Juno News - Woman signed up for assisted suicide due to healthcare failures

00:00:00.000 Former Liberal Heritage Minister Stephen Guibault says his department doesn't track how much of

00:00:09.220 its funding to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network went to Antifa or how it ensures the public

00:00:14.060 funds don't go to such groups. U.S. Conservative commentator Glenn Beck, as well as Canadian war

00:00:19.680 veteran Kelsey Sharon, are attempting to save a Saskatchewan woman who signed up for euthanasia

00:00:24.980 after Canada's health care system failed her. Political activist Eve Engler has been barred

00:00:30.440 from running in the NDP leadership race after the party accused him of anti-Semitism stemming from

00:00:36.180 his past social media remarks. Hello Canada, it's Thursday, December 11th, and this is the True

00:00:41.280 North Daily Brief. I'm Isaac Lamoureux. And I'm Jeff Knight. We've got you covered with all the news

00:00:46.680 you need to know. Let's discuss the top stories of the day and the True North exclusives you won't hear

00:00:51.720 anywhere else. Former Liberal Heritage Minister Stephen Guibault revealed that his department

00:00:59.660 quote, doesn't capture how much of the over $700,000 given to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network

00:01:05.920 went to quote, Antifa or other extremist groups, or what guardrails it puts in place to ensure tax

00:01:12.020 dollars aren't quote, funneled to such groups. In response to an order paper question submitted by

00:01:17.220 Conservative MP David Bextie on how the nearly $1 million in federal tax funds

00:01:21.580 given to the organization by both the Ministries of Public Safety and Canadian Heritage is spent,

00:01:27.360 Guibault revealed that the department doesn't track the taxpayer funds after awarding grants.

00:01:32.120 In 2022, a small claims court judge accepted evidence that CAHN quote, did in fact, that CAHN

00:01:41.000 quote, did in fact assist Antifa and concluded that Antifa quote, has been violent. CAHN has disputed

00:01:48.580 the ruling and was not a participant in the legal proceeding. A subsequent appeal of the ruling

00:01:53.600 filed by CAHN board member Richard Warman in 2024 was dismissed by the Ontario Superior Court Justice

00:02:00.900 Divisional Court. CAHN, which describes itself as quote, proudly anti-fascist, denies allegations that

00:02:07.360 its organization has ever supported terrorism, violence, or criminality. The term Antifa is used by

00:02:13.200 its proponents to mean anti-fascist. In his response, Guibault noted that Canadian Heritage approved

00:02:17.940 $708,400 for the group for containing and countering Canadian hate groups. To Bextie's 0.57

00:02:24.600 question on how much of the funding was funneled to Antifa and other extremist groups, and how the

00:02:28.780 ministry ensures the money is not used to fund Antifa cells, Guibault responded saying,

00:02:33.880 the information requested is not captured in the Department of Canadian Heritage's tracking systems.

00:02:38.880 So Jeff, what was the Canadian Anti-Hate Network's response to this? Well, Isaac, the Canadian Anti-Hate

00:02:44.240 Network responded to the funding questions and Guibault's admission by firmly rejecting the

00:02:48.480 premise that anti-fascist groups equate to extremist ones, calling it 100% false. In a statement,

00:02:54.840 the Anti-Hate Network emphasized that it has never reallocated public funds outside the terms of our

00:03:00.380 funding agreements, and receives clean audits while using the grants totaling $708,400

00:03:07.540 from Canadian Heritage for containing and countering Canadian hate groups. To investigate and educate

00:03:13.380 about far-right movements and groups which harbor racism and hate and are incompatible with a

00:03:18.500 multicultural democracy. They described allegations of funneling money to Antifa or extremism as

00:03:23.720 defamatory, denying any support for terrorism, violence, or criminality. Regarding the court rulings,

00:03:29.880 the Anti-Hate Network disputed the 2022 Small Claims Court decision that found it did in fact assist

00:03:36.140 Antifa and concluded Antifa has been violent, noting the organization was not a participant in

00:03:41.740 the proceeding. CAHN board member Richard Warman's 2024 appeal was dismissed by the Ontario Superior

00:03:48.860 Court of Justice Divisional Court, but CAHN maintained its proudly anti-fascist stance without endorsing

00:03:56.520 violence. Overall, CAHN framed the scrutiny as baseless attacks on its anti-racism work, insisting

00:04:03.680 all activities comply with funding terms. American commentator Glenn Beck has offered to pay for a

00:04:13.600 Canadian woman's surgery after she sought assisted suicide because she could not find a surgeon to

00:04:19.140 treat her rare, but treatable illness within her provincial healthcare system. In response to a CBC

00:04:24.780 report detailing the case of Jolene Van Alstyne, who suffers from a rare thyroid disorder, Beck blasted the

00:04:31.240 Canadian euthanasia program on X on Tuesday, offering to pay for the surgery himself. He also spoke about

00:04:37.520 the program on his show. Doctors are the third largest killer in Canada. Is that a problem for

00:04:46.260 anybody? They're just devaluing life. And honestly, this is what happens when you get socialized medicine.

00:04:53.620 He said, quote, if there is any surgeon in America who can do this, I'll pay for this patient to come down

00:05:00.080 here for treatment. This is the reality of compassionate, progressive healthcare. Canada must

00:05:04.960 end this insanity, and Americans can never let it spread here. An hour later, he posted an update

00:05:10.800 saying he was trying to contact Van Alstyne and that surgeons had already offered to perform the

00:05:15.280 procedure. By Wednesday, Beck released an additional update saying that because Van Alstyne lacks a passport,

00:05:21.860 he's contacted, quote, Trump's State Department, and that officials are, quote, aware of the urgent

00:05:27.160 life-saving need and that he had a, quote, positive call with the administration. The article said Van

00:05:33.940 Alstyne would need to go out of province for the surgery, but she first needed a referral from an

00:05:39.340 endocrinologist. However, none are accepting new patients. She told the CBC the pain had become so

00:05:46.240 unbearable that she applied for assisted suicide, with her appointment scheduled for January 7th of next

00:05:52.320 year. Beck is not the only one reaching out to save Van Alstyne's life. Kelsey Sharon, a combat veteran

00:05:58.040 and euthanasia prevention advocate, has started her own campaign to raise funds or otherwise help Van

00:06:03.760 Alstyne find the care she needs in Canada. Sharon posted a video on X calling out Canadians to help

00:06:08.880 on Tuesday. We can actually help somebody here, but they're not doing that. They're actually giving

00:06:12.740 her maid on January 7th. I think it's the 7th or the 9th of 2026. I want to stop this. I want to get

00:06:19.640 this woman into an endocrinologist, but I need your guys' help to do it. She's in Saskatchewan.

00:06:23.780 It's already a small, small spot, but if there's a doctor or somebody in Canada or in America that

00:06:29.760 would be willing to refer and help this woman get the surgery and save her life, I would be eternally

00:06:33.380 grateful. This is what these platforms are for. So Isaac, what are critics of Canada's assisted

00:06:38.600 suicide program saying about Jolene Van Alstyne's case? Yeah, Jeff. So critics say Jolene Van Alstyne's

00:06:45.120 situation has become one of the clearest examples yet of how Canada's assisted suicide system is

00:06:50.960 being used as a pressure valve for a collapsing healthcare system instead of a last resort option

00:06:56.240 for the terminally ill. They argue the problem isn't just that maid is available, it's that it

00:07:00.960 has become easier to access than the medical treatment that would allow Canadians like Van 1.00

00:07:05.380 Alstyne to live. Observers like Kelsey Sharon, who you mentioned, described the case as a, quote,

00:07:10.920 quiet violence of neglect, noting that Van Alstyne isn't terminal, untreatable, or beyond medical

00:07:17.300 help. She simply can't get a referral. She simply can't get a referral because there are no

00:07:21.460 endocrinologists accepting new patients, meaning the healthcare system functionally shut the door

00:07:26.320 on her before maid even entered the picture. Sharon warns that this creates a form of structural

00:07:31.460 coercion, writing that choice becomes meaningless when your options are slow agony or assisted death.

00:07:36.740 In her view, this isn't empowerment, it's coercion with a friendly tone.

00:07:40.280 Several critics point out that Van Alstyne's case mirrors a growing pattern. People with disabilities,

00:07:45.260 chronic pain patients, homeless Canadians, and even military veterans have sought maid not because

00:07:50.220 they want to die, but because they can't access the services that would allow them to live with

00:07:54.460 dignity or without pain. As Sharon put it, Canada is becoming a nation outsourcing its failures to

00:07:59.740 death. What has shocked many Canadians is the contrast between how quickly maid was approved for

00:08:04.240 Van Alstyne and how impossible it was for her to obtain a standard medical referral. And I went through

00:08:09.100 Glenn Beck's ex-posts, which were filled with the negative replies from Canadians, some providing

00:08:14.040 their own examples with others expressing disgust. For example, one user said, quote,

00:08:18.880 give her refugee status. Her life is in danger in Canada. Another said, quote, thank you at Glenn Beck

00:08:24.980 from all Canadians. You're not only helping save a woman's life, but shining light on the issue of

00:08:29.280 government-made programs where they have plenty of appointments for maid, but zero for life-saving 0.99

00:08:34.000 surgeries. Disgusting. And another user broke down several issues. They said, quote, 0.94

00:08:38.480 we have a healthcare system that is so backlogged that we're offering maid to people on wait lists.

00:08:43.520 To get treatment, you have to go outside our system because you can't buy healthcare services legally.

00:08:48.540 To go outside our system, you have to get a passport to leave the country, but you can't get a passport

00:08:53.180 quickly, even in a life-or-death emergency. To get a passport quickly, you have to have someone higher

00:08:58.700 up to intervene and bypass yet another broken system. And I'll highlight one more post from

00:09:03.840 the thousands of replies that gave personal examples and negative, negative feedback. The

00:09:09.280 user said, quote, God bless you, Glenn. As a Canadian who lost his grandfather too soon because he died

00:09:15.240 while on a waiting list, free healthcare, this resonates strongly with me. My father recently had

00:09:21.380 to spend eight hours in emergency to be seen by a doctor. The waiting room was packed with people who

00:09:26.460 can't speak English, figure that one out, only to be immediately sent home with zero treatment.

00:09:31.400 The next morning, we had to call an ambulance because of his worsening condition.

00:09:35.700 So in general, critics highlighted the core issue that made his expanding faster than Canada's

00:09:40.020 ability or willingness to provide care that would prevent suffering in the first place.

00:09:43.980 And until those systematic failures are acknowledged and fixed, cases like Jolene Van Alstien's will

00:09:49.120 continue to surface not because Canadians want assisted death, but because they feel abandoned by the

00:09:53.960 system meant to keep them alive.

00:09:56.460 The socialist NDP has booted far-left activist and author Eve Engler from its leadership race,

00:10:04.520 citing a mix of claims including alleged harassment, confrontational behavior, and most recently,

00:10:10.000 claiming his foreign policy views align with Russian and anti-Semitic narratives.

00:10:15.060 Engler, who sought to replace Jagmeet Singh as party leader, was informed late last month that

00:10:19.540 his application had been denied after a review by the party's leadership vote committee.

00:10:24.280 Internal correspondence between Engler and the party reviewed by the Globe and Mail shows the

00:10:28.280 committee upheld its decision after Engler appealed. In its rejection, the committee cited comments by

00:10:33.740 Engler that were, quote, consistent with anti-Semitic rhetoric, his use of the term, quote,

00:10:37.900 Holocaust industry to denigrate remembrance efforts, and his views mirroring what the party called

00:10:42.820 Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine. The party also cited concerns that he had expressed

00:10:48.020 sympathy for Syria's Assad government and had repeatedly confronted MPs in public and private

00:10:53.160 settings. Engler denied the allegations in an interview, saying he has condemned Russia's

00:10:57.740 invasion of Ukraine and anti-Semitism, quote, on dozens of occasions. He said the party's decision

00:11:03.120 subverts members' ability to choose their leader. On Wednesday, Engler escalated his criticism,

00:11:08.560 calling the party's decision, quote, Orwellian, in a lengthy statement posted to X. He argued the NDP

00:11:14.160 had misrepresented his positions on international law and solidarity with marginalized groups,

00:11:19.680 and accused the party of ignoring Canada's own history of supporting coups and foreign

00:11:23.780 interventions. So, Jeff, if the decision to bar Engler from the NDP leadership race is held,

00:11:28.680 what could that mean for an already weak NDP party?

00:11:32.160 Yeah, Isaac, the decision to bar Eve Engler from the NDP leadership race could deepen the party's

00:11:37.360 existing problems for sure, and risk a real fracture on the left. The NDP is already at its weakest

00:11:42.480 point in decades. They've only got seven seats, I mean. No official party status, and polling in

00:11:47.660 the low teens. Excluding a vocal far-left figure like Engler, whose base is concentrated in urban

00:11:53.440 progressive ridings, this sends a clear signal that the party is unwilling to tolerate strong

00:11:58.540 pro-Palestinian or anti-imperialist voices. That's going to anger young activists and the members who

00:12:04.820 will see the move as censorship, not protection against anti-Semitism. A schism is possible. Some

00:12:10.280 supporters may simply disengage. Others could drift to the Greens or even independent socialist

00:12:15.940 candidates in future elections. The party is unlikely to lose a massive chunk of its remaining

00:12:20.780 voters overnight, but it will make it harder to rebuild enthusiasm on the left, especially in

00:12:26.180 Quebec and BC, where the NDP is already struggling. For Mark Carney's liberals, a quieter NDP is quietly

00:12:32.760 convenient. A divided or demoralized left means less pressure from the flank on issues like

00:12:37.720 Gaza, housing, or climate, allowing Carney to govern from the centre without constant threats of

00:12:43.860 non-confidence. In short, the big winner from this mess is probably the liberal minority government,

00:12:49.540 not the NDP renewal.

00:12:53.580 That's it for today, folks. Thanks for tuning in. You can stay on top of new episodes every weekday by

00:12:58.040 subscribing to The Daily Brief on iTunes and Spotify. Also, while you're at it, make sure to hit us with

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Juno News - December 11, 2025

Woman signed up for assisted suicide due to healthcare failures

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