Further, it was widely believed that persons with these disorders had a higher reproduction rate than the normal population, leading to a gradual societal decline.
The Sexual Sterilization Act was first introduced into the legislature on March 5, 1927, but due to a crowded session and unclear bill format, it was pulled from the schedule.
On February 23, 1928, George Hoadley, Minister of Health, reintroduced the bill with a comment regarding the growing burden of taxpayers in caring for immigrants and mentally disabled persons.
The Act was amended as follows: In addition, the exemption from civil action was extended to include any individual taking part in the surgical operations as well as persons in charge of mental institutions who had caused an inmate to be examined by the Eugenics Board.
The Act underwent another amendment in 1942, this time to specifically broaden the category of mental patients who could be directed to undergo sterilization.
Dr. Hincks's committee describes a causal link between mental abnormality and immorality (illegitimacy, criminality, prostitution, dependency).
The suggestion that bad behaviour and sexual immorality were directly related to mental deficiency gave rise to concern by the public and politicians that these individuals posed a threat to society.
The United Farmers of Alberta, an agricultural lobbying group, responded quickly to the survey and called on the government to draft legislation for life segregation or sterilization of the feebleminded.
Reid, proposed sterilization of mental defectives as a preferable alternative to aggregation in institutions, but concluded that public support would need to be developed.
Emily Murphy, the first female magistrate for the British Empire, was a prolific and influential writer who organized meetings and addressed many women's groups in support of negative eugenics.
J. S. Woodsworth, preacher and Superintendent of All People's Mission in Winnipeg, conducted and published studies on immigration and social response.
The highest form of provincial government would show support - Premier John Edward Brownlee stated that “the argument of freedom or right of the individual can no longer hold good where the welfare of the state and of society is concerned.” Many other factors influenced public opinion including the creation in 1930 of the Eugenics Society of Canada, acceptance of sterilization laws in many of the United States, and numerous newspapers, magazines and books touting sterilization as a remedy for rapidly increasing social problems.
At the age of 10, Muir, an unwanted and abused child, was admitted to the Provincial Training School for Mental Defectives (PTS) in Red Deer, Alberta.
Years later, during struggles with infertility, failed marriages and depression, Muir would learn that she had been sterilized during an appendectomy while detained at the PTS.