Thunder Bay City Council has repeatedly said that it would not fund groups involved on either side of the abortion issue. It has.
Thunder Bay City Council has repeatedly said that it cannot take a stand on the abortion issue. It has.
Each year Thunder Bay City Council sets aside a parcel of public money to be allocated into grants given to various local organizations. An administrative body reviews each application and then makes recommendations to the Council on approval and amounts. The actual decision on funding is then made by elected members of Council.
Based on projections of tight budget restrictions over the next three years, council warned they would enter funding deliberations with a fiscally conservative view.
Nevertheless, in spite of their pledge of financial restraint, Council overrode administration’s recommendation of a $10,000 grant to the Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre, and voted a $20,000 gift of taxpayers’ money to the centre. At the same time, an application by Thunder Bay Right to Life for $3,000 was rejected. The rationale used was that City Council had decided not to fund any group involved on either side of the abortion issue.
That the Women’s Centre is aggressively and actively involved in the abortion issue is beyond refute. Not only do they publicly promote abortion, they are participants in the process through abortion counseling and referral. They also provide an abortion escort service to women from outlying communities who come to Thunder Bay for abortions. When Right to Life makes a presentation in the schools, representatives of the Women’s Centre are often invited to follow and give the pro-abortion view to maintain a “balance” for the students. Material picked up at the centre defends abortion and lesbianism, promotes the lesbian archives and resource centre, refers to “religious and anti-choice groups led by their clown prince, Joe Borowski,” promotes a booklet (funded by the Secretary of State) which “is a guide to women seeking office at the municipal level,” and refers to babies killed by abortion as “fetal tissue.” Yet, they insist they are not involved in the abortion issue, the City Council believes it!
In the ratification process on grant decisions, Alderman Sterling Lysnes introduced a motion, seconded by Alderman Peter Krause, to take $5,000 of the $20,000 grant going to the N.W. Ontario Women’s Centre and divert it to Right to Life. In the ensuing discussion, Alderman Betty Kennedy, a well-known abortion supporter, opposed any money going to Right to Life on the grounds that no funding should be given to any group involved in the abortion controversy. Despite her direct links and involvement with the Board of the Women’s Centre, she stated that abortion had no relationship to the centre.
Alderman Dusty Miller, a former mayor and former NDP candidate, also well-known for her pro-abortion views, stated that council should not take a stand on the issue. Only minutes earlier, Miller had defended the application of a social planning group by saying, “it may rub some of us the wrong way from time to time,” but added that conclusions about social issues was the job of an advocacy group. This same generosity of spirit was not extended to Right to Life because its “advocacy” role became anathema to Miller and her colleagues.
Alderman Joe Vanderwees thrives on his public image as a populist and defender of the little people. A hearty and personable immigrant who, through honest, hard work and diligence, built a thriving nursery and green house business, Vanderwees symbolizes the rich ethnic diversity of Thunder Bay. A devout Christian, he presents himself to pro-lifers as a man who shares their views. Only brief moments earlier, speaking in defence of another group, Vanderwees spoke most eloquently about social justice and appealed to the conscience of council. In addressing the issue of Right to Life funding, he opened his remarks by stating, “Council should not be the conscience of the people.” He affirmed the position that the city should not take a stand on abortion or fund any group which does. He concluded by saying the (pro-abortion) “Women’s Centre deserves that money.”
Alderman John Ranta, a 24 year old newcomer with burning political ambition. Was the Liberal candidate in the last provincial election. Ranta also likes to cultivate the belief that he is sympathetic to pro-life views. He said the women’s centre was not an advocacy group on the abortion issue and did not provide abortion counseling. He also stated the Women’s Centre is not pro-abortion, but is pro-choice because it presents both sides of the issue.
The alderman who seconded the motion, Peter Krause, was then given the opportunity to speak. His only contribution to council’s debate on the issue was a terse, “no comment.” He voted against the motion he had seconded. Krause, a man who publicly prides himself for his consistency, later explained his flip-flop by saying, “I just wanted to see it put on the table. It became obvious to me what the direction of this council was.” So, he went with the flow and voted accordingly.
The last speaker on the motion was the alderman who had introduced it, Sterling Lysnes. Although he could be expected to vigorously defend his own motion, Lysnes did not do so. He said it was good to hear all is well with the Women’s Centre and that he had introduced the motion only because “it does no harm to raise it.”
With that, the motion to take the $5,000 from the $20,000 going to the women’s Centre and divert it to Right to Life was soundly defeated. Thunder Bay right to Life is presently preparing an appeal of the decision to deny them funding. Council’s decision on the appeal will be final and binding. Regarding the abortion-activist Women’s Centre, their $20,000 grant is now secured. City tax money will again be used to promote abortion advocacy, abortion escort, abortion counseling and abortion referral. Public money will again be used to facilitate the killing of preborn babies in Thunder Bay hospitals.
City taxes are expected to go up again this year.
