ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Politics

    • Thousands attend annual anti-abortion rally on Parliament Hill

    Share
    OTTAWA -

    Thousands of anti-abortion demonstrators descended on Parliament Hill Thursday, as a leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft decision brings renewed attention to the issue on both sides of the border.

    "How about that Roe v. Wade decision? Are you stoked? I am," said Jeff Gunnarson, national president of anti-abortion group Campaign Life Coalition.

    Gunnarson spoke to the crowd, referencing the draft decision that would overturn the landmark 1973 case in the U.S. on abortion rights.

    "They're not. They're nervous," he said, gesturing to the dozens of abortion rights advocates who counter-protested at the margins of the rally.

    James Schadenberg said while he would have come out to the rally regardless, he hopes the leaked decision will bring encourage Canada's politicians to bring a law to prevent abortion and "protect the right to life."

    Fellow anti-abortion protester Valerie Luetke said the situations in Canada and the U.S. are "certainly different."

    “They're trying to strike down the Roe v. Wade abortion law in the States. But here we don't have a law, so we're trying to build a law. So it's definitely different circumstances."

    Anti-abortion demonstrators held signs that said "I regret my abortion," and "love life, choose life."

    Meanwhile, counter-demonstrators carried placards reading "abortion is health care" and "keep your laws off my body."

    Jaisie Walker, executive director for Planned Parenthood Ottawa, said the organization wanted to make sure its presence was extra powerful this year.

    "Our goal for the day is to build solidarity amongst the folks who come here today," said Walker, adding the group was there to share information and "support reproductive justice."

    Attendees in religious attire were present at the March for Life rally and many speakers made references to Christianity.

    "Life is very important. It's a gift from God, the life we have," said Gaetana Nicola, who said she has been coming to the annual rally for a long time.

    The Liberals promised last fall to bring in new regulations solidifying abortion access as a requirement for federal funding under the Canada Health Act, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week raised the spectre of enshrining abortion rights in legislation instead. That could make it more difficult for future governments to make adjustments.

    Asked Thursday what factors are being weighed in considering whether to legislate, Trudeau said the most important one is that "every woman in Canada should have a full access to legal, safe abortion services, and reproductive health services wherever she is in the country."

    He said the government also wants to assure that gains are not rolled back by future governments or court decisions, and discussions are taking place on the best way to do that.

    "Maybe it's legislation, maybe it's not legislation, maybe it's leaving it in the hands of the Canadian Medical Association that has ensured governance over these procedures for a long time," he said.

    The subject of abortion was broached during the Conservative leadership debate on Wednesday, where every candidate except recently elected Ontario MP Leslyn Lewis said they either supported the right to choose an abortion or would not introduce legislation on abortion as prime minister.

    Longtime MP Pierre Poilievre stated that a government led by him wouldn't pass or introduce legislation restricting access to abortion.

    Jean Charest, Quebec's former premier, said he supports abortion rights, and called Poilievre's answer insufficient, saying that Canadian women deserved to know where he stood.

    Poilievre later said he believes in freedom of choice and would allow free votes from his caucus. He also laid into Charest's own record, noting that the former Progressive Conservative MP voted for a law that would have recriminalized abortion in 1990.

    "Whoever the new leader is, the issue is going to come up in the election,†said Scott Hayward, co-founder of RightNow, a organization that works to elect anti-abortion candidates.

    “Whether they want to talk about inflation the whole time or not, it's gonna come up and they have to have an answer.â€

    Lewis is the only one who takes it on and "doesn't look like you're trying to hide from something," Hayward added.

    Ottawa police advised those travelling downtown Thursday to expect traffic disruptions, and notify they would carry out rolling road closures ahead of the demonstration.

    Vehicles are still not allowed on Wellington Street between Bank Street and Elgin Street, after the “Freedom Convoy†protest that gridlocked downtown Ottawa for several weeks in February.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 12, 2022.

    —â¶Ä”â¶Ä”

    This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship..

    Correction

    An earlier version referred to an anti-abortion group as Canadian Life Coalition.

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

    A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

    Top Hezbollah commander among 12 killed in Israeli strike on Beirut

    Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander and several members of the group's elite Radwan unit in an airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday, the Israeli military and a security source in Lebanon said, sharply escalating the year-long conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed group.

    Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

    The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

    Canada

    • For the last seven-and-half months, Toronto resident Heather McArthur has been living out what she describes as her 'worst nightmare.' On Feb. 7, her then three-year-old son Jacob along with his father Loc Phu 'Jay' Le departed for what was supposed to be a week-long visit to Vietnam to celebrate the Lunar New Year with family, McArthur says.

    • Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

    • Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    • Two people emerged unhurt after a float plane had a hard landing late Friday morning on Lake Temiskaming.

    • A field trip aimed at educating Toronto students about the plight of a northern Ontario First Nation ended with them taking part in a protest where pro-Palestinian slogans were shouted.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    • Viewers of Jeopardy got a chance to test their knowledge of trivia about B.C.'s biggest city Wednesday night.

    • Lawyers representing the producers of 'Russians at War' say they may pursue legal action against Ontario's public broadcaster for pulling support for the controversial documentary amid outcry from the Ukrainian community and some Canadian politicians.

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    Sports

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • The Winnipeg Jets have some huge holes to fill on both offence and defence this season.

    Autos

    • An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

    • Video of a brazen daylight auto theft which shows a suspect running over a victim in a stolen luxury SUV has been released by police west of Toronto.

    Local Spotlight

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

    David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

    Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.

    • Thousands of protesters are expected to march into downtown Vancouver on Friday, demanding more action from their government to address the growing climate crisis.

    • Members of the only organized support group for the Vancouver Canucks are feeling slighted after losing their usual space at Rogers Arena.

    • There have been more reports of a Bitcoin extortion scam seeking to exploit viewers of "adult content" in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, according to the RCMP.

    • The Ford government is considering restricting Ontario municipalities from installing new bike lanes that would require the removal of lanes of traffic, a source confirms to CTV News Toronto.

    • For the last seven-and-half months, Toronto resident Heather McArthur has been living out what she describes as her 'worst nightmare.' On Feb. 7, her then three-year-old son Jacob along with his father Loc Phu 'Jay' Le departed for what was supposed to be a week-long visit to Vietnam to celebrate the Lunar New Year with family, McArthur says.

    • A field trip aimed at educating Toronto students about the plight of a northern Ontario First Nation ended with them taking part in a protest where pro-Palestinian slogans were shouted.

    • Defence counsel for accused murderer John-Christopher Arrizza argues he was in an “altered state of mind†due to days of drug and alcohol use, sleep deprivation and not eating, when he fatally stabbed a man at a Banff nightclub in 2022.

    • The Calgary Food Bank’s city-wide food drive reaches its 20-year milestone this Saturday.

    • Calgary pickleball players will soon have a dozen new courts to play on.

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • Ottawa Fire Services says a driver has been safely extricated after being trapped following a two-vehicle collision near a high school in the city’s south end.

    • The Ottawa Police Service Arson Unit is seeking witnesses to a fire that happened early Friday morning in a two-storey commercial building in Little Italy.

    • The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

    • The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

    • A man who asserted his right to work in French has won his case before the Tribunal, invoking the new provisions of the province's French-language law (Bill 96) to that effect.

    • Mounties say there was an increased police presence in the Emerald Hills area of Sherwood Park on Friday morning as officers searched for a man who is wanted by police.

    • Edmonton police say a man who was died in the river valley last weekend was fatally shot.

    • DEVELOPING

      DEVELOPING

      Edmonton police are warning about traffic disruptions on Friday near the headquarters of the Alberta Teachers' Association, where a protest against the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in school curricula will be taking place.

    • A Nova Scotia woman has applied for a medically assisted death, saying after years of battling to receive out-of-country surgery for an illness that causes 'indescribable' pain, she struggles to maintain the will to live.

    • The families of some students who will be using Nova Scotia’s school lunch program can now order their meals online.

    • Gas prices increased in all three Maritime provinces for the first time in more than a month.

    • The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) has made an arrest following a fire that claimed the lives of two people.

    • Shamattawa RCMP are searching for a missing six-year-old boy who hasn’t been seen since Wednesday morning.

    • A Winnipeg pet rescue is putting out a warning to dog owners across the city about a possible parvovirus in the province.

    • Driving into the tunnels of Nutrien's Rocanville mine, the largest potash mine in the world by production volume, feels like driving down a lonely highway in the middle of the night.

    • A tornado in Langbank, Sask. on Wednesday was the third latest in the province on record, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

    • The second-degree murder trial of Thomas Hamp is being adjourned until December so an expert witness central to the trial can testify.

    • Levels of hydrogen sulfide gas are being monitored after a leak in Brantford Collegiate Institute’s geothermal system.

    • Guelph resident, Susan Bard, is being remembered as a vibrant community advocate and volunteer who died doing what she loved – cycling.

    • Emergency services responded to a vehicle fire Friday morning in the area of Samuelson Street in Cambridge.

    • The second-degree murder trial of Thomas Hamp is being adjourned until December so an expert witness central to the trial can testify.

    • A 69-year-old woman from Outlook, Saskatchewan is dead and three people are injured after a truck and SUV collided on Highway 15 on Thursday.

    • A gym teacher at a private Christian school in Saskatoon has been charged. Terra MacEwan, 44, is charged with assault with a weapon. A Saskatoon mother who spoke with CTV News says her autistic son was MacEwan's victim.

    • Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

    • Two people emerged unhurt after a float plane had a hard landing late Friday morning on Lake Temiskaming.

    • Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    • The Elgin Community Health Hub, operated by the Thames Valley Family Health Team, is accepting new patients to a model where doctors are rarely seen.

    • Members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and supportetrs greatly outnumbered the people attending a '1 Million March 4 Children' event along Central Avenue.

    • Today, the 71 year old is marking 50 years a paramedic. He said he never aspired to move into management or a desk job, he enjoys being on the road, helping patients too much.

    • Two men from Barrie have been charged after a deadly shooting at a park in Keswick on Wednesday.

    • Police are investigating after they say several firearms and other valuables were stolen from a home in Tiny Township.

    • A truck driver from Orillia is proof that saying yes to Encore can pay off in a big way.

    • Windsor police say a 25-year-old mother has been charged with the drowning death of her 5-year-old child in the family’s backyard pool.

    • Windsor fire is on scene at an incident on McDougall Street.

    • On Thursday, just after 9:30 a.m., a man was found and taken to police headquarters, where he was released with conditions and a future court date.

    • In a rare move, the Greater Victoria School District Board of Education has been slapped with a ministerial order from the province requiring it to update a student safety plan – drawing concern around political posturing leading up to an election.

    • Getting a bed at one of British Columbia's drug detoxification facilities is like winning the lottery, the vice-president on the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council says.

    • The Union of B.C. Municipalities is asking the provincial government to make transit free for teenagers.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • A Vulcan, Alta., man has been charged with a Lethbridge woman's murder after her body was found in the Oyen area.

    • A Lethbridge couple got a good reminder as to why you should keep your vehicle doors locked at all times.

    • Lethbridge residents who live near the police range can expect to hear plenty of shots fired Wednesday and Thursday.

    • A new community health profile in the Algoma District shows the area is significantly below provincial averages in a number of health metrics.

    • North Bay Police Service says one person has died following an industrial accident at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission Rail Yard on Tuesday.

    • Three northern Ontario residents are charged with drug trafficking after the vehicle they were in got stuck along a bush road off Highway 17 on Monday.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow CTV News