Election watch in Nova Scotia
HALIFAX- Pro-life groups are monitoring a possible fall provincial election. The Liberal government of John (Doc) Savage remains relatively popular with the electorate. There is some speculation however, that Savage may be replaced as party leader by candidate more favorable to the pro-life position. The opposition Conservatives are struggling to offer a viable alternative to Nova Scotia voters. Meanwhile, Campaign Life Coalition Nova Scotia has been busy lobbying leadership candidates regarding pro-life, pro-family issues.
PEI to host 1997 conference
CHARLOTTETOWN- The Charlottetown Right to Life Association is already making plans to host the 1997 National Pro-Life Conference June 26-28, 1997 on the campus of the University of Prince Edward Island. Although details are not final, the conference will celebrate Prince Edward Island as a “life sanctuary,” due to its status as the only jurisdiction in North America without an abortion clinic. PEI Right to Life president Vince McIntyre said while the absence of abortion and assisted suicide in other provinces.
Feminists threaten free speech
SUDBURY- A pro-life feature section included in a recent issue of the Laurentian University newspaper has caused an uproar among local feminists. The campus Women’s Centre reacted to the insert by carrying out a campaign to destroy all of the 3,400 copies of the newspaper in which the pro-life information appeared. A feminist group falsely accused the hugely successful She’s A Child Not a Choice supplement of using scare tactics, such as showing an aborted fetus, to spread the pro-life message. The information in the supplement was conveyed using graphs and articles. Later, even some abortion advocates conceded the feminist action was a violation of free speech.
Exhibition a pro-life affair
WINNIPEG- The League for Life of Manitoba again brought a pro-life message to this year’s Red River Exhibition June 20-28 in Winnipeg. The league distributed information on fetal development, alternatives to abortion and assorted pro-life material to hundreds of exhibition visitors. League president Pat Soenen said the information booth drew a generally positive response from passerby. Only a few visitors reacted unfavorably, she said. Soenen paid tribute to League for Life volunteers for their work in bringing the pro-life message to the marketplace.
NDP victory raises questions
ABBOTSFORS, B.C.- Pro-life forces were dealt a severe setback as Premier Glen Clark’s pro-abortion NDP scored a surprise victory in the May 28 provincial election. Calling the result an unexpected disappointment, B.C. Family Coalition Party President Kathleen Toth asked what happened to the pro-life vote. After the FCP garnered only 4,000 votes in 14 ridings, Toth wondered if there is a pro-life constituency to count on in the future. Despite the loss, B.C. pro-lifers say they will continue to be active in defending the rights of the unborn. The next major challenge will be to see that the recently struck down bubble zone law protecting abortuaries isn’t reinstated after an upcoming government appeal. The case is expected to be heard in the early summer. The bubble zone law restricted pro-life witnessing around the province’s abortion clinics and hospitals. Pro-lifers fought the law on the grounds that it violated freedom of speech and religion guarantees in the Canadian Charter of Rights.
Archbishop promotes chastity
VANCOUVER- In the recent Pro-Life Sunday pastoral message, Vancouver Roman Catholic Archbishop Adam Exner called upon the faithful to practice chastity as a means to empower the pro-life mission. Declaring sexuality to be “a key part of God’s plan,” Exner warned young people not to be deceived by the false messages of the world which equate freedom with self-indulgence. Similarly, married couples were told not to impede the creation of life through the use of artificial contraception, but rather to honor their sexual identities by using natural family planning. He concluded his address by praying that God would strengthen the virtue of chastity in all of his people.