News

By Joanne of Arc for Quebec Life Coalition 

A young adults group from YTOL (Youth Teams of Our Lady) at March For Life in 2019 — Photo: YTOL Canada

This year will mark the 26th year that March For Life is being organized by Campaign Life Coalition in Canada during the month of May.  

Vice President of CLC, Matthew Wojciechowski released a special presentation joined by his team who are members of the organizing committee for the March which you can find on the March for Life website.  

Here at Quebec Life Coalition, we want to give you our top 10 reasons for attending the March for Life this coming May.  

1. You will be part of the largest yearly pro-life protest in Canada happening on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. March For Life will take place on Thursday, May 11th, 2023. As presented on their website, this year’s theme is : “STAND FIRM” which is elaborated through the following statement :  

“We stand firm for the pre-born, mothers in crisis pregnancies, those targeted due to disability, and the elderly in hospitals and care homes. We march in solidarity with the vulnerable and marginalized.”

2. You will get to experience that you are not alone in your fight for life. If you have ever felt alone in your convictions about life beginning at natural conception, the March For Life will prove you otherwise. You will get to march with thousands of other pro-life youth and families that stand firm in their fight for life.  

Young adults from the youth movement YTOL at the March in 2016 — Photo: YTOL Canada

3. You will be inspired by dynamic speakers that are part of the “Silent No More” awareness campaign who will share their powerful testimonies about abortion and why they regret it. Moreover, Isabel Brown from Turning Point USA will also share her story and encourage students to stand for life and make a difference in their homes, schools, and communities.  

4. By attending the pro-life summit you will strengthen your pro-life position. The day after the March you can attend a pro-life summit. According to Kim Headley from Campaign Life Coalition, “Approximately 500 students and young pro-lifers ages 13-29 will attend our six-hour structured summit intended to educate and inspire.” 

5. You could come home with new skills, experiences and friends. You will also get to meet different religious communities such as the Sisters of life or the Jesuits and fraternity groups like the SSPX or the FFSP.

I just discovered a new Quebec play entitled “Clandestines ” through a message sent to our Facebook page CQV. (The theatre-run of this play just ended in Montreal on February 11.) Through a dystopian story similar to Margaret Atwood’s “Handmaid’s Tale,” but set much earlier in the future (2025), the authors channel their fear that “anti-choice” groups (that’s us!) are becoming “younger” and “more political.” The purpose of the play is to show how “fragile” the “right to abortion” is in Canada (good news!) and how quickly things could change “for the worse” (read: for the better). I found it particularly interesting how they fear that we could be using 3rd trimester abortions as a way to further erode “abortion rights.”

Here’s the trailer (in French only): 

If you would like to know more about this play, and the “fragility” of “abortion rights,” you can read about it, from the pro-abortion point of view, here.

By the way, unlike the characters in the above-mentioned play, there is no need to twist oneself in intellectual pretzels to understand why abortion is wrong. Because it is really simple: if the unborn child is human and has rights, it must be defended like any other human being. A pregnant woman can always be supported financially or otherwise and even an adoptive couple can be found to take custody of her child. A world where abortion is illegal doesn’t have to be a dystopian world à la “Handmaid’s Tale” or like the one portrayed in the play “Clandestines”; it could be one that has a healthier relationship to sexuality and also that offers, for pregnant women in difficulty, solutions other than the killing of their child.

For Life,

Georges Buscemi

P.S. The CLC and the Interim 2023 summer internship programme for pro-life students is now accepting candidates. These are paid internships in which students will learn about the philosophy of the pro-life movement, practical apologetics, various modes of action, from administrative tasks, to writing articles, to design or management of social networks, to participation in concrete events.

For more details, click here.

This week's video

QLC's Bilingual Press Conference on the Baby Daniel (38-week abortion) story

Kim Headley at our Students for Life event in January 2023  — Photo: Joanne Of Arc

By Joanne of Arc for Quebec Life Coalition 

On Saturday, January 14th 2023, Quebec Life Coalition hosted a Students For Life Event in Montreal, Quebec.

The purpose of this event was to encourage all pro-life students to come together for an afternoon of discussion, training and networking.

Amongst the different speakers that were present at the event, we have invited Kim Headley from Campaign Life Coalition who is their Assistant Youth Coordinator to speak about her involvement in the culture of life.

Kim has agreed to speak with us after the event, so that you could get to know her better as well as learn more about why you should get involved in Students for life in Montreal. 

Quebec Life Coalition: Can you please present yourself, your age and your current job position?

Kim Headley from CLC: My name is Kim Headley. I'm 27 years old from Aurora, Ontario. I studied business at Seneca College in Toronto and accounting at Ensign College in Salt Lake City, Utah. I am now working as an Assistant Youth Coordinator and Administrative Assistant at Campaign Life Coalition. Some of my responsibilities are planning activities for youth such as pro-life movies nights, game nights, virtual pro-life club activities, planning the annual trip to Washington DC for their March for Life, as well as planning the national youth summit and banquet here in Canada. I also help to make social media content for our Instagram and TikTok and do a few different administrative and clerical tasks to help our accounting team.  

Quebec Life Coalition: How long have you been working for CLC? 

Kim Headley from CLC: Nine months! I started as an intern in May 2022 and was hired full time in September 2022.  

Quebec Life Coalition: What does a day to day look like for you?  

Kim Headley from CLC: It depends! Sometimes I am sending emails all day to different schools, sometimes I am in our accounting system keeping the books up to date, and sometimes I can be planning out next youth event. Every day I do a bit of both youth outreach and administrative tasks.   

Quebec Life Coalition: What is the most important aspect of your job?  

Kim Headley from CLC: The Biggest project CLC has every year is the March for Life. The most important part of my job is to help plan all of the youth activities such as the Candlelight vigil for the victims of abortion, the youth banquet, as well as the youth summit. 

Quebec Life Coalition: In January, we had the pleasure to host a Students for Life conference during which you shared your testimony about how you became pro-life. For those who didn’t have the chance to attend this event, can you share your journey in a nutshell?

Kim Headley from CLC: Growing up, I was pro-choice. It wasn’t until my first semester at College in my English class when everything changed, and it happened in a way I never would have expected. My teacher had everyone make a video about anything they wanted to. A girl in my class did her assignment on human rights violations. She started by showing pictures of victims from different injustices, saying they were horrible and evil to do, while still being completely legal at the time. Then she showed a picture of an aborted fetus… 

I still can’t forget that image. That was the first time I had ever seen abortion victim photography. My classmate said this was also horrible and evil, even though it’s currently allowed in Canada. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing – this was actually what an abortion looked like. Before that moment, I thought the preborn child was just a “clump of cells.” That’s the lie we’re all told, right? Well, that photograph forced me to start re-evaluating my opinion on abortion, but I didn’t become pro-life overnight.

For months, that picture kept creeping into my mind. I couldn’t forget it. That’s when I started looking into it more for myself, and doing my own research, which is how I slowly came around to becoming more and more pro-life. At some point later on, I saw a video of a first trimester abortion, and that was it. I was done being pro-choice. I was pro-life, right then and there, without exception, but if I was going to be “pro-life” now, how could I sit by and not do anything about it? It wasn’t enough for me to just be pro-life. I couldn’t just have this opinion and not do anything about these babies being killed.

I needed to be more involved in the pro-life movement, so I googled pro-life organizations in Toronto and found Toronto Right to Life where I was given apologetics training on how to have effective conversations about abortion and then I started doing “Choice? Chain" with Toronto against abortion, a project between Toronto Right to Life and CCBR. After a while of doing occasional activism, I decided that I still needed to do more for the movement. I wanted to do something more productive with my time. So, I decided to do a pro-life summer internship.

This past summer I had the privilege of interning for Campaign Life Coalition and was hired full time in September. Now I get to work full time in the pro-life movement, getting to use what I went to school for, as well as doing something I am passionate about. 

Kim Headley sharing her testimony at our Students for life event in January — Photo: Joanne Of Arc

Montreal, February 9, 2023 (Google Translate, French original here) - The pro-life organization Campagne Québec-Vie (CQV) is asking that decision-makers, at the provincial and federal levels, once again consider the issue of abortion, in light of a report by a whistleblower that an operating theater team at Sacré Coeur Hospital in Montreal killed an unborn child at 38 weeks gestation by lethal injection.

"At the request of a mother who was no doubt in difficulty, the personnel of the Sacré Cœur hospital in Montreal allegedly put to death a 38-week-old baby, that is to say a fully formed child, who could have easily survived birth and make an adoptive couple happy," said Georges Buscemi, president of CQV.

On the morning of February 1, a whistleblower contacted another Montreal pro-life organization through social media to report that she was aware of an exceptional meeting of medical staff at Sacré Coeur Hospital of Montreal, to discuss how a late abortion at 38 weeks scheduled for the next morning will proceed. Later that day, a pro-life citizen of Montreal, Marie-Josée Rivest, reacting to an email from CQV about the planned abortion, called the hospital and spoke with an employee of the obstetrics department from the hospital who would have confirmed that this late abortion was going to take place the following day. Unfortunately, according to the statements of the whistleblower, the abortion would have taken place as planned, on Thursday, February 2 at around 8 a.m. "More than 100 people have reported their dismay at this news of the death of what some now call baby Daniel," says Georges Buscemi .

According to Dr. Paul Saba : “From the account of an English Canadian newspaper, The Catholic Register, it appears that 'baby Daniel' did not have a serious medical condition preventing his life. As I have no personal knowledge of the case, I want to respond to the social and human injustice of poverty which leads to abortion. According to a 2005 study published by the Guttmacher Institute, 73% of American women who decided to abort their babies cited financial concerns as the main reason. Do we justify the abortion of babies based on the socio-economic status of the woman, including her mailing address or without an address (homeless)? Economic reasons should not be used as an excuse to prevent pregnant mothers from having their babies. These mothers must benefit from better medical, psychological, financial, educational and social support. It is a question of justice and fairness. »

Campagne Québec-Vie invites the media to a press conference on Friday, February 10 at 12 p.m., at the corner of rue Fréchette and boul. Gouin Ouest, not far from the Sacré Coeur hospital . Dr. Paul Saba, Georges Buscemi and Marie-Josée Rivest will be present there to give their testimonies and answer questions from the media.

----

Media contacts:

Georges Buscemi, president and spokesperson for Campagne Québec-Vie (514) 928-4819
Dr. Paul Saba, family physician (514) 866-3447

Update, February 13, 2023 -- Here is the complete press conference :

On February 10, a media relations spokesperson for the CIUSSS Montréal-Nord (a group of health care facilities which includes Sacred-Heart Hospital) denied, via an email sent to Georges Buscemi, president of CQV, that a "feticide" took place on February 2 at Sacred Heart Hospital, and affirmed that no such intervention ever takes place there. However, CQV considers it odd that, when asked to affirm or deny that a 38-week abortion took place at said hospital on February 2-- an unfortunately legal act in Canada -- the media relations spokesperson decided to deny that a "feticide" took place. But a "feticide", according to the Office de la langue française du Québec, the authority on the use of French language terminology in the province, is a "murder" according to canadian law, whereas abortion is not. But our question to the media spokesperson was not whether a "feticide" or "murder" of a 38-week unborn child took place, but whether an "abortion" took place. The latter, as of the writing of this statement, having never been denied by any representative of Sacré Coeur hospital, we consider the statement issued on February 10 to be a pseudo-denial, and that it remains more than probable that an abortion at 38 weeks' gestation took place on February 2, 2023 at Sacred Heart Hospital in Montreal.

William after his healing, pictured at St. Joseph's Oratory —Photo: Catherine Lavoie

By Joanne of Arc (Quebec Life Coalition)

Catherine Lavoie experienced a conversion to the Catholic faith in 2012. Today, she is a mother of seven children and they all live in Valleyfield with her husband. Catherine has contacted us because she wanted to share her personal story on abortion with Quebec Life Coalition.

Catherine told us the story of William, her son who is now 16 years old, but who could have been aborted when Catherine was a teenager. When she was pregnant with William, at the 20-week ultrasound, doctors discovered abnormalities and transferred her to Sainte-Justine Hospital for more tests. Then, at almost 30 weeks of pregnancy, she was offered a late-term abortion.

This was in 2006 and Catherine was only 16 years old. The following is Ms. Lavoie's testimony.

Catherine Lavoie: It happened at Sainte-Justine Hospital. I know I'm not the only one who was asked to terminate a viable pregnancy (...) I have a friend whose baby was followed at Sainte-Justine Hospital, because he had malformations and the couple decided to do the procedure...

The New Year began for me much as 2022 ended – praying and vigilating near abortion centres. Daily, I can be found at the corner of Berri and St. Catherine Streets, me or one of the prayer volunteers dedicated to this activity.

Referred to as Vigil 365 for obvious reasons, this site was selected back in 2015 when the Morgentaler facility had moved downtown from its former location on St. Joseph Blvd., where we prayed. They moved. We followed. Though it subsequently moved a third, on St. Hubert near Crémazie, we remained downtown as four other abortion centres operate in this area.

Daily, we pray with chloroplast signs that honour the sanctity of life and offer alternative medical help to the women and men thinking of aborting their children.

Being alert while on duty is a must, ever ready to respond when called upon and, at times, in unexpected ways.

An example of the latter occurred this past week. I was approached by a gentleman in his mid-thirties. He introduced himself as John and in the same breath went on to say that over the past three years, he had frequently seen me at this intersection. On this morning, he stopped to share a personal story.

John and his wife presently care for their two children. Yet on his morning, his mind was on their third child, their first, the one they had aborted when they were living in China.

John continued. He explained that they had become pregnant and were subsequently told by government officials that they were required to abort this child.

In obedience, he and his wife complied, a decision he mentioned to me that haunts him to this day.

Further, he added that in the intervening years his guilt has grown. He told me that he wished he had gone to bat for this first child, having defended the life of his first child.

John’s sorrow was obvious. His eyes seldomly looked into mine as we spoke and the couple of times I redirected the conversation to a related issue, he returned to the subject of his first child and his remorse.

John’s pain is not unique among men who have lost a child from abortion. In the two decades I have been involved in the pro-life movement, other men have shared their grief with me about their roles in the aborting of their child or children. I can readily remember the testimonies of Louis and Carlo.

Research into the impact of abortion on men is not as well developed as it is for women, but it is grwoing. I am aware of two centres researching the topic and offering support to men.

The Alliance for Post-Abortion Research and Training is one. Its co-director Dr. Catherine T. Coyle was commissioned by the Knights of Columbus to produce a fascicule entitled “Men and Abortion: Finding Healing, Restoring Hope” for its Catholic Information Series. The booklet, in addition to giving several testimonies of men directly impacted by an abortion, offers a multi-step "Process of Forgiveness" to help in the grieving and healing process.

A second centre active in research and counselling for post-abortive men is the Elliot Institute. Its research division presents a variety of articles, including testimonies from men. Its web site includes a Special Edition: Elliot Institute Report on Men and Abortion.

Support is out there for John, Louis, Carlo, and many other men. We pray that they become aware of this support and if not, caring friends and acquaintances point these resources out to them.

A couple of days after having spoken with John, I saw him pass through the vigil location as I was praying with Mary. John continued his way without breaking stride and I noticed he did not make eye contact with me when his was level with me.

Let us humble ourselves before God, our Creator, and His Blessed Mother in prayer before our brothers and sisters on the streets of Montreal for we know not how and who our presence will touch and bring to God.

Sincerely Yours

Brian Jenkins
(438) 930-8643
[email protected] 
Outreach Coordinator
Quebec Life Coalition

p.s. Our 40-day prayer vigil for the end of abortion is upon us. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, February 22, and running through Passion Sunday (April 2, 2023), prayer volunteers will gather at our vigil location in downtown Montreal for twelve hours (7am to 7pm) daily. Consider registering for a one-hour block, weekly. This would certainly qualify as a Lenten sacrifice. To learn more, call (438) 930-8643.

National President of Campaign Life Coalition, Jeff Gunnarson adressing Trudeau in front of the Supreme Court of Canada — Photo : Joanne Of Arc

By Joanne of Arc for Quebec Life Coalition 

OTTAWA – Quebec Life Coalition jointly held a conference with Campaign Life Coalition two days prior to the commemoration of “Morgentaler’s Decision Day” which took place 35 years ago.

On January 26th 2023, Quebec Life Coaltion’s president Georges Buscemi, Director of Political Operations, Arpad Nagy and myself attended a press conference held in front of the Supreme Court of Canada by Campaign Life Coalition's pro-life leader, Jeff Gunnarson. The event’s objective was to protest “Morgentaler’s Decision day” which took place on January 28th 1988 and to call out Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau on the matter. The National President of CLC read publicly a letter he addressed to Trudeau. 

The press conference lasted about an hour and was held during heavy snow fall. The featured speakers were the National President of Campaign Life Coalition, Jeff Gunnarson, CLC’s Director of Political Operations, Jack Fonseca, CLC’s Director of Education and Advocacy, Josie Luetke, and the President of Quebec Life Coalition, Georges Buscemi.

Jeff Gunnarson read publicly a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Canada, for the first time in front of a group of supporters for the pro-life cause. His letter noted the betrayals on the part of Canada’s leaders who when asked by the Supreme Court to legislate abortion, failed to take responsability in 1988. This in turn “allowed mothers to kill their pre-born children at any stage during the pregnancy, for any reason at all which ultimately resulted in millions of Canadian mothers choosing to destroy the new human lives growing and developing inside of them” said Gunnarson. Following the reading of the letter, Jeff Gunnarson hand delivered his letter to the parliamentary office. You can read a copy of his letter here. 

The above mentioned letter was also sent to other leaders of political parties including Pierre Poilievre (leader of the Conservative Party of Canada), Jagmeet Singh (leader of the New Democratic Party), Yves‐François Blanchet (leader of the Bloc Québécois) and Elizabeth May (leader of the Green Party of Canada). 

A photo of the letter being dropped off in the mail by Matthew Wojciechowski, Campaign Life Coalition's VP

I am pleased to announce that we are participating in an event organized by the Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) on the 35th anniversary of the infamous R. v. Morgentaler decision that created a legal vacuum in Canada around abortion. Since that unfortunate day, tens of thousands of unborn children are killed every year.

The event will take place tomorrow, Thursday, January 26, at 10am, in front of the Supreme Court of Canada building, 301 Wellington St, Ottawa, ON K1A 0J1, and will end in front of Parliament (also Wellington St). Come one, come all! Part of our team is currently in Ottawa to participate in the event.

I am also announcing here the 2023 summer internship programs for students of CLC and The Interim. These are paid internships in which students will learn about the philosophy of the pro-life movement, practical apologetics, various modes of action, from administrative tasks, to writing articles, to design or management of social networks, to participation in concrete events.

For more details, click here.

For Life,
Augustin Hamilton

This Week's Quebec Pro-Life News

A five year old child’s breathing tube will be removed even if it kills him
The Quebec Court of Appeal has ruled that a child’s breathing tube can be permanently removed despite his parents opposing the decision.

Why is abortion victim photography important? An interview with Merichel Diaz
Montreal Against Abortion (MAA) is a pro-life group in Montreal that is focused on Abortion Victim Photography (AVP).

By Joanne of Arc for Quebec Life Coalition — Photo : Unsplash.com

MONTREAL – The Quebec Court of Appeal has ruled that a child’s breathing tube could be permanently removed despite his parents opposing the decision.

According to Global News, Quebec’s Court of Appeal has ruled that hospital Sainte-Justine could be permanently remove the breathing tube from a five year old child in intensive care who has been in a coma since he fell into the family pool in June 2022.

“The parents were hoping that the Court of Appeal would force the hospital to keep the child alive with a breathing tube”...“but the court said ‘No’ ” reported Stephane Giroux for CTV news. 

“The principle of preserving life at all costs is not absolute when the conditions for maintaining life are unacceptable,” the high court wrote.

The judgment confirms an earlier court judgment based on what doctors and experts were saying that there was no chance for the child to ever improve, as he has no brain activity, according to them. 

“Quebec Superior Court Justice Bernard Jolin wrote in his Nov. 1 ruling that the parents’ objections were not in the child’s best interest and were based on the hope that God would miraculously return the boy to the way he was before he fell into the pool” reports Global News. 

Patrick Martin-Ménard, the lawyer of the family, explains to CTV that this situation is very challenging for a family with limited resources and that cannot afford to fight the doctors. 

“We will decide when to remove the breathing tube” said Hospital Saint Justine, while also stating that they will “respect the will of the parents”. 

But the will of the parents is not being respected. They wish to save the life of the child, allowing extubation only if it does not lead to their child’s death, a condition which the hospital does not agree with...

Despite this, the experts say it would be best to provide end of life care. The parents of the five year old have one remaining option, to follow up with the Supreme Court of Canada.

Doctors can and have been wrong in the past. Below are a few examples of stories covered by LifeSiteNews that support this point. 

By Joanne of Arc for Quebec Life Coalition — Photo : Montreal Against Abortion

Montreal Against Abortion (MAA) is a pro-life group in Montreal that is focused on Abortion Victim Photography (AVP).

The group was founded in 2021 by Manuel Medina and Merichel Diaz. It organizes activism sessions throughout the year and has been growing in activity for the last two years.

Quebec Life Coalition was able to interview one of its co-founders prior to the launch of Students For Life event in Montreal. 

Joanna for QLC: Can you present yourself and your group Montreal Against Abortion? 

Merichel for Montreal Against Abortion: I am Mexican. I came to Montreal 12 years ago. The group MAA was founded two years ago. We completed the second year of operation, but we built it one year prior to launching it. Therefore, we have two years of operation, but technically we exist since three years. We started in 2021 during the summer. It was founded by Manuel and myself. Friends in common helped us to meet, because they knew we were interested in the pro-life movement. I had a call to do something in the pro-life movement and he also had the same call. We decided to work together since we had the same purpose. Manuel had a previous contact in Toronto from CCBR (Canadian Center Bioethical Reform) and TRTL (Toronto Right To Life).

From TRTL we received online training (apologetics training) that was very helpful and we received some tools to defend the culture of life. We got the training in 2020, we also started to read books on the topic. 

We were convinced that abortion is wrong, but we needed to know how to explain that it is wrong to other people. 

It was important to learn about science and human rights. Because we defend life using science and human rights, it’s not a personal opinion or idea. We were encouraged to do it in a proper way, when we found out that there is a lot of scientific information that states that life starts from the moment of conception and a lot of literature confirms that. Learning that and learning that the first right is the right to life helped us recognize that we need to give a voice to the voiceless. 

“Stuck” by Justina Van Manem is a book that explains how to go through each argument. How to defend life from the moment of conception if the mother is in danger, for example. 

Right now the technology is improved, there is no need to do an abortion if we can do a C section. If they put the baby in the incubator, it can be saved and survive. We also don’t need to dismember the baby in pieces to save the life of the mother. 

The book also explains what to say if the mother was raped. We first must have empathy for them, and show that we care about the trauma of the woman who has been raped, but we also need to show care about the trauma of an abortion. 

We tried to learn all those sides of the arguments to explain these complicated situations to people.

When we got all this clarity,  we decided to spread this information to other people who were also pro-life and we launched Montreal Against Abortion in 2021. We only had the idea in our heart that abortion was wrong and from that idea - we decided to put it into action. 

Volunteers doing activism in the city of Montreal — Photo : Montreal Against Abortion

Joanna for QLC : You mentioned that you felt a calling for this mission. How did that happen specifically for you? 

Merichel for M.A.A. :  As I mentioned earlier, I am from Cancun,Mexico. In Cancun we protect nature, the ocean, the animals and the eggs of the turtles. There are a lot of groups who care about nature. Therefore, it was a shock for me to see that I was involved in groups that protect the eggs of the turtles and realize that in this country [Canada]  we can kill a child, a baby in the womb and it just broke my heart. (...)

It was a call for me when I saw that behind all this, there is a business, because the same narrative that I hear from people in Canada is the same narrative I hear in Mexico and Latin America. So I am wondering why is the message the same when 

in Mexico we care about family? There are a lot of poor people who would never have this idea, but why people who have more education are receiving and open to that message? Probably because they are closer to the media. The message being : “It’s just a clump of cells” 

When I saw the same narrative in US and Latin America, it didn't make sense in my mind. In my country we care about family, I said to myself that maybe I should spread the message about why it’s important to care about family.