Resurging debate around abortion could mean policy change is coming The debate in Canada exists in a legal grey area.

Resurging debate around abortion could mean policy change is coming The debate in Canada is complicated by the fact that unlike in the U.S., where abortion rights are protected by law, abortion in Canada exists in a legal grey area.    

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For the past 30 years, the debate about abortion in Canada has been simmering on the sidelines.

By and large, Canadians haven't spent much time debating the hugely contentious issue on a large scale. Anti-abortion groups have attempted to bring the issue to the forefront, though their influence on national affairs has remained muted. And, tragically, there have been episodes of violence — including a 1995 sniper-style shooting in Hamilton targeting Dr. Hugh Short, an Ancaster obstetrician-gynecologist who performed abortions.

But despite the controversy around the issue, abortion hasn't been on the table for debate at the national level.

Today, that seems to be changing.

Canadians have watched as several U.S. states have either taken steps to drastically reduce abortion access or passed legislation that essentially bans the process. Here in Canada, the Conservative party has signalled its hesitance to support abortion rights, including refusing to stand and applaud for a statement in the House affirming a woman's right to choose.

Locally, MPP Sam Oosterhoff, who represents Niagara West for the Doug Ford Conservatives, spoke this spring at an anti-abortion rally, promising to "make abortion unthinkable in our lifetime." The Spectator reached out to Oosterhoff at the time for comment but did not receive a response. Around the same time, high-profile billboards and advertisements on city buses spurred debate about the veracity and appropriateness of pro-abortion ads. Pro-choice protests popped up around Hamilton, including some led by the highly visible, red-cloaked Handmaids.

This month "Unplanned" — an American documentary with a strong anti-abortion message — made headlines with a controversial one-week run in 49 theatres across Canada.

As the debate heats up, will it affect Canadian policy?

The idea that the anti-abortion camp is growing isn't necessarily true, said Tina Fetner, an associate professor of sociology at McMaster University who studies social movements around sexuality. According to 2017 polling data, the majority of Canadians — 77 per cent — say abortion should be permitted.

This poll, consistent with others performed within the last several years, also showed that only 12 per cent of Canadians feel abortions should be banned. Another 24 per cent are willing to accept some restrictions on abortion, but a majority — 53 per cent — want no restrictions on abortion at all.

Today, that seems to be changing.

Canadians have watched as several U.S. states have either taken steps to drastically reduce abortion access or passed legislation that essentially bans the process. Here in Canada, the Conservative party has signalled its hesitance to support abortion rights, including refusing to stand and applaud for a statement in the House affirming a woman's right to choose.

Locally, MPP Sam Oosterhoff, who represents Niagara West for the Doug Ford Conservatives, spoke this spring at an anti-abortion rally, promising to "make abortion unthinkable in our lifetime." The Spectator reached out to Oosterhoff at the time for comment but did not receive a response. Around the same time, high-profile billboards and advertisements on city buses spurred debate about the veracity and appropriateness of pro-abortion ads. Pro-choice protests popped up around Hamilton, including some led by the highly visible, red-cloaked Handmaids.

This month "Unplanned" — an American documentary with a strong anti-abortion message — made headlines with a controversial one-week run in 49 theatres across Canada.

As the debate heats up, will it affect Canadian policy?

The idea that the anti-abortion camp is growing isn't necessarily true, said Tina Fetner, an associate professor of sociology at McMaster University who studies social movements around sexuality. According to 2017 polling data, the majority of Canadians — 77 per cent — say abortion should be permitted.

This poll, consistent with others performed within the last several years, also showed that only 12 per cent of Canadians feel abortions should be banned. Another 24 per cent are willing to accept some restrictions on abortion, but a majority — 53 per cent — want no restrictions on abortion at all.

Fetner says, however, that even though the majority of Canadians support abortion, there's still a chance policy will shift. Just because political parties haven't been willing to tackle the issue in the past doesn't mean they won't feel emboldened by the recent increase in anti-abortion rhetoric.

"The question is whether the Conservative party is more willing to take a risk and enact some policy anyway," says Fetner.

The debate in Canada is complicated by the fact that unlike in the U.S., where abortion rights are protected by law, abortion in Canada exists in a legal grey area. There are no laws prohibiting abortion or guaranteeing access to it.

Within the health care system, however, abortion is strictly regulated.

Hamilton Health Sciences, for example, will perform abortions up to 17 weeks gestation. St. Joseph's Hospital, a Catholic institution, does not perform abortions.

Dr. Dustin Costescu, a family planning specialist in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at McMaster University, says every hospital has its own limits on when it will perform abortions based on gestational age. Roughly 80 per cent of abortions happen within the first trimester.

Ironically, Costescu says, women who need abortions later in their pregnancies (usually due to medical reasons, such as the mother's health or problems with the developing fetus) have to travel to the U.S., as it's virtually impossible to find a practitioner in Canada who will perform abortions after 23 or 24 weeks.

Canadian anti-abortion advocates are watching the situation in the U.S. very closely.

Gwen Landolt is national vice-president and legal council for Real Women of Canada, a group that lobbies against abortion. She says there is a growing frustration among anti-abortion groups about the perceived ability to express their viewpoint.

"We're not allowed to speak out unless we speak in accordance with the politically correct," Landolt says. "I think what we see in the United States is encouraging us to reject this narrowing of freedom of speech."

Though she won't say whether she thinks anti-abortion groups are any closer to meeting their goals, Landolt does expect the issue to "break through," thanks to widespread frustration.

"I think it's going to erupt somewhere, because you can't prevent people from speaking out on any issue."

The growing chorus of anti-abortion sentiment is also mobilizing the pro-choice movement, Fetner says.

"A whole generation of women have grown up thinking their reproductive rights are under their control — now that seems like it's at risk," she said. "It's no surprise to me to see that activism is on the rise on the pro-choice side. It's a very scary time for women."