Why Alabama’s ruling that embryos are children could fuel anti-abortion movement in Canada

Decision also 'chilling' for people seeking IVF, says Canada Research Chair

Natalie Stechyson · CBC News
Feb 22, 2024

A decision by the Alabama Supreme Court that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law has some reproductive rights advocates and fertility law experts in Canada concerned about a potential ripple effect.

The worry isn't necessarily that a decision like the one in Alabama, that was issued in wrongful death cases brought by couples who had frozen embryos destroyed in an accident, could happen here, experts say.

Continued: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/alabama-court-embryos-1.7121293


Canada – Mysterious robocall survey polling Albertans on parental consent for abortions

Mark Villani and Brendan Ellis, CTV News
Feb. 2, 2024

A mysterious phone survey is making the rounds in Alberta, asking residents if minors should need parental consent to get an abortion -- but it's not clear who initiated the campaign. Many Albertans started receiving the call on Thursday night.

"Minors do not, however, require the consent of their parents to get an abortion in Alberta, nor is it required for parents to even be notified about their minor child's abortion," part of the pre-recorded message said.

Continued: https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/mysterious-robocall-survey-polling-albertans-on-parental-consent-for-abortions-1.6754063


Canada – Her obituary requested donations to an abortion clinic. It’s a final political act for some

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, a number of people have made donations to the pro-choice movement in Canada

Natalie Stechyson · CBC News
Posted: Jul 18, 2023

At first glance, Kathleen Dyer's obituary might seem like any other.

Beneath the photo of a smiling, older woman, we learn the basics: Dyer, who was living in Halifax, died on June 14 at age 84. She is survived by her husband, her son and his wife, and two sisters-in-law. But it's the third and final line that stands out: In lieu of flowers, Dyer asked for donations to the Nova Scotia Women's Choice Clinic.

The clinic, which performs medical and surgical abortions, doesn't know Dyer, except that she had once sent them a donation. And Dyer, who dedicated her life to supporting her husband and raising her children, wasn't a known abortion advocate.

Continued: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/abortion-donations-canada-1.6909124


35 years after Morgentaler, abortion still not available for all in Canada

Thirty five years after the landmark Morgentaler decision the fight continues to ensure that the right to abortion is accessible to all.

by Frederique Chabot and Jill Doctoroff
January 27, 2023

Abortion was decriminalized in Canada 35 years ago this Saturday, January 28. 36 years ago, if you wanted an abortion, it meant sitting in front of a panel of doctors, usually men, who would decide if your abortion was “necessary.” That is, if you could access such a hospital. Not all hospitals created those committees, effectively refusing to provide abortion care at all. If such a committee did deem your story good enough to warrant an abortion—many did not—delays could span weeks.

Today, the legal hurdles are gone, but access is still a privilege not everyone in Canada has, and another question looms: Could what happened in the U.S. happen here too?

Continued: https://rabble.ca/health/35-years-after-morgentaler-abortion-still-not-available-for-all-in-canada/


Canada has been facing an abortion pill shortage. Here’s what to know

By Rachel Gilmore  Global News
Posted December 16

Canada has been facing a shortage of its supply of Mifegymiso, the two-drug combination commonly known as the abortion pill, according to the manufacturer of the medication — though supplies are expected to become available next week.

People who can get pregnant have been unable to access the abortion pill in some parts of the country for the last two weeks, according to a spokesperson representing the pharmaceutical company Linepharma.

Continued: https://globalnews.ca/news/9354358/abortion-pill-shortage-mifegymiso-canada-access/


Abortion rights drove American expats to vote in midterms, say Democrats in Canada

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press
Nov 9, 2022

OTTAWA — A representative for Democrats Abroad says concern over the right to abortion was a motivating factor for those living outside the United States to vote in the country's midterm elections Tuesday.

Dianna English, who leads the Toronto chapter of the organization, says many people she spoke to were in "disbelief" that outlawing access to abortion was put back on the table this year.

Continued: https://kitchener.citynews.ca/national-news/abortion-rights-drove-american-expats-to-vote-in-midterms-say-democrats-in-canada-6079757


Canadian government urged to fast-track promise to tackle anti-abortionists

Trudeau’s party is accused of going silent on vow to strip charity status from groups that ‘deceive’ pregnant people

Annie Burns-Pieper, OpenDemocracy
2 August 2022

The Canadian government has been urged to finally fulfill its promise of ending charitable status for anti-abortion organisations accused of deceiving pregnant people by masquerading as ‘health centres’.

During its 2021 election campaign, the Liberal Party vowed to target groups “that provide dishonest counselling to women about their rights and about the options available to them at all stages of the pregnancy”.

Continued: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/canada-abortion-charity-status-crisis-pregnancy-centre-roe-v-wade-election/


Canada – Liberals urged to fulfill promise to cease funding to anti-abortion groups

Carly Weeks, Globe & Mail
July 11, 2022

Abortion rights advocacy groups are calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to defend reproductive rights in Canada by denying anti-abortion groups funding and revoking their charity status.

Dozens of crisis pregnancy centres and other anti-abortion groups received federal COVID-19 relief funds and continue to have tax exempt charity status. Mr. Trudeau has been highly critical of crisis pregnancy centres and has promised to revoke their charity status.

Continued: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canada-crisis-pregnancy-centres-charitable-status/


Faith and Access: The Conflict Inside Catholic Hospitals

Why should publicly funded hospitals get to limit access on religious grounds?

BY WENDY GLAUSER
Feb. 23, 2022 / MARCH-APRIL 2022 issue, Walrus Magazine

IN THE FALL OF 2020, Susan Camm was among a small group of employees touring a brand new seventeen-storey tower at St. Michael’s Hospital, in downtown Toronto. She liked the large single-patient rooms—a hallmark of modern hospital design—and the big windows that filled the space with sunshine. But something caught her eye: a brass crucifix on the wall. “I had an almost visceral reaction,” she recalls.

Camm, who was then a clinical manager at the hospital, had come across crucifixes at St. Michael’s before. But most had been taken down over the years. What shocked her is that the Christian symbols were in brand new rooms. This wasn’t a decision someone had made decades ago; it was one made in 2020. Later, when she had the chance to enter a patient room alone, she dragged a stool over to the crucifix, stood up, and tried to pull the figure off the wall. Unlike the ones in older rooms, it wasn’t simply hanging on a nail. She would have needed a chisel to pry it off.

Continued: https://thewalrus.ca/catholic-hospitals/


Canada – New Conservative MP Lewis to fight Liberal plan to axe charity status for anti-abortion pregnancy centres

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press

Thursday, November 25, 2021

OTTAWA -- Leslyn Lewis, in one of her first acts as an MP
on Parliament Hill, says she plans on inviting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to
a pregnancy centre that risks losing its charity status over opposing abortion.

The newly elected Ontario representative revealed her
plans to a recent crowd of demonstrators who gathered in Ottawa to rally
against the Liberal government's promise to remove charity status for
anti-abortion organizations.

Continued: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/new-conservative-mp-lewis-to-fight-liberal-plan-to-axe-charity-status-for-anti-abortion-pregnancy-centres-1.5681824