The pro-life movement of Canada sponsored a March for Life on May 14 in Winnipeg in commemoration of 30 years of legalized abortion in Canada. The purpose of the march was two-fold: to commemorate the loss of more than two million preborn Canadians since abortion was legalized in 1969, and to raise public awareness regarding the abortion situation in Canada.
Some 500 pro-lifers attended this event, which started off at the Federal Law Courts building. Participants from numerous towns outside Winnipeg had driven in for the occasion, some sponsored by Knights of Columbus councils. The number was boosted by the presence of an entire parish high school.
The march was led by a funeral procession, with a small casket and two wreaths. This was followed by 30 high schoolers, carrying 30 crosses which depicted each year of legalized abortion, as well as the image of a broken heart. Each cross also bore the number of abortions committed in the year it represented. A dozen “Precious-Life Quilts” made by pro-lifers from across the province were carried, and the procession was followed by a huge throng of people.
A permit had been obtained for this event, and the Winnipeg police did a wonderful job of guiding the procession safely on its route. After a wreath-laying ceremony at St. Mary’s Cathedral led by Isabel Martinez-Welgan, the president of the Winnipeg League for Life, the march continued on to the provincial legislature building, where speeches were given by local pro-life leaders.
Anna Desilets, acting manager of Alliance for Life, recounted the stages by which Canada arrived at its present situation, while Fr. Michael Winn of the Ukrainian Catholic archeparchy of Winnipeg, gave a powerful talk regarding the spiritual battle involved in combatting abortion. Niel Slykerman, president of Campaign Life Coalition Manitoba, then urged everyone to keep fighting the good fight of changing the culture of death into a culture of life, so that future generations of Canadians will be thankful to each and every one of us for carrying the pro-life banner into the next millennium.