In Nova Scotia they recently passed legislation in the form of the Human Organ and Tissue Donation Act. Under the new legislation – the first of its’ kind in North America – everyone is a potential donor unless they opt out and will be automatically referred to donation programs to determine if they are a good candidate.
I believe this is a good decision and encourage Manitoba and the rest of Canada to do the same. It still allows those who do not want to donate their organs to opt out for any reason. But it presumes everyone else would want to donate their organs.
Your family still has the last say.
Even if you have signed up to be a organ donor, your family can reverse that decision and that would be the same under presumed consent: if the deceased has not opted out, if your family thinks you were not in favour, they can override the donation.
In Manitoba, since we do not yet have presumed consent, I encourage you to visit SignUpForLife.ca and sign up to be an organ donor. The paper copy that is beside my driver’s license is being replaced by the on line version.
So while you are reading this article, go to the website SignUpForLife.ca and sign up now. And tell all your family members and friends to do the same thing. Encourage others by social media like your Facebook page.
Registering your donation decision online at signupforlife.ca is the best way to indicate your wish to be an organ and tissue donor. Once recorded, your decision is available to the medical team and your family – should it ever be needed. Talk to your family. If organ and tissue donation is important to you, it is important for them to know what you want to do. So they know what your wishes are when they have to make that decision.
I found it interesting that you are six times more likely to need a new organ that you will be eligible to provide one. That explains why there are so many people on the waiting list for a new organ. As our medical science continues to evolve, I hope there may be new and better ways to create new organs or allow more organs to be used.
Until then, please go to the website and sign up. Someone you love or care about may need an organ donation soon. And the more of us that sign up, the shorter the wait time may be to wait for a suitable organ donor. The above article has nothing to do with taxes or financial planning. Although it is a topic that sometimes comes up in our Death Cafés that we host from July to November each year. If you are interested in attending an upcoming event, please contact our office.
If you still need to get your taxes done, contact us in May. If you are expecting a refund, no problems. If you owe Canada Revenue Agency, you are now late, and subject to the five percent penalty, but get it done before May 31 so you are not subject to the one percent per month penalty.
If you or your spouse are self employed, you have until June 15 to file without any penalty, but don’t wait until the last minute. Us tax preparers won’t be happy to see you if you come in our office after June 10! Even if you do not have all your info to file by the deadline, file it with estimated amounts. You can always adjust later.
Anni Markmann is a Personal Income Tax Professional and Certified Financial Planner; living, working, and volunteering in our community. Contact us at 204.422.6631 or 36 Dawson Road in Ste Anne (near Co-op) or Info@SteAnneTaxService.ca