The Land of Acadia Fights For Life
By Camilla Gunnarson

Could New Brunswick become the second Canadian province to stop performing abortions in Canada? “That is my hope, plan and prayer," says Peter Ryan, director of New Brunswick Right to Life.

Up until last month, the only hospital providing abortions for women in Fredericton was the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital. Chalmers, which performed 400 abortions last year, announced that they would be closing their abortion program due to its obstetrics department being overworked and understaffed.  This would virtually put an end to all publicly funded abortions in the province.

Since Chalmer's announcement, abortion activists have been working hard to ensure there be as much if not more access to abortion.

This is not a new battle for New Brunswick. There has been an ongoing
battle in the courts, to keep provincial funding for abortions limited to procedures carried out in hospitals. New Brunswick's law will cover abortions only if the woman is in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, if two physicians certify the abortion is medically necessary, and if the abortion is performed in a hospital.

In a desperate attempt to put pressure on the government to increase access to publicly funded abortions, abortion activists have sought the assistance of The National Abortion Federation (NAF).
NAF is a Washington-based association of abortion providers that expanded its pro-abortion lobbying into Canada in January of this year. They are insisting that the province is in violation of the Canada Health Act because New Brunswick women have no access to publicly funded abortions.

But the Canada Health Act makes it clear: "Provinces can decide which procedures to fund in their jurisdiction." In fact those are the words of New Brunswick Health Minister Brad Green, at least before NAF came to town. It seems Green is caving to pressure. Since their arrival, Green made a public plea for other doctors to take up the practice. He's indicated he has found doctors at two different hospitals who are willing to provide abortions but he won't say which doctors or which hospitals. Ryan confirmed that the Dr. George Dumont Hospital in Moncton is one of the two hospitals to begin offering abortions.

In the past, pro-life activists in New Brunswick have been effective in limiting or preventing abortion programs from starting up. Chalmers is the third hospital in the province to stop performing abortions and the pro-life community is committed to ensure that no other hospitals will offer abortions. In that
vain, approximately 75 pro-lifers held a protest outside Dumont Hospital on June 21st. Participants held Acadian flags and signs including “Let Our Acadian Babies Live” and “Hospitals Arefor Saving Life Not Destroying It.”

Not being able to resist a photo op and sound bite, Henry Morgentaler is using the hospital debate as an opportunity to get some media coverage concerning his battle in the courts. Morgentaler is currently suing the New Brunswick government for its refusal to pay for abortions at his private for profit clinic in Fredericton. The Morgentaler clinic performs 600 abortions annually. Morgentaler held a press conference calling for a resolution with the government to help fill the abortion void by fully funding abortions at his clinic, saying, "Women are being left with even fewer options now that
Chalmers will no longer provide the service." NAF president and CEO Vicki Saporta who travelled from Washington to the province for the press conference revealed how desperate they are by saying, "I’ve heard some people call New Brunswick the South Dakota of Canada.” (South Dakota has  passed a law that would allow abortions only in cases where the mother’s life is in danger). Adding her voice to the debate was Judy Burwell, former Morgentaler clinic director and now
NAF associate who stated she is pleased the province has found doctors willing to perform hospital abortions, but said the rules regarding funding are still unfair and need to be resolved.

It has never been more evident that the pro-abortion lobby is losing the war for the hearts and minds of the people of New Brunswick. The people of Acadia have a history of restricting access to abortion and like most Canadians do not support their tax dollars funding the procedure. Ryan stated that, "Our health care system is supposed to be based on the tradition that has come down from Hippocrates, which says medicine is about saving lives not destroying them." The pro-life community is poised to make sure that happens.

Camilla is the editor of LifeCanada News.