Canada – Legal challenge on N.B. abortion access is over

Canadian Civil Liberties Association officially drops lawsuit after November repeal of ban on clinic funding

CBC News
Jan 13, 2025

A lawsuit against the New Brunswick government over access to abortion is officially over.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has discontinued the legal action that was intended to force the province to fund procedural abortions in clinics outside hospitals.

The case was launched four years ago but became redundant on Nov. 7, when newly elected Premier Susan Holt announced her cabinet had repealed a section of a provincial regulation that prevented funding clinic abortions.

Continued: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/legal-challenge-on-n-b-abortion-access-is-over-1.7430097

13.01.2025

News

Canadian Civil Liberties Association

Canada – ‘History in the making,’ says New Brunswick abortion provider on repeal of restrictive abortion regulation

Holt repeals ban on Medicare-funded abortions outside hospitals

by Tracy Glynn
November 7, 2024

In front of an audience of abortion providers and advocates, Premier Susan Holt announced the end of a regulation that for decades restricted access to abortions in New Brunswick.

Until today, New Brunswick was unique in Canada for having a regulation that restricted procedural abortion services to hospital settings.

Continued: https://nbmediacoop.org/2024/11/07/history-in-the-making-says-new-brunswick-abortion-provider-on-repeal-of-restrictive-abortion-regulation/

Canada – N.B. medical groups call for greater abortion access following Clinic 554 closure

By Silas Brown Global News
February 5, 2024

Some medical groups are calling on the provincial government to expand access to surgical abortions following the closure of Clinic 554.

Dr. Amanda Black, the president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, says that it’s unacceptable to leave large swaths of the province without local access to surgical abortion procedures. “It shouldn’t depend on what part of the country you live in, all individuals in Canada should have access to certain levels of reproductive care,” she said.

Continued: https://globalnews.ca/news/10273741/clinic-554-closure-medical-groups/

05.02.2024

News

Blaine Higgs

Canadian Civil Liberties Association

New Brunswick Medical Society

Shannon Hardy

Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada

Canada

Health

Human Rights

Things have to change: New Brunswick can no longer ignore its responsibility with regards to abortion access

by Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick.
February 2, 2024

Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick (RFNB) is devastated to learn of the definitive closure of Fredericton’s Clinic 554. Yesterday, outside the New Brunswick Legislature, Dr. Adrian Edgar announced that, due to the doubling of the clinic’s rent and the lack of public funding, his team would no longer be able to provide abortion services, effective immediately. In addition to an entire region being denied access to essential health care, this event highlights the current government’s misogynistic and classist legislation.

We call on all New Brunswick politicians to take responsibility for guaranteeing universal, free, safe and bilingual access to abortion care for all pregnant people! Things have to change.

Continued: https://nbmediacoop.org/2024/02/02/things-have-to-change-new-brunswick-can-no-longer-ignore-its-responsibility-with-regards-to-abortion-access-commentary/

Canada – How Provinces are using a decades-old legal tool to create hospital “bubble zones”

By Emily Chan, Canadian Civil Liberties Assoc.
April 14, 2022

In 1995, British Columbia became the first province in Canada to introduce a law creating “safe access zones” – commonly called “bubble zones” – around facilities related to providing abortion services.

Nearly three decades later, provinces are drawing from the same toolbox to create bubble zones around other healthcare facilities, following widespread protests against COVID-19 safety measures.

In light of these developments, here is a look at what bubble zones are, how they originated, and why there’s renewed interest in them today.

Continued: https://ccla.org/get-informed/talk-rights/how-provinces-are-using-a-decades-old-legal-tool-to-create-hospital-bubble-zones/

14.04.2022

Commentary

Featured

Access to Abortion Services Act

anti-choice terrorism

anti-choice violence

bubble zones

buffer zones

Canadian Civil Liberties Association

Covid-19 safety measures

As Texas abortion battle rages, Liberals take aim at access issues — a move that’s left New Brunswick advocates confused

By Steve McKinley, Halifax Bureau
Thu., Sept. 2, 2021

When the Liberal Party of Canada released its platform on Wednesday, one paragraph might have seemed particularly pointed to New Brunswickers.

“A re-elected Liberal government will: Establish
regulations under the Canada Health Act governing accessibility for sexual and
reproductive health services so there is no question, that no matter where
someone lives, that they have access to publicly available sexual and
reproductive health services,” reads the Liberal platform.

Continued: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/09/02/as-texas-abortion-battle-rages-liberals-take-aim-at-access-issues-here-a-move-thats-left-new-brunswick-advocates-confused.html

Canada – Liberals look to push abortion as election wedge issue despite O’Toole’s pro-choice stance

Abortion is one of the key political issues where the Liberals want to distinguish themselves from the Conservatives

Anja Karadeglija
Sep 01, 2021

The Liberals are pledging to update the Canada Health Act to regulate access to abortion services across the country and to use federal health transfers as leverage to ensure provinces abide by the new rules.

The new regulations would mean “there is no question, that no matter where someone lives, that they have access to publicly available sexual and reproductive health services,” states the party’s election platform, released Wednesday.

Continued: https://www.northernnews.ca/news/politics/liberals-attempt-to-push-abortion-as-election-wedge-issue-despite-otooles-pro-choice-stance

01.09.2021

Featured

News

Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada

Blaine Higgs

Canada Health Act

Canadian Civil Liberties Association

New Brunswick health authority says ‘no need’ to increase abortion services

By Silas Brown, Global News
July 28, 2021

New Brunswick’s English language health authority says its current level of abortion service is adequate.

A letter sent by Horizon CEO Karen McGrath to the province’s deputy health minister says that demand for surgical abortions at their Moncton clinic are falling and that they aren’t receiving requests for abortion services elsewhere, other than in the Fredericton area.

Continued: https://globalnews.ca/news/8066634/horizon-abortion-services-n-b-adequate/

Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland visits Clinic 554 in Fredericton

By Nathalie Sturgeon Global News
Posted July 23, 2021

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland visited Clinic 554 in Fredericton as part of a two-stop tour of the province with MP Jenica Atwin.

Freeland met with clinic staff and discussed the services they provide. They also talked about the struggles the clinic has faced with some of its critical services.

Continued: https://globalnews.ca/news/8056101/deputy-pm-visits-fredericton-clinic-554/

Canada – Deputy PM promises new measures to push New Brunswick to fund abortion clinic

Ottawa first threatened to punish the province in 2019 for its refusal to fund abortions done at Clinic 554

Jacques Poitras · CBC News
Posted: Jul 23, 2021

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Friday that the federal government will announce "in the coming days" how it plans to ensure public funding for abortions at Fredericton's Clinic 554.

Freeland said Ottawa remains committed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's promise two years ago that he would "ensure" the province funded the procedure at the clinic.

Continued: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/chrystia-freeland-abortion-new-brunswick-1.6114863