Witness Testimony

Caroline Hennig testified virtually from Costa Rica regarding her father’s illness and death in British Columbia during the COVID-19 period. Her father, a retired professor diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer in early 2020, experienced severe decline in mid-2021. She returned to Bowen Island under compassionate travel provisions in July 2021 and provided full-time care. She presented photographs showing his condition upon her arrival and subsequent physical recovery, including regaining mobility, appetite, and independence. She described him as motivated to live and planning future activities, including potential relocation to Costa Rica.
In November 2021, following federal announcements restricting travel for unvaccinated individuals, she stated that she was required to leave Canada before the implementation deadline or face travel prohibition. Her father, also unvaccinated, moved into a retirement residence on November 15, 2021, in an ambulatory and stable condition. She testified that over the following months, without in-person family support and facing ongoing travel restrictions, he became increasingly isolated. In early 2022, he informed her by email that he had arranged for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), which was carried out before travel mandates were lifted.
Hennig attributed her father’s decision primarily to prolonged isolation and loss of meaningful connection rather than physical deterioration. She described family tensions related to vaccination status and stated that her father had previously expressed desire to live and participate in professional and family activities. She concluded her testimony with broader reflections on informed consent, referencing ethical principles associated with the Nuremberg Code and asserting that coercive vaccine policies undermined fundamental human rights.