News

The pro-lifers who organized an event in Quebec City need our help!

As you probably have heard, B.C.-based Harvest ministry’s plans to put on a 10-day event at Quebec City’s Convention Centre was shot down by an unprecedented intervention by Quebec Minister of Tourism Caroline Proulx, who decided by fiat that the group renting the government-owned facility was too pro-life for her.

Her colleague, Minister of Women’s affairs Martine Biron, concurred. She’s busy trying to find ways to “enshrine” the right to abortion in Quebec. You can understand why Proulx found it difficult to tolerate pro-life Christians using her facilities while her colleague was labouring to keep killing babies in the womb legal and perfectly acceptable in the minds of Quebecers.

As a representative of Quebec’s pro-life community, I was interviewed by Radio Canada (French CBC) on what I thought about this state censorship of pro-lifers. My interviewer was trying to downplay the impact this censorship would have on Haverst ministry and pro-lifers in general, saying that there were many other places we could gather for pro-life events. My answer was immediate: this move by the government would have a profound chilling effect, warning anyone who would accept to host pro-lifers that they would pay a heavy price for doing so. 

QLC President Georges Buscemi being interviewed by French CBC about the censorship of pro-lifers in Quebec. (Click here for video—French only)

Let’s be clear: Even though the government only literally owns three (albeit very important) conference centres and large venues—the Quebec Convention Centre, the Montreal Convention Centre, and the Olympic Stadium complex—the Quebec government has its tentacles everywhere. They basically have a stake in every business, in the form of subsidies or other advantages it grants to these. Take media, for example: without government advertising, many media outlets would not survive in their current form. Is it a surprise that they fall over each other to dutifully parrot government talking points? They know who butters their bread.

In other words, and this I made clear to the suspiciously naive CBC reporter, that not only will Harvest be kicked out of government facilities, but they will find it very, very difficult to find a substitute home for their event, given that all the other venue owners will be afraid to make a stand for Life or even for free expression, over and against the wishes of the Quebec government.

Lo and behold, this is exactly what is happening. Harvest Ministries has yet to find a substitute location for even a paired-down version of their event. Whereas they had originally hoped to welcome about 1000 people a day for 10 days starting June 22, they now are looking to host about 200–300 people a day. But no venue will have them as of this writing.

Therefore, if you or anyone you know may have contacts in Quebec City, who know of a location to house such an event for 200–300 people, please let us know by answering this email! We fellow pro-lifers have to band together in the face of government persecution!

Finally, we are in the midst of our summer fundraiser. We are looking to raise $12,000 in 2 weeks. Our last email was successful, and we warmly thank all donors. But we still have $10,568 to raise in 10 days. If you haven’t yet had the chance, please donate today.

We must continue growing to form a loyal opposition to this disloyal, bullying government. They have had full control of the playing field for too long. They need to be resisted. But this cannot happen without your help. To help us develop a pro-life opposition to stand up to the pro-abortion establishment in this province, please give what you can today.

God bless,

Georges Buscemi, President
Quebec Life Coalition / Campagne Québec-Vie