The ConversaTion

“The house profiled in your recent issue may have looked bleak when its current owners found it, but for 13 years it was one of the preeminent collective houses in the city, with a reputation as a bastion of craft sales for fair-trade goods, a welcoming haven for likeminded travellers and a locus for the most epic gatherings of creative folks that one could imagine. I lived there for two years, and it was filled with art installations, musical instruments and a communal sensibility.

“A crumbling roof eventually forced out the tenants, after which it was occupied by a group of anarchists who welcomed folks of different character. That, in turn, led to the scenario described by the author. But it was one of the most inspiring places in the city for those who were lucky enough to know it. Unfortunately many of the people who inhabited it have been forced to relocate beyond the GTA—a parable for our times.”

—Dan Browne, Toronto

Uncertain Death

Nicholas Hune-Brown’s “How to End a Life,” about the challenges faced by patients and doctors since assisted suicide became legal, jerked a few tears. In particular, readers were feeling the love for Gerald Ashe, the Brockville palliative care physician who has now assisted in 11 deaths.

“I am proud to say I know Dr. Ashe and am in awe of him. It takes a special human being to do what he and other doctors do not only for the patient but for their loved ones. In closing, all I can say is thank god for MAID.

—Isobel Burgess, torontolife.com “Gerry Ashe is a great man full of compassion. We need more men like him.”

—Julie Broek, Facebook

“Great article.… ‘If I can put down a pet, I shouldn’t need permission for myself.’ Exactly.”

—Chris Hutcheson, Facebook

“As a veterinarian, euthanasia is, of course, a regular part of my job. It is never easy, but in the vast majority of cases, it is the best thing for the patient. It’s also a privilege to provide this most intimate of services to any family, and I am always humbled by the experience of doing so with as much empathy as possible.

“There is a section of ‘How to End a Life’ that explains why palliative care doctors are largely opposed to medically assisted death: if one of their patients seeks it, these physicians take it as a sign they have to ‘do better’ to relieve the pain and distress of that patient. I feel that this is a misguided notion. There are times when there is simply nothing more that can be done, and it’s naïve not to acknowledge that. None of us in the medical profession are superheroes. We need to understand our limits—and those of our patients.

“I want to send out a huge amount of respect and gratitude to Dr. Gerald Ashe. I hope that more medical doctors will learn from his example, and that medically assisted death in Canada will be easier to access for those in need in the future.”

—Kerry Tait, Toronto

Oops!

Apologies to Allyson Koffman, whose name was misspelled in the June issue. And also to Gerald Ashe, a family doctor and palliative care physician who was wrongly identified as a former palliative care doctor.