#Canada #NS – A small Anglican parish on the outskirts of Halifax advertised an October 5th information night on euthanasia (colloquially referred to as “Medical Assistance in Dying” or “MAiD” to avoid stigma), complete with a free baked potato supper.
St. Timothy’s Anglican Church, which shares a parish with St. Paul’s, posted that staff from Nova Scotia Health’s euthanasia program would explain eligibility, the assessment process, and “the things people consider.” The church described assisted suicide as a legally available option for Canadians who meet “strict criteria” and said a choice that weighty required “accurate, and timely information.” Attendees were promised a baked potato with toppings and a beverage.
The post circulated quickly after anti-euthanasia advocate Kelsi Sheren highlighted it. Screenshots survived after the church’s Facebook page was taken down or made private. Online critics said a church hall was the wrong place to walk people through a state-administered death. One commenter asked whether the country had lost its bearings if a parish offered “how you can legally end your own life, with a free baked potato and some sour cream.” Another wrote that people went to church for hope, friendship, and pastoral help—not a how-to on dying.
In June 2026, the Anglican Church of Canada introduced pastoral care and liturgies for euthanasia. The Anglican Church in Canada itself does not hold any specific condemnation of assisted suicide unlike the Roman Catholic Church.
Defenders treated the evening as ordinary public education. A Reddit user asked why a Calgary outlet was shaming a Nova Scotia church for a “neutral information session” instead of a sermon. The parish itself did not frame the night as a recommendation. It said only that people needed facts.
The Hatchet Lake event was not the first time an Anglican hall in the province had hosted pro-euthanasia presenters. In November 2025, the Nova Scotia RCMP Veterans’ Association circulated an invitation to a talk at St. John the Anglican Church in Sackville featuring Dr. Gordon Gubitz, clinical lead for Nova Scotia Health’s euthanasia program. Association officials later said the church had organized the session and they had merely passed the notice along. Veterans and advocates still called it a grim invitation to people already carrying trauma.
These events, marketed specifically towards retirees and veterans, demonstrates further pressure towards vulnerable persons. Health Canada most recently reported euthanasia to becoming a leading cause of death in Canada with 1 in 10 deaths being due to assisted suicide. These figures have disproportionately affected seniors, specifically those in the Baby Boomer generation, which since 2024, are now the second-largest demographic group behind Millennials as deaths in the former demographic group continue to increase.
Cover Image: St. Timothy’s Anglican church in Hatchet Lake, Nova Scotia.
