[BCMA] MAID in Canada Exhibition at the Penticton Art Gallery

Mon Mar 4 17:48:03 PST 2024

*For Immediate Release *

*The Penticton Art Gallery Invites Public Participation in MAID in Canada
Exhibition*

*Exploring Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying Program Through Personal
Perspectives Exhibition Title: *M.A.I.D. in Canada
*Location: *Penticton Art Gallery, Penticton, B.C., Canada
* Exhibition Dates: *March 23 – May 11, 2024

*Penticton, BC - March 4, 2024 ~* The Penticton Art Gallery is seeking the
public’s input on Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) Program in
the form of handwritten or typewritten letters, or emails. The letters
received will be displayed in the gallery from March 23 – May 11, 2024, as
part of our MAID in Canada exhibition.

The intent of this exhibition is to provide the community with a safe space
to reflect, talk and explore the impacts and the implications of Canada's
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) Program. If it hasn't impacted your life
already it’s only a matter of time before you or someone you know will be
directly impacted by it. Since coming into law in 2016 over 50,000
Canadians have received medically assisted deaths. In 2022, the total
number of MAID provisions increased by 31.2% (2022 over 2021) compared to
32.6% (2021 over 2020) and the annual growth rate in MAID provisions has
been steady over the past six years, with an average growth rate of 31.1%
from 2019 to 2022.

Our aim is to create a forum for dialogue by putting a human face on the
overarching impact of the MAID program, providing a personal context that
highlights individual experiences and perspectives. Whether you're
currently considering MAID or have had a loved one contemplate or undergo
the program, your individual perspective is a valuable tool in helping us
collectively process and come to terms with the impact this has and will
have on our society. Recognizing the deeply personal nature of Canada's
medical assistance in dying (MAID) program, we believe your unique
perspective will help shed light on the impact of this social policy and
help us foster a more informed and compassionate dialogue. Through this
collective sharing, our exhibition aims to contribute to a more
compassionate, empathetic, and caring society.

There are no right or wrong answers and there is no agenda advocating
either for or against this complicated and highly emotionally charged
aspect of our society including our legal and health care system. In doing
so I also realize that each of us brings our unique perspectives which have
been shaped by our individual experiences and beliefs and these
perspectives are subject to evolution and possibly change as the
circumstances of our lives unfold. This exhibition is a direct response to
my own lived experiences over the past few years, during which I've known
at least a dozen individuals who have chosen MAID. For those who were
confronting a terminal illness and enduring excruciating suffering, MAID
may appear to have been the most compassionate option. However, for
others—especially those for whom natural death wasn't imminent—coming to
terms with the implications of MAID has left many unanswered questions.
Setting aside any questions of morality, it's undeniable that MAID presents
a challenging subject, fraught with genuine risks and uncertainties both in
its current implementation and in any potential expansions in the future.

When I first considered this as an exhibition, the eligibility for Medical
Assistance in Dying (MAID) for individuals solely suffering from mental
illness was set to come into effect on March 17, 2024. This controversial
expansion raised significant concerns with over 50 disability organizations
opposing it in a joint letter to the justice minister in December 2022.
They expressed concerns about the interconnected relationships among
increasing socioeconomic disparity, social isolation, inadequate affordable
housing, and food insecurity which have all contributed to a mounting
climate of anxiety and rising addiction rates, exacerbating our growing
mental health crisis. In 2023, the heads of psychiatry at all of Canada’s
17 medical schools called for a further delay, arguing that determining the
irreversibility of mental illness is an impossible task and raises genuine
concerns about the potential tragic consequences of expanding the MAID
program. The advocacy efforts of this coalition are directed towards
ensuring accessibility to affordable housing, food security, mental health
treatment, and addiction support to protect the most vulnerable in our
society. Responding to these concerns, the Government of Canada introduced
legislation in late January seeking to further extend the temporary
exclusion of those suffering solely from mental illnesses until March 17,
2027.

As mentioned above this exhibition has been driven by my own lived
experiences my observations, conversations I have had with other who have
gone through this and/or are considering this as an option and all the
questions, I have been left with to process as a result. The public's
participation is crucial in helping us shape a more informed and
compassionate dialogue surrounding the impact of the MAID program will have
not only on our lives but our society in general. Irrespective of your
stance on this issue, we deeply acknowledge that your unique experiences
and insights hold immense value in enriching our collective understanding
of this complex matter and we are inviting to the public to lend their
voice and contribute to this crucial conversation through the medium of a
personal letter. Each letter holds the potential to contribute
significantly to the depth and diversity of our collective understanding.

*There are three ways you can contribute to this conversation and
contributions will be accepted through the course of the exhibition.*

*1) In person: *Penticton Art Gallery, 199 Marina Way,  Penticton, BC, V2A
1H5

*2) By Mail:* MAID in Canada, C/O Penticton Art Gallery, 199 Marina
Way,  Penticton,
BC, V2A 1H5

*3) By email:* curator at pentictonartgallery.com
** Note: Please include the following in the subject line:* *MAID in Canada
Submission*

Each letter submitted will be handled with the utmost respect and
reverence, providing visitors with a unique opportunity to engage, reflect,
and respond at their discretion. While you are most welcome to put your
name to your letter we also respect and understanding the sensitivity
inherent in this topic, we prioritize creating a safe and comfortable space
for everyone to express themselves fully and your letter can be submitted
anonymously, providing the assurance that everyone is welcome to share
their thoughts and reflections freely without needing to reveal their
identity. Your voice is pivotal in shaping a more informed and
compassionate dialogue surrounding this crucial issue.

Thank you again for your consideration, compassion, and trust.

~ Paul Crawford, Penticton, B.C.

For more information, please visit www.pentictonartgallery.com or contact
Paul Crawford, Director/Curator at: curator at pentictonartgallery.com

*- 30 -*

-- 

Paul Crawford

Director/Curator
(He/Him/His)
*1.250.493.2928*
199 Marina Way, Penticton, BC V2A 1H5
pentictonartgallery.com <https://www.pentictonartgallery.com/>

We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the unceded,
traditional territory of the syilx (Okanagan) People.
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