News

Brian Jenkins.

By Brian Jenkins (Quebec Life Coalition)

Many blessings are being received at this fall’s prayer vigil for the end of abortion in Sherbrooke.

Since the vigil began this past Wednesday, September 25, a small yet devoted group of men and women have been maintaining a prayerful presence in this Eastern Township community, near the abortion facility located on Belvedere Street on the southern side of the city.

Particularly meritorious is the outreach that is being done. Outside the abortion facility’s operating hours, volunteers frequently gather a five-minute walk away at the busy intersection of Belvedere and Galt Streets to carry the pro-life message to the rush-hour commuters and weekend shoppers, and they are doing so with remarkable success.

For example, on one evening while in discussion with a local itinerant, I was approached by a young man who seemed genuinely sincere to understand how I can encourage others to pray for the end of abortion. (These are the words inscribed upon the sign that hangs around my neck.)

Parliament of Canada.

By Arpad Nagy (Quebec Life Coalition) - Photo: Arpad Nagy

Yesterday, for the first time ever, I attended the question period in the house of commons in Ottawa.

And what a day it was!

The Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Hon. Marci Ien, tabled a motion in the house “that contains our plan to require more transparency from charities that use deceptive tactics to push women away from making their own reproductive decisions”. So in short, the liberals, with the help of the NDP and BLOC, are starting their all-out attack on pro-life pregnancy centres.

So many members of parliament from those parties spoke out today against pregnancy centres. So many pregnancy centres provide crucial services to pregnant women and to mothers! Women who receive counseling, financial aid, baby items such as diapers, clothes, food, toys, etc… and all of this free of charge!!! The push to shut down these extraordinary centres that help women who want to have their children is so uncomprehensible!

Jeff Gunnerson, president of Campaign Life Coalition took quick action and wrote a letter to Pierre Poilievre, urging him and the conservative caucus to oppose this motion. He writes: “This legislation is nothing more than evidence of a Liberal vendetta against pro-life organizations that offer women more choices other than abortion, such as adoption and parenting. (…) With this proposed legislation, the Liberal Party is once again reaffirming that it is not the party of ‘choice’ but the party of abortion as the only choice.”

A new documentary by Léa Clermont-Dion on the future of abortion in Canada has just been released. "La peur au ventre" (Gut-wrenching Fear) follows a number of people involved in the fight for or against abortion in Canada and the United States to paint a current picture of the abortion issue. Among the pro-lifers featured in the documentary, Georges Buscemi, president of Campagne Québec-Vie / Quebec Life Coalition, appears to be the main pro-life protagonist in Quebec.

As you will have guessed, this documentary makes no secret of its bias in favour of abortion. However, it does give pro-lifers a fair amount of screen time, showing them in a not too unfavourable light.

Following the release of the documentary on Télé-Québec, Mr Buscemi was invited to appear on Sophie Durocher's show on QUB radio to discuss the film (in French).

Georges Buscemi, president of Quebec Life Coalition, being interviewed by Sophie Durocher of QUB radio (French).

In New Brunswick, the Liberals have just won a majority of seats in the provincial election, with Susan Holt taking over from Conservative Blaine Higgs. Ms Holt pledged to fund abortion in private facilities, repeal the requirement for schools to ask permission from children's parents before carrying out any ‘gender transition’ on their offspring, and restore access to schools for the organisation "HPV Global Action", which had been banned from schools by Blaine Higgs following leaks about the inappropriate sex education material the group was showing students. A sad day for New Brunswick.

Urgent Petition to Protect Our Children
On the subject of HPV Global Action, we have learned that the organisation has its headquarters in Quebec and that it is also active in schools. We therefore strongly encourage you to sign this essential petition to protect young Quebecers from the corruption of so-called "educational" organizations that attempt to introduce harmful programs in our schools. Whether you have children in school or not, it’s crucial that every Quebecer act in favor of healthy, value-based education.
Review and sign the petition here: https://www.cqv.qc.ca/hpv_global_action. Please share it with your friends and family via email or on social media. Together, let’s make our voices heard to protect Quebec’s children.

Sign the petition >>

Pro-Life Youth Event for Anglophones in Montreal

On November 9, we’ll be holding an event for pro-life youth from Montreal’s English-speaking community. We’re delighted to welcome any young person who understands English and is passionate about defending life.
You can find all the event details here: https://en.cqv.qc.ca/nov9prolife. And for those waiting for an event in French, rest assured—we’re planning a similar gathering in early 2025. More details to come!

RSVP for youth pro-life event>>

For Life,
Augustin Hamilton

Barbara Bonner (left) taking part in the Vigil 365, October 2022.

By Brian Jenkins (Quebec Life Coalition)

This past Thanksgiving Monday, one of the Quebec Life Coalition more enthousiastic supporters was called home to our Heavenly Father. Barbara Bonner died peacefully surrounded by family at the Saint Gabriel Palliative care centre in Montreal.

Over the twelve or so years I have been part of Montreal’s pro-life movement, Barbara was present at various and numerous occasions. She played an integral part of the annual corn-on-the-cob event at our offices, coordinating the preparation of the corn. She participated regularly in the outdoor prayer vigils for the end of abortion, from the initial moments when we prayed on St. Joseph Blvd in 2009 and then moving with us to the Berri and St. Catherine Streets site. And she did exemplary work replacing me a year ago to coordinate the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil while I did likewise in Sherbrooke.

The following personal testimony from Denis Beaudoin, another volunteer with QLC, aptly describes how we all felt about Barbara.

A Eulogy for Barbara Bonner, by Denis Beaudoin

Barbara, a devout Catholic and deeply involved volunteer in the Pro-Life cause, passed away this past Thanksgiving Monday. Barbara was a genuinely nice person, and I loved her very much. Always smiling, with her great interpersonal skills, she sometimes led us into interesting discussions on spiritual matters and the lives of the saints. She took on the responsibility of making the calls to ensure a presence of praying volunteers at the 40 Days for Life in Montreal last fall (2023), Brian being at the 40 Days for Life Vigil in Sherbrooke. I am going to miss seeing her. I am going to miss those discussions at the Second Cup on Saint-Denis Street after prayer time. Many people knew her better than I did, and appreciated this simple, pious woman of faith. Let us pray for her, her family, and her friends. Directly to Heaven? - Here's a text message I received: “While she (Barbara’s sister) was praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet, at the end Barbara passed silently away!” According to St. Faustina Kowalska's diary, when the Divine Mercy Chaplet is recited at the bedside of a dying person, the soul goes straight to Heaven, without Judgment and without passing through Purgatory.

We have several important topics to share with you this week:

Urgent Petition to Protect Our Children
We strongly encourage you to sign this essential petition to protect young Quebecers from the corruption of so-called "educational" organizations that attempt to introduce harmful programs in our schools. Whether you have children in school or not, it’s crucial that every Quebecer act in favor of healthy, value-based education.
Review and sign the petition here: https://www.cqv.qc.ca/hpv_global_action. Please share it with your friends and family via email or on social media. Together, let’s make our voices heard to protect Quebec’s children.

Sign the petition >>

Pro-Life Youth Event for Anglophones in Montreal
On November 9, we’ll be holding an event for pro-life youth from Montreal’s English-speaking community. We’re delighted to welcome any young person who understands English and is passionate about defending life.
You can find all the event details here: https://en.cqv.qc.ca/nov9prolife. And for those waiting for an event in French, rest assured—we’re planning a similar gathering in early 2025. More details to come!

RSVP for youth pro-life event>>

Our Trial Against “Bubble Zones” is Approaching
We are actively preparing for our court case challenging provisions of the Health and Social Services Act (section 16.1), which restrict our freedom of expression by preventing us from peacefully counseling pregnant women in public spaces near abortion centers. Since this law was adopted in 2016, presence within 50 meters of these establishments has been prohibited, with fines of up to $1,250 for individuals.
This law, passed under pressure from abortion centers like the Morgentaler Clinic, unfairly restricts our message of compassion and support for pregnant women in difficult situations. We challenge this restriction, as it infringes on our fundamental right to freedom of expression—a right recognized as essential in a democratic society.

The trial will begin on November 11 at 9 a.m., in Room 15.07 located at 10 Saint-Antoine Street East, Montreal, QC, H2Y 4A5.

I hope this information is helpful! Thank you for your commitment and for every action taken in defense of Life.

Georges Buscemi
President, Campagne Québec-Vie

By Brian Jenkins (Quebec Life Coalition) - Photo: partystock/Freepik

I thank God for the many people dedicated at building a culture of life that we work with. A case in point illustrates this matter.

In a previous entry, I wrote to you about Danielle. She had contacted our pregnancy support line this past April. Alone, in Canada on Humanitarian grounds, she called to ask whether we would buy her a bed. As her pregnancy was progressing, she was finding it ever more uncomfortable sleeping on the floor. Fortunately, close to her apartment, a retailer was found which sold beds, boxes, and linen and in no time was a deal made, with a delivery arranged for either the following day or the day after.

Since this first encounter, we have continued to provide her with moral and material support.

This past week, in her 34th week, Danielle called us to ask whether we could help her prepare for the arrival of her children, because she is expecting twins. She listed articles including two car seats, diapers, and wipes.

Recently, Msgr. Francis Leo appeared on EWTN to speak about assisted suicide in Canada and the importance of promoting palliative care in our churches. Msgr. Leo highlighted a program developed by the CCCB, called Horizons of Hope: A Toolkit for Catholic Parishes on Palliative Care.

In Canada, Euthanasia is going rampant. Eligibility to the MAID program is constantly being expanded, and the number of people requesting to be killed through MAID is greatly increasing every year. Euthanasia is a reality that every priest and pastor need to face, because it is happening in our church family. It is a reality that each of us also needs to face because it can happen in our circles as well.

Is euthanasia being talked about in your church? If yes, is there clear teaching on it? Are people taking the teachings to heart and putting them in action by helping those vulnerable or prone to consider euthanasia? These are questions we need to ask ourselves.

Msgr. Leo expressed that palliative care is the only option. In his diocese, he is encouraging the setting up of parish groups to help people understand the evils of euthanasia and the benefits of palliative care. Horizons of Hope is a program that intends to educate people on the issues surrounding palliative care, death and the process of dying, suffering, accompaniment and bereavement, through quality content and through building community. Thank you to the CCCB and their collaborators for creating this program. I will be looking more into it.

I am always very happy to hear when our spiritual leaders publicly and intently address the social ills of our time, especially when it comes to abortion, euthanasia and the traditional family. I recently wrote a blog on a different topic—Msgr. Leo’s open letter to members of parliament on a pornography bill. In case you missed it, you can read it here. Thank you Msgr. Leo for your public stance, and I wish you good success in your new responsibilities in the Church.

First and foremost, I would like to express our deep gratitude to the more than 150 donors who contributed to our Fall 2024 fundraising campaign. Thanks to your generosity, we not only reached but also exceeded our $12,000 goal. To date, we have raised $14,114, with additional donations likely to arrive by mail. A sincere thank you to you, our devoted donors! I also extend heartfelt thanks to those who, even if unable to give this time, continue to support our work through their prayers and volunteer efforts. May God repay your kindness a hundredfold.

I would also like to invite you to read the open letter I wrote today to Léa Clermont-Dion, director of a documentary on abortion that will air on October 21 on Télé-Québec. The message I share with her could just as well be addressed to many others in the media and academic spheres. I encourage you to share this letter and to pray that, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it may touch hearts.

My colleague Arpad has also published a blog post on a recent interview with Cardinal-designate Leo of the Diocese of Toronto. This post addresses the issue of euthanasia in Canada and the urgent need to promote dignified palliative care that accompanies people respectfully through the end of life, without resorting to euthanasia.

The 40 Days for Life campaign is also ongoing. For those in the Sherbrooke area, I invite you to join the local vigil. For more details, you can contact our colleague Brian Jenkins, who organizes this vigil in Sherbrooke, at 438-930-8643.

Finally, a remarkable success this year: the 2024 Life Chain was held with fervor across Quebec and Canada, with nearly 350 chains, including around 20 in Quebec. Don’t miss the report by my colleague Augustin on our blog. In parallel, the pro-life group Vie Féconde in Togo, inspired by our work here, organized their own Life Chain in two cities as a sign of solidarity. I also invite you to check out their photos on our website.

Once again, thank you to each and every one of you for the resounding success of our Fall 2024 fundraising campaign. Thanks to you, we continue the good fight for faith, family, and life, from conception to natural death.

For Life,

Georges Buscemi
President, Campagne Québec-Vie

I’m writing to share several updates that highlight the impact of our shared mission for life and truth in Quebec and beyond.

First, Life Chain took place on October 6 in over 300 locations across Canada, including around 20 here in Quebec. This annual event, always highly anticipated, brought together hundreds of individuals in Quebec committed to defending the dignity of human life and was a resounding success. We’re pleased to share some photos from the event, capturing moments from various locations across Quebec. A more detailed report with images and testimonies will be available next Wednesday to highlight this meaningful day.

A part of the gathering in Lévis.


The Life Chain in Gatineau.

One of the chains in the Montreal area (Carrefour Laval).

I wanted to bring to your attention a pro-abortion documentary titled La peur au ventre ("Fear in the Gut" or “Gut-Wrenching Fear”), which will air on Quebec’s public educational network Télé-Québec on October 21st at 8 PM. This documentary focuses on the impact in Canada of the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States. Unfortunately, it presents a strongly pro-abortion narrative, aiming to instill fear among abortion supporters. You can watch the trailer here on Télé-Québec or on Facebook.

Screen shot of the documentary “Gut-Wrenching Fear”. The man’s sign reads “Abortion is the number 1 cause of mortality in Canada”. Click to see the trailer.

The documentary features footage from the Marches for Life in Ottawa, Washington, D.C., and Quebec, where Quebec Life Coalition (QLC) is prominently showcased. Notably, it includes my confrontation (staged by the director) with a Quebec Solidaire MNA during the Quebec March for Life. As expected, this film is a piece of pro-abortion propaganda, a direct contrast to the documentary Roe Canada, produced with the help of our parent organization, Campaign Life Coalition.

However, what stands out in the documentary is the acknowledgment by our opponents that our pro-life movement has a coherent political plan. In fact, a pro-abortion activist mentions this explicitly in the trailer, and she’s not wrong. Our plan is coherent: we don’t just oppose abortion, euthanasia, and other societal ills. We are working toward a Christian society where everything—including the laws of our country—is ordered to the glory of God. This doesn’t mean a “theocracy,” but it is an alternative to the secular atheism that reigns today, allowing abortion and other evils to be tolerated in the name of a misunderstood “freedom,” which is actually license.

A Coherent Vision for the Common Good

What sets Quebec Life Coalition apart from other pro-life groups is precisely this coherent vision. We don’t just focus on opposing abortion; we seek to restore the foundations of the common good and the ultimate purpose of man, which is union with Christ. This vision drives everything we do: we help mothers in need, we educate the public on the moral and psychological dangers of abortion, and we pray for the conversion of hearts, all with the aim of creating a society that glorifies God.

Quebec Life Coalition: Leading the Charge

This documentary clearly shows that QLC is at the forefront of the pro-life movement in Quebec. As president, I was filmed for nearly two hours during various pro-life events, both in Washington and in Quebec. This demonstrates that QLC is doing the heavy lifting where the battle is most intense, and we need your support to do even more.

Why Quebec Matters

Quebec is often seen as the weak link in Canada when it comes to pro-life legislation and politics. For now, it is a very left-leaning province, and the rest of Canada will struggle to move forward until Quebec reconnects with its Christian heritage. That’s why supporting Quebec Life Coalition is crucial not only for Quebec, but for the entire Canadian pro-life movement. As long as Quebec remains secularist and in rebellion against God, it will continue to support abortion; and as long as Quebec supports abortion, the rest of Canada will remain trapped in the Culture of Death.

Five Days Left to Reach Our Goal

We have just five days remaining in our fall fundraising campaign, and we are still 1,102 dollars short of our $12,000 goal. Your support is essential for us to continue this vital work. Every donation, no matter the size, brings us closer to our goal and helps us defend life, protect families, and build a society where faith guides our laws and culture.

Please consider donating today to help us reach our goal and keep Quebec Life Coalition strong in our fight for a pro-life future in Quebec and Canada.

May God bless you for your continued prayers and generosity.

For Life,

Georges Buscemi
President, Quebec Life Coalition

P.S. Don't forget that tomorrow, October 6th, the annual Life Chain event will take place across North America and beyond. This is a unique opportunity to gather in prayer and publicly witness in favor of life, from conception to natural death. To find a Life Chain in Quebec, check out the list of locations at en.cqv.qc.ca/chain2024