Taking Care

Iam not sure what happened to Fall . . .

Summer seemed to last forever (that’s for all of you who saw Bryan Adams in Vancouver in November), then, suddenly, it was Winter. Here’s hoping Winter is short and Summer comes back early.

In this exciting issue, we delve into the topics of Personal & Estate Planning and Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).

Notaries Public have been providing legal advice to British Columbians around their estate plans for decades by preparing Wills, Representation Agreements, Advance Care Directives, and Powers of Attorney. Further, when Notaries are setting up Tenancies on property transfers, they are simultaneously working with clients on estate planning.

British Columbians are so appreciative of the assistance BC Notaries provide them and really look to the profession to provide sound legal advice they can understand. People are looking for Estate Planning assistance; BC Notaries provide that advice and the legal documentation that goes with the advice. • British Columbians need to appoint a person to help manage their financial

affairs . . . Notaries advise and prepare the Power of Attorney. • British Columbians need someone to assist with their future health and their personal care . . . Notaries advise and prepare the Representation

Agreement and the Advance

Health Care Directive. • British Columbians want to be sure their estate will properly disperse to their loved ones when the time comes . . .

Notaries advise and prepare the

Last Will and Testament. The other theme for this Scrivener is Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). MAiD became law in Canada in 2016 with the passing of Bill C-14 after the Supreme Court of Canada made its ruling that criminalizing the assistance in another person’s death violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. That was known as the Carter v. Canada case. Many may remember Sue Rodriguez who first took on the Supreme Court back in the early 1990s. Sue had ALS and wished to end her own suffering.

MAiD is now legal in Canada; the law permits its use only in a very narrow set of circumstances and only after specific criteria have been met. Further changes came into force in early 2021 that included enhancements to eligibility and safeguards to protect those wanting to access MAiD.

One of the best places to get information on end-of-life matters is through your local Hospice organization. I had the pleasure of serving on the Board of Directors of a new startup Hospice society in Delta known as the Heron Hospice Society of Delta. Hospice societies provide compassionate care to individuals facing lifelimiting illness and support to those who are grieving the loss or imminent loss of someone close to them. I consider Hospice organizations an integral part of our health care system. We all have seen recent emphasis on managing people’s emotional health and the benefits it can bring to our quality of life. Hospice organizations provide that critical mental support we all need when dealing with grief.

Hospices are often set up and operated as not-for-profit societies with charitable status. That means they operate without significant government funding and rely on members and donors to support the critical work they do.

I encourage you all to reach out to your local hospice and learn about the work they do and then consider becoming involved as a volunteer and/or a donor.

I hope Spring arrives quickly! s

Daniel Boisvert