Blog

Montreal, September 29, 2025 – The Living with Dignity citizen network and the global palliative care community mourn the passing of Dr. Balfour Mount. The pioneer of palliative care in Canada and internationally died in Montreal at the palliative care unit of the Royal Victoria Hospital, which bears his name.

On behalf of Living with Dignity, Dr. Patrick Vinay, who learned so much from working alongside him over the years, shares these words in memory of Dr. Mount:

“Some of us see beyond appearances to the profound realities that each person experiences during their lifetime. Dr. Balfour Mount saw the suffering and loneliness lurking behind every patient at the end of life. He understood that care had to extend beyond curative treatment. He also understood that the bond created between the patient and the caregiver must be maintained faithfully, even when healing is no longer possible. He sought to provide comfort, share solace, and accompany vulnerable individuals so that they could make the most of the precious moments of life they had left with their loved ones. Dr. Mount had just invented a new discipline, palliative care, taking Cicely Saunders’ founding vision even further. Fifty years ago, at McGill University, he created Canada’s first palliative care unit and trained a large number of caregivers in all related disciplines, who now work throughout Canada and elsewhere. Last Thursday, he too has passed away. He leaves behind a brilliant legacy that inspires the many caregivers who have followed in his footsteps around the world. A civilization is judged by the care it shows to its most vulnerable members. It is through the initiative of pioneers such as Balfour Mount that this care is embodied and spread. Thank you, Dr. Mount, for your legacy of humanity. 

Dr. Balfour Mount leaves behind a vision of hope and humanity that will continue to inspire our collective action.”

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Media contact :

Jasmin Lemieux-Lefebvre
Coordinator, Living with Dignity citizen network
www.vivredignite.org/en
info@vivredignite.org
438 931-1233