Dear Friend,
Greetings from the EFC here in Ottawa!
Parliament is on its summer recess now and MPs are in their ridings, but the staff at the EFC are hard at work preparing for a very busy fall session. That’s why we are asking for your continued prayers and financial support at this time to support our ongoing efforts.
During the spring sitting of the newly elected government, two important bills were introduced. When Parliament resumes sitting in the fall, we will be ready to support these crucial bills on the Hill.
Eliminating MAiD for Mental Illness
In 2021, the government passed a law expanding euthanasia to people who are not nearing death, including when mental illness is a person’s only medical condition. The provision allowing medical assistance in dying (MAiD) for mental illness is scheduled to take effect in March 2027 unless a bill is passed to stop it. This will put the lives of many Canadians struggling with mental illness in harm’s way.
We believe that all lives have inherent worth – a key motivation behind suicide prevention efforts. It will always be completely inappropriate to tell people suffering solely from mental illness, especially if they want to commit suicide, that they can have a doctor end their lives.
There is an opportunity to have this MAiD expansion scrapped. On June 20, 2025, an MP from British Columbia introduced a private members bill, Bill C-218, that would exclude a mental disorder from being considered a "grievous and irremediable medical condition" for the purposes of MAiD. If passed, this would mean that no one would be eligible for MAiD on the basis of mental illness alone.
This is a very important bill and the EFC whole-heartedly supports it. However, because this is a private member’s bill, it needs broad support to pass. (A similar bill had been introduced in 2023 but had failed to pass second reading by a very close vote.) As such, we are strongly encouraging concerned Canadians like you, who care about protecting highly vulnerable members of our society, to urge your MP to support Bill C-218, now and in the fall.
Restricting Access to Online Pornography
Another important bill, Bill S-209, was introduced in the Senate at the end of May and involves protecting another vulnerable sector of our society – our children and youth. Bill S-209 would require pornography platforms on the internet to put effective protections in place so that young people cannot easily access pornographic content on their sites.
The EFC supports this bill and the use of age assurance technologies to protect minors from the harmful impacts of viewing or being exposed to pornography online. Canada’s Privacy Commissioner believes it is possible to do this in ways that also protect individuals’ privacy rights.
Protecting Access to Places of Worship
In addition to the two bills mentioned above, the Justice Minister recently confirmed that the government will press ahead with plans to make new provisions in the
Criminal Code against intentionally and wilfully obstructing access to places of worship, schools and community centres. The government also plans to make it a criminal offence to wilfully intimidate or threaten people attending services or events at these locations.
These measures were promised during the most recent federal election to address concerns over the alarming rise in antisemitism in Canada.
The issue is complex as we value both the safety of vulnerable groups and freedom of expression. There needs to be a balanced approach to addressing the safety needs of people, while upholding Canada’s commitment to free expression and assembly which are essential to democracy. But protecting public safety and the right to peaceful protest need not be mutually exclusive.
No one should be threatened or blocked from trying to access their places of worship or schools. But any limit on speech must be very carefully considered. We will be watching for legislation to be tabled and prepare a thoughtful response and/or push for greater clarification where appropriate.
As Christians in Canada, we have been called by God “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). We are compelled to work to protect those in vulnerable situations and to ensure that just laws are made for the benefit of all Canadians. I’m asking you to pray for the EFC as we prepare to tackle these and other important issues, as well as for our MPs and Senators.
We are very grateful to be blessed by our valued supporters. Your ongoing prayers and financial gifts not only allow us to continue the work that God has called us to do, but are also a great source of encouragement to us. Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom work!
Sincerely,
Dr. David Guretzki
President & CEO