The annual Canadian National Pro-Life Conference held at the Delta Hotel in Winnipeg October 14-16, 2004 was hosted by League for Life in Manitoba and sponsored by LifeCanada and Campaign Life Coalition. Approximately 300 people registered to hear a variety of excellent, knowledgeable speakers. Of these, 45 were young medical students from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, whose attendance was sponsored by Canadian Physicians for Life.

Thursday’s agenda included the Annual General Meetings for Campaign Life Coalition and LifeCanada.

At the Campaign Life Coalition AGM, Jim Hughes, President, announced that the Joe Borowski biography is now available for sale. He also warned that another election could well take place within the next year. John Henry Watson of LifeSite reported that this past May the web site received 6,000 hits. It was also noted that the Globe and Mail and the National Post use LifeSite as a reliable information source.

What follows are some highlights from a sampling of conference sessions:

Joanne Byfield– Opening Address

Joanne, newly elected President of LifeCanada, lamented how unfortunate it is that pro-life stories are not reported in the mainstream media. “The media is our record for all time,” she said, implying that history is not being accurately recorded for future generations.

Joanne was also pleased to present the findings of the national poll conducted by Environics for LifeCanada.

Vic Toews, MP (Provencher)

Mr. Toews’ talk was entitled “Impact of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the Ability to Legislate.” He stated that he is not opposed to the Charter as such but is opposed to how the judicial system acts on it. “Parliament,” he said, “is limited in its ability to act because of judicial activism.”

Mr. Toews also affirmed that the current government is getting the courts to make political decisions; decisions that should be made by elected parliamentarians. He advised the delegates that like-minded organizations should work together to present a common front regarding issues on which they can agree.

Robert Merrifield, MP (Yellowhead)

As a member of the Health Committee, Mr. Merrifield was closely involved in the review of the federal government’s draft bill on reproductive technologies and was the official opposition’s lead spokesman for the parliamentary examination of Bill C6, “An Act Respecting Assisted Human Reproduction and Related Research.” In his presentation entitled “Ethical Shift in the 21st Century – A Political Perspective,” Mr. Merrifield focused on Bill C6, outlining his frustration in being unable to improve “this flawed piece of legislation.” The problem with this Bill is that it does not respect human life as it allows for embryonic stem cell research (ESCR).

Merrifield said that with the allowance of the creation of human life for experimentation Canada has made an “important and disserving ethical shift in this nation.” He said, “This nation was founded on the principles of respect of human life and if we change that ethic to the place where we are prepared to destroy life solely for the purpose of betterment of others, then we have never gone there as a nation before. That really doesn’t come down to an ethical standard but to a mathematical equation. If we reduce our ethic in this nation to math I fear where we will go as a nation.”

Regulations governing this Bill are currently being processed. However, our ability to impact these regulations is limited because the Health Minister must approve the regulations.

Cristina Alarcon – “Death by Prescription: Warring Perspectives on the Morning After Pill”

Cristina is coordinator for Pharmacists for Life in British Columbia and front-store manager of a Medicine Centre pharmacy in Vancouver. For four years she has been speaking out publicly on the truth about so-called ‘emergency contraception’ and on the need for Conscience Law legislation in Canada for pharmacists (and all health care workers).

In her presentation she reiterated that the ‘morning after pill’ (MAP) works as a contraceptive, but also certainly as an abortifacient. She was taught that no drug should do more harm than good, but now pharmacists must dispense whatever the patients wants even though it would do harm.

She explained that in BC, pharmacists are given an optional half-day training session in prescribing and dispensing Plan B (MAP).

She commented that in Australia girls as young as 14 are purchasing the MAP and some girls are using this drug several times per week.

Dr. Janice Mulder – “Healing: The Hidden Potential in Palliative Care”

Dr. Mulder B.Sc. (Pharm.) MD has been working as a palliative care physician since 1996. She now has her own private palliative care practice in the community of Winnipeg and also cares for people at Jocelyn House (a home base hospice) and the Grace Hospice.

In her presentation, Dr. Mulder dispelled some of the myths surrounding palliative care. These include:
1) “There is nothing more we can do.” Perhaps we cannot make the patient’s life longer, but we can help to make it better.
2) “Once they start the morphine, it’s all over.” 99.9% of patients suffering with pain can be made comfortable and can remain active for a long period.

“Palliative care,” Dr. Mulder stated, “affirms life and dying as normal. It neither hastens nor postpones death.” It is a support system with a team approach to help patients live actively. “Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life for patients and families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness through the prevention and relief of suffering.”

Denise Mountenay – “Canada Silent No More”

Canada Silent No More is a registered non-profit society founded by post-abortive women who know the guilt, grief, remorse and emotional pain caused by their choice to abort. Their mission is to reach out to other women hurt by abortion, offering hope and healing and to increase awareness of the damaging effects that abortion has on women, men and their children.

In this media conference, Denise, Linda, Brenda, Mary, Maureen and Scott shared their testimonies. (Denise states that the media conference will be used in a future CBC television documentary.)

Linda claimed that “if she had only known” all the details about abortion she would never have had one. Her initial relief was soon followed by depression, guilt and the urge to commit suicide.

Brenda’s boyfriend and his mother pushed her to have an abortion even though she did not want to.

Mary, a psychiatric nurse, took 20 years to be able to face what she had done.

Maurie claimed that she would not want anyone to go through what she did. She was not given the facts surrounding abortion and now feels that a woman can do nothing worse than kill her own baby.

Scott feels guilt and remorse because perhaps he could have done more to stop his girlfriend from killing their child. From his experience as a counsellor he has found that 80% of post-abortive fathers feel remorse and guilt.

Rev. Scott Miller – “A Healing Model for Post-abortion men using the Twelve Step Method”

Rev. Scott Miller is the Chaplain of Teen Challenge of Central Canada as well as Executive Director of the Lighthouse Mission in Winnipeg. He has been developing a therapeutic model for men who desire to heal from their involvement in an abortion experience.

Rev. Miller, himself a post-abortive father, outlined the Ministerial, Psychoanalytical, Experiential, and Professional Support available for post-abortive fathers. “Abortion,” he said, “encourages a man to act without concern for the innocent and encourages detachment, desertion and irresponsibility.” He pointed out that Marc Lepine wrote in his suicide note, “For seven years I have had no joy. Now, it’s payback time.” Marc’s girlfriend had had an abortion seven years before.

The “House of Esau” is a ministry designed to help the post abortive man work through the various issues that accompany his involvement with an abortion. Their healing model is exemplified by the acrostic “FREEDOM”:
F – Framework – the framework of the father’s life at the time of the abortion.
R – Relationships – with his father, the woman and with God
E - Evasion – evasion of responsibility to the woman and child
E - Exposure – a look at the bizarre behaviour that often follows an abortion and see the connection between the two.
D – Decision – a decision to repent for one’s actions. This means admitting to God, to oneself and to another person as to what they have done.
O – Ownership – owning responsibility. Scott had to face his girlfriend and apologize to her for not being man enough to stop her from having an abortion. Men are encouraged to have a memorial service, to write letters to the child to express their grief.
M – Ministry – a focus on others, free from selfish concerns. Men are encouraged to take responsibility for another child (e.g. adoption)

Ian Dowbiggan – “Dead End: Lessons from the History of Euthanasia”

Ian Dowbiggan is professor and chair of the history department at the University of Prince Edward Island.

Mr. Dowbiggan stated that when we study history we can show compelling reasons not to support euthanasia or physician assisted suicide. He noted the connection between eugenics and euthanasia and how in the 1950’s these two movements morphed into birth control. He feels that the pendulum is beginning to swing in the right direction, as even though physician assisted suicide is legal in the State of Oregon, such laws have failed in all other states. He noted, too, that groups often change their names when their membership is declining: the Hemlock Society is now called “End of Life Choices.”

Alex Schadenberg – “Euthanasia by the Back Door”

Alex Schadenberg, the Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition of Canada, expanded on the statement made by Pope John Paul II at the International Congress on “Life-Sustaining Treatments and Vegetative State” wherein the Pope effectively reinforced the human nature of all persons, no matter their state in life. He especially reinforced the humanity of people in a vegetative state. Secondly, the Pope stated that people in a vegetative state have the right to receive basic health care that includes nutrition and hydration. Therefore Pope John Paul II makes it clear that to withhold or withdraw food and fluids from a person in a vegetative state who is not otherwise dying is euthanasia.

Alex emphasized that assisted food and drink should never be regarded as medical treatment.

Dr Stephen Genuis – “The Sexual Revolution: Reality Strikes Back”

Dr. Genuis is the author of both published and forthcoming articles in various medical journals. He is an associate professor in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Alberta.

Dr. Genuis discussed birth control from a historical perspective. The supposed benefits of birth control were:

safety, convenience and effectiveness
no unintended pregnancies
women would gain satisfaction of repressed sexual desires
to make marriages better
a decline in undesired pregnancy
more openness and awareness in regards to sexually transmitted diseases

He went on to show that birth control has had a very detrimental effect on society. The rates of unintended pregnancies, divorce, STD’s, sexual abuse and the number of fatherless children have increased dramatically.

Abortion is a multi-layered problem:

Abortion is a symptom of a crisis pregnancy
Crisis pregnancy is a symptom of sexual choices
Unwise sexual choices are a symptom of unmet nonsexual needs
Unmet needs are a symptom of a disordered home and a troubled society.

“If we want to make a difference,” he said, “we have to find and do something about the cause.” We need to follow the example of Uganda in promoting abstinence and faithfulness and to re-establish the role of the Church in the world. “The sexual revolution has changed the world, but it has not changed the teaching of Jesus.”

Juergen Severloh – “Loving Life from the Inside Out”

Juergen is the Executive Director of the Crisis Pregnancy Centre in Winnipeg.

Juergen told us that we, as pro-life people, have to accept the fact that we are living in Babylon; that we are resident aliens and our pro-life Canada is gone and it is not coming back soon. “We need to embrace our new home,” he declared, “and become safe for our secular neighbours. We need to rehumanize the unborn baby and his/her mother. Juergen claims that women never want an abortion. “They reluctantly abort due to outside pressure.”

Juergen reported that there are 3000 crisis pregnancy centres across North America and in 2003 they saw over 1,000,000 clients. The CPC in Winnipeg receives no government funding. All funding comes form the Christian community, individuals and business places.

Samantha Singson, CLC -“Life Issues at the United Nations”

Samantha is a lobbyist for Campaign Life Coalition at the United Nations. She has been very disillusioned with the United Nations and has found it to be undemocratic. “The United Nations was created to serve the needs of mankind,” she said, “but it is always insisting that people are the problem and that children are obstacles.” She claims that there is a push by feminist groups at the UN to create a universal right to abortion on demand.

Her job as a lobbyist is to ensure transparency, legitimacy and accountability. She says that Canadians at the United Nations are non-elected representatives who are not accountable for the issues they push. The Canadian delegation has introduced the term “sexual orientation” to the UN, consistently battled against any “right to life” language in UN documents and defined “reproductive health services” to mean abortion.

CLC has been dubbed a “Right Wing Anti-Feminist Group” at the United Nations. Samantha wears this label as a title of honour.

Lech and Ewa Kowalewski – Banquet Speakers – “Abolition of Abortion – How It Works and What Happens Next – Poland”

Lech and Ewa represented the pro-life movements from Poland and Eastern and Central Europe. Their involvement in the pro-life movement has been very impressive. They are co-founders and members of the Board of Directors of the Polish Federation of Pro-Life Movements which is made up of 119 organizations.

Lech and Ewa recalled their struggles against abortion in communist Poland and the eventual end of communist rule and reversal of anti-life legislation. Kowalewski noted that Poland, with a similar population to Canada (30+ million), had the same number of abortions (100,000 +per year) under communism. However, with liberation came the right to life and the latest abortion figures reveal fewer than 200 abortions per year. The health of women and babies has improved, there are very few illegal abortions, and the rate of infanticides has decreased.

Lech also talked about new legislation, an Omnibus bill, proposed in Poland that seeks to legalize abortion on demand, same-sex ‘marriage,’ embryonic stem cell research, and sex-education from grade one. He says that in its current state it has little chance of passing, but he fears that the constitutional commission will make some changes that will make it palatable to the parliament.

Lech and Ewa observed that pro-abortionists do not like the pro-lifers from Poland. They fear that other countries will follow Poland’s pro-life example!

Colleen Reed represents Saskatchewan on LifeCanada’s Board of Directors.