News

A recent Pew Research Institute study of the American population reveals that young people in their twenties and thirties are less inclined to have children than in previous decades. So, “The total number of children that women and men ages 20 to 39 planned to have, on average, dropped from 2.3 in 2012 to 1.8 in 2023. Those numbers remained stable from 2002 to 2012”, writes the institute. Of the various reasons given for this lack of inclination to have children, the economic one dominates, and the remedies suggested by those questioned focus mainly on the monetary factor. Money is certainly not an insignificant factor in the plan to start a family, but it is not everything. We only have to look at Russia, where the government is trying, apparently without much success, to reverse the decline in the birth rate by providing aid to families, or Hungary, which has increased the number of tax benefits for families, but is not having great success.

So what's the problem? And what is the solution? The answer to this question also concerns Quebec, which, despite its special characteristics, is also suffering from a serious decline in its natural demography - just like the rest of the West, in fact. It should be noted that at the beginning of the last century, when Quebec had so many children, living conditions were much harsher than they are now, and this did not prevent families from having up to a dozen children or more. It's true that children were seen as a help from an early age. Could the slow decline in Quebec's birth rate over the last century, before reaching today's lows, be partly due to the loss of this “necessity” in a society whose social supports have multiplied to the point we know today? Perhaps in part.

The Quiet Revolution, with its train of moral decadence, certainly dealt a terrible blow to the Quebec birth rate, and I don't think it would be too much to recommend teaching the younger generations to the benefits of the Christian morality that was the framework of the French-Canadian family, teaching them to love their ancestors and the heritage they left them, and educating them about the principles of natural law. A cultural and religious revival is undoubtedly necessary before we can hope for any kind of natal turnaround. Shame on the current government, which is indoctrinating children more to change "gender" than to start a real family!...

For Life,
Augustin Hamilton

P.S. See here our letter to U.S. Vice President JD Vance concerning the persecution of pro-lifers and Christians in Canada.

P.P.S. A summer donation to help us continue our mission would be more than welcome!

Vigil 365

The Vigil 365 is a prayer vigil where, every day for one or two hours, pro-lifers pray in a public place at a certain distance from an abortuary for the end of abortion.

For more information, contact Brian Jenkins on (438) 930-8643.

After taking a short week off last week, I’ve returned to my desk with renewed energy—and the first thing I did on Monday was publish something I believe could make a real difference for pro-lifers and Christians across Canada: an open letter addressed to U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, calling on him and the Trump administration to stand firm in defense of our freedoms during the ongoing U.S.–Canada trade negotiations.

As many of you know, the Canadian government under Prime Minister Carney is eager to secure a favorable bilateral trade deal with the U.S. But we at Quebec Life Coalition believe that no deal should move forward so long as Canada continues to persecute pro-lifers and suppress public expressions of Christian faith.

That’s why we’ve published not only an open letter—but also an extensive report documenting the wave of legal, cultural, and institutional discrimination against pro-life and Christian voices, especially here in Quebec.

You can read the full open letter and report here:

https://en.cqv.qc.ca/quebec_life_coalition_to_jd_vance_tie_trade_talks_to_canada_s_treatment_of_christians_and_pro_lifers

Earlier this year, Vice-President Vance gave a much-discussed speech at the Munich Security Conference, in which he rebuked Western allies for abandoning freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the right to self-government. He warned that the U.S. would no longer normalize trade relations with countries that suppress these rights—and he even cited the persecution of pro-lifers in the U.K. who’ve been arrested or fined for praying silently near abortion facilities.

Sound familiar?

Those same “bubble zone” laws now exist across much of Canada—including here in Quebec—where peaceful pro-lifers have been threatened with fines merely for offering help or holding signs near abortion facilities. Our hope is that Vice-President Vance, having spoken so forcefully on behalf of freedom abroad, will now press Canada to clean up its act at home.

In addition to the U.S. letter, I also wrote last week to François Bonnardel, Quebec’s Minister of Public Security, regarding the troubling events at this year’s Quebec March for Life on May 31st. You may have heard that:

• The March supper at the Delta hotel was cancelled at the last minute, under pressure from activists;

• Our participants faced hostile counter-protesters, including “black bloc” types who showed up with noise machines, smoke bombs, and shouted obscenities to drown out peaceful speeches and prayers;

• In some cases, police stood by passively, allowing pro-lifers to be harassed and intimidated on public streets.

This is not what free expression looks like. I’ve called on Minister Bonnardel to explain why such chaos was tolerated—and what steps will be taken to ensure Quebec does not continue down the path of silencing dissent through fear and disruption.

Summer is here, and we hope you are enjoying the beauty of God’s creation. But here at Quebec Life Coalition, we are hard at work, using every opportunity to defend life, family, and faith in the public square.

Please continue to pray for us, and if you are able, consider making a summer donation to help us carry this mission forward:

🙏 Donate here

For Life,

Georges Buscemi
President, Quebec Life Coalition

INTRODUCTION TO THE OPEN LETTER AND REPORT TO VICE-PRESIDENT JD VANCE

By Georges Buscemi, President of Campagne Québec-Vie (Quebec Life Coalition)

As Canada and the United States approach the crucial July 21 deadline for concluding bilateral trade talks, Quebec Life Coalition -- a pro-life, pro-family group based in Quebec and partnered with national pro-life group Campaign Life Coalition -- is releasing an open letter and accompanying report (see below) addressed to U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, urging the Trump administration to condition future trade cooperation on Canada’s respect for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to peaceful pro-life expression.

[Click here for PDF version of the Open Letter and Accompanying Report]

In recent days, trade negotiations have stalled due to Washington’s concerns over Canada’s proposed digital services tax targeting large American tech firms. The recent decision by the Canadian government to rescind that tax appears to be an effort to reopen talks and improve its standing with the Trump White House. We believe this moment represents an opportunity—not just for economic recalibration, but for moral clarity.

Earlier this year, Vice-President Vance issued a strong warning to U.S. allies at the Munich Security Conference, stating unequivocally that the US is no longer willing to subsidize the prosperity of nations that do not share basic Western values. We at Quebec Life Coalition take him at his word—and urge him to apply that standard to Canada.

Our report lays out in detail the escalating persecution of Christians and pro-lifers in Quebec and across Canada:

• 50-meter “bubble zones” that criminalize peaceful prayer and sidewalk counseling;

• Government threats to revoke charitable status from pro-life and faith-based organizations;

• State-funded media monopolies and censorship;

• Proposals for legal bans on public prayer;

• And widespread discrimination against religious groups seeking to access public facilities or express their beliefs in public life.

This is not just a domestic concern. It is a human rights issue. Canada presents itself abroad as a model liberal democracy, but it is increasingly intolerant of dissent when it comes from those who uphold traditional Christian moral and social teachings.

Our goal with this publication is simple: to ensure that the Trump White House has all the information it needs to make an enlightened and just decision about how to proceed with Canada. The American people should not be asked to extend the privileges of trade and cooperation to a government that represses the very freedoms the U.S. was founded to defend.

And the Carney administration—should it wish to secure a favorable trade arrangement with its most important partner to the South—must understand that it cannot have free trade while denying free speech.

For the good of both nations, and for the countless citizens in Canada who can no longer speak or pray freely in public, we ask: let freedom be a condition of partnership.

[Click here for PDF version of the Open Letter and Accompanying Report]

I hope you had a merry St John's Day with your family and friends. St. John the Baptist is particularly celebrated in Quebec because St. Pius X gave him to the French Canadians as their patron saint. Surely, St. Pius X's gift of such a guide was priceless. May Saint John the Baptist, forerunner of Christ, give us the courage to speak the truth at all times and in all places and to defend the family with fervour, as he died a martyr for defending the sanctity of marriage.

A recent report published by Liberty Counsel Action estimates that around 40 tonnes of remains of aborted foetuses and abortifacients end up in American water every year. When a woman takes the "abortion pill" (which is in two parts), she flushes her aborted baby down the toilet. But wastewater filtration systems are not designed to deal with chemicals such as mifepristone or misoprostol, which are used in the abortion pill. This chemical waste is probably to have an effect on the fertility of people who drink city water. This is a source of pollution in addition to that from hormonal contraception, which also ends up in the sewage system. The abortion pill is an increasingly common method of abortion.

On a positive note, Quebec Public Security Minister François Bonnardel has announced that inmates of provincial prisons will be imprisoned in male or female facilities according to their "anatomical sex". However, transgender people who have undergone vaginoplasty (how horrible!), and are therefore castrated, will be incarcerated in women's prisons. It's a much better situation, nevertheless, than the previous one, where men claiming to be women could be locked up with women while retaining all their male attributes.

For Life,
Augustin Hamilton

Vigil 365

The Vigil 365 is a prayer vigil where, every day for one or two hours, pro-lifers pray in a public place at a certain distance from an abortuary for the end of abortion.

For more information, contact Brian Jenkins on (438) 930-8643.

One might have thought (in theory, at least) that the most zealous supporters of "choice" (i.e. abortion) would be the most ardent defenders of all choices, including those they don't like. Unfortunately, such a coherent mindset does not seem to be found among activists of the type motivated enough to take to the streets to prevent a peaceful pro-life demonstration (the enemies of “choice”), thereby denying their opponents the choice to criticise abortion freely. They are not the ones we will see coming up to us to put their hand on our shoulder and say "I support your choice, whatever it is!" This call for universal "choice" is in fact just a pretext for defending an indefensible practice: abortion. Or perhaps it's because they themselves recognise that not all choices are legitimate, in which case...

We pro-lifers agree that women have the choice of whether or not to have children, but we differ on the moment of that choice. The choice to have children should be made before conception, not after!

Indeed, there is a choice to be made, carefully and freely. However, what pro-abortionists are really calling for is for sexuality to be without responsability and to be able to reject the consequences of their actions. It's a strange world where pleasure takes precedence over respect for life...

I was talking about the choice to freely express one's opposition to abortion. It's one thing for a bunch of inconsistent hooligans to try to bully this choice, but for the authorities to remain almost passive in the face of such behaviour crosses the line. It is absurd that the authorities did nothing to guarantee the security of our banquet at the Delta hotel, which had to be cancelled because of threats from supporters of the "choice".

This is why we will be calling on the authorities about their passive attitude so that we can receive protection equal to that guaranteed to other citizens. Otherwise, the freedom of expression that our society prides itself on is nothing but a dead letter.

As a reminder, don't forget to fill in the questionnaire we've drawn up. We really want to hear your opinion on the Quebec City March for Life and on what needs to be improved.

Please fill in our questionnaire here >>

For Life,
Augustin Hamilton

By Georges Buscemi (Quebec Life Coalition) — Photo: Augustin Hamilton

We are often reminded that we live under a so-called "liberal" regime, that is, a system founded upon "fundamental freedoms": freedom of religion, assembly, and expression. In Quebec, this liberalism is supposed to be protected by the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, adopted 50 years ago. Whether or not we agree with all its principles, in theory, we should be living under this rule of law.

However, the reality experienced during our March for Life on May 31, 2025, clearly demonstrates otherwise. If we truly had the right to peacefully demonstrate and freely express ourselves in the public square, the police would not have allowed a group of counter-protesters to intimidate us and drown out our speeches with whistles, shouting, and smoke from smoke devices. Nor would they have tolerated repeated disruptions of our march, nor permitted hostile agitators to infiltrate and openly violate our right to peaceful assembly.

Logically, the police should have intervened decisively to restore order. Acting firmly against these counter-protesters would not have violated their rights, for anyone actively working to deny the rights of others forfeits the right to complain when prevented from causing harm. A thief cannot seriously cry injustice when stopped from committing further theft.

Mr. Trump: Canada’s Crackdown on Christianity Must End Before Trade Begins

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA, June 11, 2025 — In light of escalating attacks by the Canadian federal government against pro-life and religious groups, including churches, Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) will hold a press conference outside the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa this Thursday to call on the Trump administration to intervene on their behalf during the upcoming G7 Summit in Alberta.

Press Conference Details:
WHEN: Thursday, June 12, 2025 | 10:00 AM local time

WHERE: U.S. Embassy, 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON

WHAT: Press Conference & Petition Reveal

VISUALS: Public petition signed by more than 20,000 Canadians; delivery to Prime Minister’s Office to follow. A letter to U.S. President Donald Trump will be read by CLC National President Jeff Gunnarson and delivered to the U.S. Embassy.

Background:
As Canada continues an ongoing trade war with the United States, a different kind of war is being waged on home soil by the Canadian federal Government against its citizens: Religious freedom and freedom of speech are under direct attack.

Last December, an all-party Finance Committee tabled a report in Parliament with recommendations for the Federal Government to implement in the 2025 federal budget.

Two recommendations struck fear into the hearts of religious and pro-life citizens across the country:

1. Strip pro-life organizations of charitable status (Recommendation 429), and
2. Remove “advancement of religion” as a recognized charitable purpose under the Income Tax Act (Recommendation 430).

These measures, if adopted in the forthcoming budget, would undermine the legal standing and financial viability of churches, Christian charities, and pro-life organizations across Canada.

In contrast, the Trump administration’s stated foreign policy is to prioritize negotiations with countries that protect religious freedom and free speech. As President Trump prepares to visit Canada for the G7 meeting in Alberta this weekend, Campaign Life Coalition is calling on the U.S. administration to use its diplomatic leverage to speak out against this clear and present danger to the survival of faith-based and pro-life Canadian charitable institutions.

Following the press conference, a petition signed by over 20,000 Canadians will be delivered to Prime Minister Mark Carney. It demands that he immediately and unequivocally retract these proposals and defend the right of pro-life and religious organizations to exist without government interference.

Campaign Life Coalition rises with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, His Eminence Frank Cardinal Leo, interdenominational faith leaders, and pro-life leaders in defence of freedoms that our Charter of Rights and Freedoms calls “fundamental”: Freedom of religion and freedom of expression.

Resources:
House of Commons: PRE-BUDGET CONSULTATIONS IN ADVANCE OF THE 2025 BUDGET: Report of the Standing Committee on Finance

Government of Canada: Revocation tax

Western Standard: BAKLINSKI: Faith under fire... what it would mean if Ottawa ended religious charitable tax exemption

National Post: Raymond J. de Souza: Proposal to strip religious groups of charitable tax status would eviscerate Canada’s charities

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops: Important Concerns Regarding Recommendations 429 and 430 on Charitable Status

Frank Cardinal Leo, Archdiocese of Toronto: Regarding the recent Finance Committee’s pre-budget report

Evangelical Fellowship of Canada: Finance Committee's troubling recommendations on charitable status

Christian Legal Fellowship: Pre-Budget Recommendations impacting religious charities

Catholic Civil Rights League: CCRL Call to Action: Defend Charitable Status for Religious Organizations

We're in the middle of June, its beginnings have unfortunately been overshadowed by the forest fires in the West, but this otherwise magnificent month is not over and can still fulfil the promises it holds. The same is true in the spiritual and political world. This month, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, very humble and very loving, some would like it to be the month of "pride", but it is up to us to let the light of truth, life and true love shine.

In a letter on Sacred Heart Month, Cardinal Francis Leo of Toronto calls on Catholics to honour the heart of Christ, which is "the only symbol we really need which underscores our human dignity, our call to holiness of life, Jesus’ sacrificial love for humanity, how precious we are to him and how ugly sin is as an offence to him." He points out that "Symbols are important as they convey meanings in what they represent, and they point beyond their own reality to something else, someone else." Cardinal Leo reminds us that Catholic symbols help us in prayer, in life and in the choices we make. He stresses the importance of not using ideological symbols that are contrary to the faith, in other words, of not adhering to these ideologies: "We need to make sure that the symbols we use are consistent with our Catholic faith and not borrowed from ideological fora, promoted by lobby groups and endorsed by political movements. We ought to honour and respect our traditions and not compromise the integrity of the faith by using symbols that are contrary to God’s divine revelation. We do good to use our own symbols to tell our own story without resorting to trendy, misguided and inadequate symbols that do not represent us as Catholics but rather contribute to confusion, distortions and ambiguities about what the Catholic faith truly teaches regarding the human person, human nature, and natural moral law."

Speaking of ideology, the "Comité de sages" (commitee of wises), set up by François Legault to respond to the September 2023 demonstrations by parents opposed to the teaching of gender ideology to their children, recently issued a biased report on the subject, demonstrating, according to Jean-Léon Laffitte, President of the Association des parents catholiques du Québec, "a complete failure of their ability to listen".

Today, Thursday 12th June, Georges Buscemi, President of Quebec Life Coalition, will take part in the press conference of Campaign Life Coalition, which will mark the presentation of a petition of 20,000 signatures to the Canadian Government for the protection of the charitable status of religious and pro-life charities, and the delivery to the US Embassy of a letter to the US government, on the eve of the G7 meeting in Alberta, calling on it to exert its influence on the Canadian government to respect Christians and pro-lifers.

Finally, I'd like to remind you that we've set up a questionnaire so that you can give us your impressions of the Quebec March for Life. This is very important to us, as we want to improve this emblematic event in the fight for the unborn child as much as possible.

Please fill in our questionnaire here >>

For Life,
Augustin Hamilton

Article from the CQV team:

The Quebec City March for Life despite the obstacles
It was an epic and wet march! This year, once again, we held the Quebec City March for Life despite all the obstacles that were thrown in our path and despite the rain. Around 500 to 600 pro-lifers answered the call from Quebec Life Coalition and marched for the lives of unborn children through the streets of Quebec City on May 31th 2025. The theme of the march was "Every human being has the right to life". This is a quote from the Quebec Charter, the 50th anniversary of which is being celebrated this year.

Vigil 365

The Vigil 365 is a prayer vigil where, every day for one or two hours, pro-lifers pray in a public place at a certain distance from an abortuary for the end of abortion.

For more information, contact Brian Jenkins on (438) 930-8643.

By Augustin Hamilton (Quebec Life Coalition) - Photo: Georges Buscemi

It was an epic and wet march!

This year, once again, we held the Quebec City March for Life despite all the obstacles that were thrown in our path and despite the rain.

Around 500 to 600 pro-lifers answered the call from Quebec Life Coalition and marched for the lives of unborn children through the streets of Quebec City on May 31th 2025.

Photo: Augustin Hamilton

The theme of the march was "Every human being has the right to life". This is a quote from the Quebec Charter, the 50th anniversary of which is being celebrated this year.

Photo: AH

It was an epic march!

This year, once again, we held the Quebec City March for Life despite all the obstacles that were thrown in our path and despite the rain.

Around 600 to 700 pro-lifers answered the call from Quebec Life Campaign and marched for the lives of unborn children through the streets of Quebec City on May 31th 2025.

The theme of the march was "Every human being has the right to life". This is a quote from the Quebec Charter, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.