Individual choice

Dear Editor:

RE: No letter of support for local hospice coming from Centre Wellington council, July 21.

For the terminal patient, their family and loved ones; palliative care in a hospice setting is exceptional.

Yet Centre Wellington council failed to provide written support for a hospice in the township. Medical assistance in dying (MAID) is not legislated at the municipal level.

Providing this option should not impact township decision making. In addition, MAID may be a choice for a few but that choice should not impact the greater number who would benefit from a place to die in peace and comfort under specialized care.

Moreover, the religion of a councillor should not have influenced their decision. Councillors are not elected to stand in judgement of how a person might choose to die. I can’t think of a choice more individual.

Other councillors seemed to think the request for support was out of the blue. In Ontario the hospice option is over a decade old.  Locally the donation of land was reported a few months ago and councillors are provided the agenda in advance.

My thanks to Mayor Linton, and councillors Dunsmore and MacRae for their support. I hope this motion is revisited as soon as possible.

Municipal elections are coming up in October. As we can see, decisions of township council impact day-to-day life. Let’s make changes through high voter turnout.  Already the unofficial slate of candidates looks promising.

Teresa Gregg, Fergus