Thoughts from Suzanne O’Brien, founder of Doulagivers, and her conversation with Lisa Pahl, creator of The Dementia Deck. Dementia presents enormous challenges, not only for the person living with it but also for their family and caregivers. Providing care can become a round-the-clock responsibility, bringing physical exhaustion, emotional strain and financial pressure. It may continue for many years, and no…
Canada’s laws on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) are entering a new phase. On October 7, 2026, the federal government announced plans to maintain the exclusion of people whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness and to introduce legislation allowing advance requests for MAID in certain circumstances. Mental illness and MAID Under current federal law, MAID is not…
An RESP can be an important part of planning for a child’s future, but what happens to it when you die is not always straightforward. One of the most important things to understand is the difference between the subscriber and the beneficiary. The subscriber is the person who opens and contributes to the RESP. The beneficiary is the child or…
Reena Lazar, co-founder and CEO of Willow End-of-Life Education and Planning, sent a group email which I’ve summarized in this article. Earlier this week, I received an email from Reena Lazar, who had been reflecting on the recent deaths of two remarkable women: Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinem. As Reena thought about the lives of these two very different women,…
With fires burning across so many parts of BC, lives are being disrupted, wild places and wildlife devastated, and communities are facing profound loss and grief. The following article, which has been shortened considerably, was co-published by The Narwhal and IndigiNews. It is a tribute to courage and community. The Bradley Creek wildfire began on Friday, July 31, on reserve…
People sometimes joke about end-of-life planning with comments such as, “What does it matter? I’ll be dead!” They may be talking about why they have never made a will, why they have not planned a funeral, or why they have left closets, paperwork, and possessions for others to sort through someday. Sometimes the sentiment is expressed with a laugh: “It…
This June marked ten years since medical assistance in dying (MAID) became legal in Canada, following a significant shift in the country’s approach to end-of-life care and personal autonomy. MAID was legalized on June 17, 2016, after the Supreme Court decision in Carter v. Canada determined that Canada’s prohibition on assisted dying violated certain rights protected by the Canadian Charter…
When someone dies, many adults instinctively want to protect children from the pain of loss. We may avoid difficult conversations, soften the truth, or postpone explanations until we think a child is old enough to understand. We tell ourselves things like: “They’re too young to understand.” “I don’t want to upset them.” “I’ll tell them when they’re older.” These responses…
There is a profound difference between the older ways of caring for our dead and the modern systems that have replaced them. Traditionally death was understood as a natural human experience. When possible, people died at home, surrounded by those who loved them. Family and friends tended the body, sat vigil, dug graves, carried caskets, and returned the body to…
A perspective from Suzanne B. O’Brien RN, Founder & CEO Doulagivers Institute For much of human history, death was understood as a natural part of life — something families and communities experienced together. People died at home, surrounded by loved ones, rituals, and care. But over the past century, death has increasingly moved into hospitals and institutions, becoming hidden, medicalized,…