurship, business and tourism development, renewable energy, and Internet connectivity.”
– Chief June Black, Wahgoshig First Nation
Alison Murphy, Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor
Alison.Murphy@sac-isc.gc.ca
May 12, 2022 | International
The Minister of Seniors, Kamal Khera, will be in Winnipeg to announce New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) funding for community-based projects to support seniors across the country.
The Minister of Seniors, Kamal Khera, will be in Winnipeg to announce New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) funding for community-based projects to support seniors across the country.
A photo opportunity and media availability will follow the announcement.
Please note that all details are subject to change. All times are local. Date:
Monday, May 16, 2022
Time: 10:00 a.m. CDT
Place: University of Manitoba – Centre on Aging
Fort Garry Campus
University Centre
204 Marshall McLuhan Hall
65 Chancellors Circle
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Journalists who want to participate must register by contacting media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca with their name and media outlet before 4:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 13, 2022. Please indicate if you plan to participate in person or on Zoom.
Instructions for in-person attendance:
Arrive between 20 and 30 minutes prior to the announcement.
Do not attend if you have any symptoms associated with COVID-19.
Please note that wearing a face covering is mandatory.
Accessibility:The entire building is accessible.
Note: To help ensure optimal simultaneous interpretation sound quality, journalists are encouraged to use a microphone (headphones/headset) or, when possible, a landline, and to avoid using speaker mode if queuing up for questions.
– 30 –
May 12, 2022 | International
Healthy plants are essential to people and animals, the environment and the economy.
May 12, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario – Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Healthy plants are essential to people and animals, the environment and the economy. Canada is proud to join the United Nations and countries around the world in recognizing today as the first International Day of Plant Health.
This day follows the efforts devoted to the International Year of Plant Health in 2020 in raising awareness on a global scale about the value of our precious plant resources and the need to protect them with increasing vigilance.
Plant pests are a main cause of loss in biodiversity and crop productivity, and invasive species continue to pose a threat to Canadian ecosystems. Insects, plants, snails and slugs that threaten plant health can harm the environment when they spread to new parts of the country or abroad, whether on their own or via cargo, human activity, transportation, extreme weather or other means.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is on high alert for pests like the spotted lanternfly, which is particularly a threat in eastern Canada along the border with the United States. If introduced to Canada, this striking and colourful invasive insect could cause serious damage to grape, fruit tree and forestry industries. The ongoing infestation in neighbouring Pennsylvania, for example, is an active threat to our Niagara region’s famous wine industry.
Actions we take can lead to destroyed ecosystems and immense damage to agriculture, which is why everyone has a role to play. One example is to avoid moving firewood. This simple action can help prevent the spread of emerald ash borer, spongy moth, brown spruce longhorn beetle, Dutch elm disease and other pests to new parts of the country. If you heat your home or cottage with wood or you love to go camping, buy and burn only locally grown or heat-treated firewood. That way, invasive species hiding in or under the bark can’t hitch a ride. Another way to help is by planting native or local plants instead of invasive or exotic ones.
Canadians can help by reporting to the CFIA suspected sightings of invasive species new to their area.
Most new findings of invasive pests have been reported by the public, so it’s important to know what grows and lives locally.
We can protect plant health for generations to come if we each take action to minimize risks.
In January 2022, the Council of Canadian Academies released Cultivating Diversity, a report commissioned by the CFIA to identify the current and emerging risks to plant health in Canada.
As Canada’s National Plant Protection Organization, the CFIA will continue its work with partners domestically and internationally to raise awareness and protect global plant resources.
“The International Day of Plant Health is an opportunity to raise awareness about the important need to protect plant health and safeguard our crops, ecosystems, forests and natural habitats. Everyone has a favourite park that they love to frequent. Keep an eye out and report invasive insects and other plant pests to the CFIA—whether at home, your favourite park or campsite, the farm, an industrial area or elsewhere.”
– David Bailey, Chief Plant Health Officer for Canada and Executive Director, Plant Health and Biosecurity, CFIA
“Plants define our planet and play a crucial role in all our lives, but I don’t think many people are aware of the extent to which they support us and other life on Earth. They supply oxygen we breathe, make up the food we eat, help to generate soil, filter water, and are extensively used for medicines. Unless threats to plant health are recognized and effectively managed, we face risks that have the potential to be incredibly disruptive of ecosystems and put human and animal health, biodiversity, and food production in jeopardy.”
– Deborah Buszard, Chair of the Expert Panel on Plant Health, Council of Canadian Academies
Marianne Dandurand
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
marianne.dandurand@agr.gc.ca
343-541-9229
Stay connected
Twitter: @InspectionCan
Facebook: CFIACanada
LinkedIn: canadian-food-inspection-agency
Instagram: @cfia_canada
