Theresa Matters
Youth Issues Correspondent

Life Immeasurable – or LifIm for short – is Canada’s first monthly online magazine that focuses on bio-ethics from a pro-life perspective. It was launched July 23 and is ready for you to peruse at www.lifeimmeasurable.com. In its first issue (August) there was a feature article on “The Legacy of Drs. John and Evelyn Billings,” a reflection on “My Call to L’Arche” and a review of the pro-life movie Bella, among other pieces.

Toronto resident Jennifer Ha is the editor and she says she has always felt the desire to contribute to the pro-life movement with her writing skills. Her ultimate goal has always been to publish her own pro-life magazine, but she never imagined it would happen this soon.

LifIm is geared toward any English-speaking person with a pro-life view, as well as those who may not necessarily be pro-life but are interested in learning about the movement. It is also for those who simply enjoy reading about the beauty of human life.

As a monthly publication, LifIm is published on the fourth Monday of the previous month of the issue. The site has four different sections: readings, reflections, reviews and reader contributions. Ha encourages anyone with story ideas to approach her for future issues. She says “the primary purpose of the magazine (is) to create a space where people are encouraged to reflect on not just the pressing issues – abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research, etc. – but also things that seem so trivial from the outside, but leave us with a room for thought in our daily lives.”

The unique aspect of LifIm is that it is created to be a forum where anyone can approach Ha for ideas, but also sign up for the online discussion boards to talk about articles in each issue. Ha emphasizes she wants “people to know that Life Immeasurable is open to them if they wish to tell their own story, their love for the life they live and others live.”

Ha attained her first BA in English Literature at McMaster University and a second BA in print journalism at York University.

She was first introduced to the pro-life movement in high school, but did not begin to identify herself as pro-life until university. She began to realize the intrinsic value of human life as she took courses in the liberal arts and read widely.

She recalls, “As an aspiring writer, I’ve struggled for a few years, trying to figure out ways to combine my talent and passion to set a definitive career path. This magazine is the beginning of my dream and my efforts won’t cease.”