CHARLOTTETOWN – The 1997 National Pro-Life Convention will be held in Prince Edward Island June 26-28. It will be the first such event held here since 1988.

“This conference celebrates the sanctity of life, so it is very fitting to hold it in this Sanctuary of Life – the only abortion-free province in Canada,” says provincial president Vincent McIntyre. “It will uplift, encourage and strengthen all of us for continuing this ever-expanding battle.”

There will, in fact, be three concurrent conventions, with a shared opening speaker and a joint closing banquet.

Campaign Life Coalition, the political arm of the movement, will focus on politics and political strategies. The Alliance for Life convention will address education, development and training of pro-life members. Voices for Life, the dynamic PEI young pro-life group, will host the youth conference.

“PEI now has an Acadian chapter, and at this convention at least two sessions will be offered in French. We hope this will be an added attraction for Acadians throughout Eastern Canada, and for French speaking members from Quebec,” says McIntyre.

One of the confirmed speakers is Dr. Joel Brind of Baruch College, City University of New York. His research on the link between abortion and breast cancer, published in the British medical journal The Lancet catapulted him into the international limelight.

The mere possibility of such a link is currently so unpopular, that many efforts are being made to discredit his research.

Another speaker will be the always thought-provoking Father Tom Lynch of Toronto, who has spoken at chastity conferences here and has many fans among Prince Edward Island youth.

The conference will be held at the newly refurbished campus of the University of Prince Edward Island. Accommodations are available on campus and nearby.