A new group organized by Baptist Minister Ken Campbell under the name “Choose Life Canada” has purchased half the building on Harbord Street, the other half of which is occupied by Henry Morgentaler’s abortion clinic.
Rev. Ken Campbell dedicated the site for the new group during a rally at People’s Church on Monday evening, March 11. Said Campbell: “Our approach is to stress the alternative. No one will be able to approach his door without being conscious that there is a civilized alternative to the cheap and violent alternative he’s proposing.”
The site will also be headquarters for a “national, confidential, toll-free reference service to put expectant mothers in despair in touch with life-offering counselling and support services across the country.” The training of volunteers for the 24 hour “hot line” counselling service will take some time and will be provided in part by Barbara Dowds of the Christian Action Council, which operates a pregnancy counseling service in North York (Metropolitan Toronto).
Morgentaler’s first reaction to a Toronto Star telephone interview was to describe Choose Life’s move as “distasteful low tactics.” “It seems to me,” he said “that it is rather a desperate move on the part of the anti-abortionists to prevent women from exercising their options to decide for themselves.” Morgentaler purchased his half of the building for about $250,000.
Rev. Ken Campbell is Minister of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Milton and also president of “Renaissance Canada” founded in 1973 to promote “traditional values in public education and public life.” In 1978 “Renaissance Canada” successfully fought against a homosexual candidate for Toronto’s Municipal Council. It claims 15,000 supporters across Canada. Rev. Campbell has opposed offensive books in school libraries and most recently protested the appearance of rock star Prince.
AdeV
