During 1987, some two dozen Members of Parliament spoke out in the house of Commons on abortion. Under Standing Order 21, an opportunity is given to MPs each day before Question Period to make one-minute statements on topics of their choosing. Pro-life members took advantage of this opportunity during the course of the year. As well, debates on Mitges’ Motion, John Reimer’s [...]
Bill Gottselig is the federal Member of Parliament for the riding of Moose Jaw. A lifelong resident of rural Saskatchewan, Mr. Gottselig was a farmer and businessman before his election to the House of Commons in 1984. He also served as the mayor of Outlook, Saskatchewan for six years. He is married and has three children. During the 1984 election campaign, Mr. [...]
“Unless we determine the key factors that contribute to abortion and concentrate on overcoming them, our energies and resources will be split and split again, as we try to battle all the evils abortion spawns,” Beverly Hadland of Toronto warned Prince Edward Island listeners during a whirlwind lecture tour sponsored by PEI Right to Life. “The single most important factor leading to [...]
Over the last 20 years the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has tackled a large number of economic and political issues, both in and outside Canada, while by and large avoiding the ethical issues thrown up by the “permissive society” and its so called New Morality. Should this avoidance be questioned? Should it be recognized as a problem? If so, how [...]
Almost one year ago, a small group of people decided to do sidewalk counseling in front of the Vancouver General Hospital Surgical Day Care Centre, where thousands of abortions are performed every year. Wearing hand-made signs with photographs of unborn children and with messages such as “Stand Up for Your Unborn Child”; “Pregnant-Need Help?”; etc., these sidewalk counselors walk back and forth [...]
December 10 marked a sad anniversary. It was the third annual Prayer Vigil held in front of the Harbord Street abortuary in Toronto. Since it first opened, the abortuary has killed 10 000 babies. The 24-hour Vigil, organized by Campaign Life Coalition and the daily Witnesses for Life, attracted close to 1000 people. They came from as far away as North Bay, [...]
Birth Control Services in Public Schools: Condoning promiscuity? Conspiring against parents? Evading school law? Racist? You’ve been hearing a lot about “children having children.” You’ve seen TV spots of sad, pregnant little girls. If you’re like most people, you agree strongly that teen births must be discouraged. “Family planning professionals” say the solution is to let them put their clinics inside junior [...]
It would be a very safe bet that any secular magazine one reads these days will have something about AIDS on the front or at least the second page. Five years ago nobody-apart from the expert- knew the meaning of the word. AIDS was originally confined to homosexuals. Then it was discovered that it could be “caught” through heterosexual activity. And now [...]
Q: How would you define a pro-life activist? A: Somebody who believes very firmly in the value of human life and then does something about it. If you believe life is valuable, and you see life being destroyed randomly, you go out and try to stop that in a very positive and effective way. If you were being executed tomorrow, what would [...]
In early December, the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement in response to the drive of the provincial government to increase abortion facilities throughout Ontario. The current campaign gained momentum after the overwhelming Liberal electoral victory of September 1987 and the subsequent appointment of Elinor Caplan as Minister of Health. The planning for making abortion more widely available had begun [...]
The latest scheme by the Ontario Minister of Health to increase the number of abortions was unveiled in December. Health Minister Elinor Caplan announced that the province will spend $1.5 million to establish a giant abortion referral centre at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. The centre will be physically distinct from the rest of the hospital, located in a building across the [...]
A Candlelight Procession and Prayer Vigil which attracted almost 2000 participants indicated how pro-life forces in Peterborough have rallied against the proposal to provide expanded abortion facilities in the community. First came the announcement that the Board of Governors would meet to discuss the new abortion facility. This was thinly disguised under the title “Women’s Health Care Clinic.” Various pro-life groups, headed [...]