Across Canada

CALGARY – Canadian Physicians for Life is calling on the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta to verify its allegations that women are being “bullied” by pro-life physicians. The college wrote letters to all doctors in the province, “reminding” them that they must inform pregnant women of all their treatment options. That raised the hackles of Dr. Will Johnston, secretary-treasurer of Canadian Physicians for Life, who said “independent medical professionals have no duty to refer anyone to anyone when the referral would violate the conscience and medical good judgment of the professional.”

Public money to pro-aborts

VANCOUVER – The attorney-general in B.C.’s scandal-plagued provincial government is being asked to resign after it was found that $25,000 in public money was given to the B.C. Pro-Choice Action Network, a pro-abortion political group during 1998-99. According to Ted Gerk of the Pro-Life Resource Centre, the Ministry of the Attorney-General gave $10,000, the Ministry of Health $5,000 and the Ministry of Women’s Equality $10,000. “The funding by the government of a political activist organization is unbelievable,” said Gerk. “This government, and this attorney-general, are incapable of neutrality … We call upon B.C.’s attorney-general to resign.”

Lawsuit filed over sex-ed

NORTH BATTLEFORD, Sask. – Parents have launched a lawsuit against a Catholic school board to stop the implementation of a sex education program they say is harmful and violates their rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The program in question, Fully Alive, was developed in Ontario and is used there as well as in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The lawyer for the parents says the early sex ed embodied in the course can lead to promiscuity and homsexuality, but the school board’s director of education defends the course, noting that it has the blessing of the Catholic bishops of Saskatchewan and is faithful to Church teachings in areas abstinence and extra-marital sex.

Group jumps to Day’s defence

EDMONTON – The Canada Family Action Coalition has jumped to the defence of Alberta’s provincial treasurer, Stockwell Day, who has been sued for $600,000 for defamation for writing a letter to the editor against child pornography, and is being pilloried in the media for using public money for his defence. CFAC says the published version of the letter in question was excerpted out of context, and Day is using for his legal bills “a separate, fully funded and actuarially established insurance plan” available to all employees of the Alberta government.

Late abortions investigated

VANCOUVER – B.C. Health Minister Dennis Cocke says he will personally investigate reports that some hospitals have aborted preborn children more than five months old, including one baby girl at Vancouver General Hospital several months ago. The Vancouver Sun obtained a confidential record of the case, which found the baby was born alive and lived for 24 hours. Meanwhile, a local politician said she has learned that within the last year, a five-month-old preborn baby was born alive at Burnaby General Hospital and lived for four hours.

Murder charge dismissed

TORONTO – A judge has dismissed a second-degree murder charge laid against a Toronto nurse after a deformed, newly born infant died in her arms in June 1998. According to a fellow nurse, Gita Proudman had said, “I did it. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I prevented the baby from taking another breath.” But in court, the Crown said there was a lack of evidence to secure a conviction.