The Not In My Backyard-NIMBY-syndrome is stopping the expansion of a United Church sponsored home for single mothers in Toronto.

Victor Home has been located in a mostly residential section of Metro Toronto since 1948.  It now houses 18 low-income women and four children.  Proposed expansion plans called for building townhouses which would house up to 66 mothers and children.

East York council refused to approve the plans as submitted, approving instead to a  motion which would force the Home to move onto a busy thoroughfare and build a higher-density multi-story design.

Neighbours cited fear of increased traffic, security problems and lack of privacy in opposing the plan.

Nicole Goes Home

Ottawa – After more than ten years in hospital, Nicole Suitter returned to her parents’ home in the Ottawa suburb of Manotick one day last December.  Now 34, she has been a paraplegic since an abortion and sterilization operation went wrong in September 1978.

Pornography

Toronto – A Gallup poll released on December 14, 1988, indicates that the number of Canadians who believe that all pornography should be banned is on the increase.  To the question “Do you think that explicit pornography, which does not involve children, violence or degradation, should be allowed or not?, 60 per cent answered no.  In 1986, the percentage was 46 and 1985 it was 37 per cent.  There was no explanation for the increase.

Ontario Labour Federation

At the end of November 1988, the Ontario Federation of Labour reaffirmed its practice of promoting abortion as part of its equality policy, but not without a fight.  Several courageous pro-lifers spoke out including Vince Vadacchino, a Welland delegate from Ontario Public Service Employees Union, had the courage to get up and challenge the proposal as “sectarian, divisive and a moral issue which had nothing to do with labour issues.”

Hard-nosed feminists demanded that the policy remain.  Their arguments in favour of killing the pre-born included the bellowed observations by former president Clifford Pilkey to the men in the audience (the vast majority) that “Until you can bear children, it’s not your issue.”