The never-say-die Delta Hospice Society is now looking to Alberta in its efforts to establish a secular, euthanasia-free “sanctuary hospice” and escape the pro-MAiD agenda of the B.C. government.
Newsroom (11/08/2025 Gaudium Press )The Delta Hospice Society, a stalwart advocate for life-affirming palliative care, is turning its gaze to Alberta in a bold bid to establish a secular, euthanasia-free “sanctuary hospice.” The move comes as the society faces unrelenting pressure from British Columbia’s NDP government, which it accuses of enforcing a pro-Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) agenda that conflicts with its mission to uphold authentic palliative care.
Angelina Ireland, the society’s executive director, revealed that she and fellow directors traveled to Alberta in July to scout potential sites for the new facility. “We are actively looking for a property, and we have the funds—hundreds of thousands of dollars—to purchase,” Ireland said in an email interview with The B.C. Catholic. “The situation in this country is desperate, and the Delta Hospice Society has been stalled, stonewalled, abused, and vilified long enough.”
While British Columbia remains the society’s preferred location, Ireland said the NDP government has offered no assurances that it would refrain from mandating euthanasia in a new hospice. In fact, her attempts to engage NDP politicians, including Ravi Kahlon, the MLA for Delta North and minister for jobs and economic growth, have been met with silence. “We receive nothing from the NDP but the sound of crickets,” Ireland remarked.
The society’s concerns about government overreach are not unfounded. In recent years, B.C.’s government has mandated that publicly funded hospices and hospitals, including palliative-care wards, permit MAiD. The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority’s Guide for Medical Assistance in Dying grants exemptions to only 16 faith-based institutions—such as hospitals, hospices, and seniors’ residences—where “assisted deaths” are prohibited. However, the guide omits a critical detail: MAiD facilities have been established adjacent to at least two exempt sites, including St. Paul’s Hospital, a Catholic institution, and St. John Hospice, effectively undermining their sanctity.
The Delta Hospice Society, as a secular organization, does not qualify for these exemptions. “We are, and always have been, a palliative-care organization, not a faith-based one,” Ireland emphasized. “We adhere to an authentic and historically accurate definition of palliative care, which does nothing to hasten death. Therefore, we do not employ euthanasia as a ‘health-care option.’”
The society’s struggle with B.C.’s government dates back to 2008, when it leased land from the Fraser Health Authority and built a privately funded, $8-million hospice and supportive-care centre. While the society operated the centre with funds raised through a thrift store and received operational funding from the health authority, its refusal to allow euthanasia on-site led to severe repercussions. In 2021, the government canceled the lease, seized the buildings, and assumed control of the hospice without compensating the society for its substantial investment.
In Alberta, Ireland sees a glimmer of hope. She said the Alberta government has assured her that it would not interfere with a privately funded, secular, MAiD-free hospice. Last month, her team inspected a building that, with renovations, could serve as “a proper hospice.” While Ireland declined to disclose its location, she described the envisioned facility as “a national sanctuary” that would welcome British Columbians seeking to “escape B.C. medical tyranny and live well until their natural end.”
The Delta Hospice Society’s plight has drawn support from the B.C. Conservative Party, which has pledged not to impose MAiD in any sanctuary hospice should it form the government. Dr. Anna Kindy, a family physician and the official Opposition’s health critic, decried the government’s seizure of the society’s assets as “completely wrong.” In an interview, Kindy expressed strong support for the society’s right to operate a MAiD-free palliative-care centre, vowing to raise the issue in the legislature. “The type of end-of-life care a patient chooses should be a personal choice,” she said. “The government should not decide for you or remove an option you may want. And that’s what they did—they removed an option for people who don’t want to be in a setting where MAiD is present.”
From a Catholic perspective, the Delta Hospice Society’s fight resonates deeply. The Church’s teaching, as articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2277), holds that euthanasia constitutes a grave violation of the law of God, as it intentionally ends a human life. The society’s commitment to preserving the dignity of life until natural death aligns with this principle, even as a secular organization. Its struggle underscores a broader tension: the erosion of conscience rights and the sanctity of life in the face of secular policies that prioritize autonomy over the intrinsic value of human existence.
As the Delta Hospice Society looks to Alberta for refuge, its mission remains a beacon for those who believe that true palliative care offers compassion, not a hastened end. Whether in B.C. or beyond, the society’s resolve to provide a sanctuary for life-affirming care stands as a testament to the enduring call to protect the vulnerable in their final days.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Catholic Register
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