If the Town of Olds and City of Lethbridge have their way, it would be assumed that any person's organs after they die would be available to be donated to others who need them. If they don't want that to happen, they would have to opt out of the program while still alive.
The decision to do this ties back to Logan Boulet, one of the Humboldt Broncos who lost their lives in, and after that fatal crash in April 2018.
Boulet was an organ donor who impacted six lives after his passing, which inspired more than 100,000 people to register to become organ donors in Canada.
Olds and Lethbridge officials are working together to create a resolution on the matter that would be submitted to the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) during its convention this fall.
The resolution urges the provincial government to create legislation that would make organ donations a program that that would have to be opted out of, rather than opted in.
“The Town of Olds would like the province of Alberta to enact legislation that would make organ and tissue donation a program requiring adults over the age of 18 to opt out," Olds Mayor Michael Muzychka wrote in an email.
“This type of program would work under the assumption that, unless people express otherwise, they are willing to donate their organs.
“When asked, the vast majority of Canadians are in favour of organ donation, but only a fraction of those who are in favour have actually registered their intent to do so.”
Muzychka says town officials chose to tackle this issue because of the type of community Olds is.
“Olds is a very close-knit, caring rural community with a connection to the Boulet family," he wrote. “Logan’s dad grew up in Olds and Logan’s grandparents still reside in Olds.
“Residents were heartbroken to hear of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, and as all other Canadians, are inspired by the Logan Boulet effect.”
Muzychka said that the idea to co-sign a resolution originated in Olds and that the partnership was a natural fit.
“There is strength in numbers when submitting a resolution. As the family of Logan Boulet live in Lethbridge, it was a natural fit to reach out to the City of Lethbridge,” Muzychka wrote. “Lethbridge is supportive and wants to join with Olds in leading this forward with Alberta municipalities.”
Muzychka explained that municipalities had until the end of May to submit resolutions for the AUMA resolution committee to review and to provide recommendations to the AUMA board.
The resolutions are then brought forward at the AUMA convention in the fall.
“A resolutions book is made available to its members during the summer which allows council time to review and discuss them,” Muzychka said. “During the resolution session(s), resolutions are debated and voted upon.”
The 2019 AUMA convention is being held in Edmonton from Sept. 25 to 27.
