Calgarians rally in support of abortion rights as expected Roe v. Wade reversal sparks controversy
Calgarians gathered in front of city hall Sunday to rally in support of a woman’s right to abortion as a leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft decision brings the issue to the forefront of conversation on both sides of the border.
The potential reversal of the 1973 Roe v. Wade case, which established the right to abortion nationwide in the U.S., has sparked massive ‘Bans Off Our Bodies’ protests.
Betsy Jameson, a 75-year-old former University of Calgary history professor, grew up in Galveston, Texas, where abortion was illegal for a third of her life.
She says the right to choose is fundamental for all women.
“I remember those days when people had to lie to get birth control or abortions, when people had to travel long distances often to get illegal abortions, they were expensive, often unsafe, and women died,” Jameson said.
“It’s been a very long struggle so I'm very heartened to see all these young people here who carry on this struggle if we have to when I'm gone.”
The right to an abortion does not exist in Canada in the same way it has been enshrined in Roe V. Wade, which has served as a legal example for reproductive rights advocates around the world since 1973.
Abortion is decriminalized in Canada because of a 1988 Supreme Court decision, but no bill has ever been passed to enshrine access into law. The right to an abortion is also not considered a constitutionally protected right under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It’s why advocates attending the Calgary rally like Joann Reynolds believe the Canadian government should introduce a bill to protect the right to freely choose to have an abortion.
“We need to unequivocally say as a country that this is what we stand for. I mean, you think about all these people that were protesting in the streets for freedom so they could do what they wanted with masks and stuff so here we are asking for freedom of bodily autonomy,” she said.
The event is especially important for organizer Adora ‘Statuesse’ Nwofor, a local comedian and abortion rights activist who has suffered multiple miscarriages and had an abortion as well.
She’s now calling for better access to abortion services, fearing that the Roe v. Wade decision could trigger a decrease in access for Canadians.
“Abortion is a health care issue so if we don't have access to abortion, we don't have full access to health care, which means that people will be dying, children will be impacted, and our society is not going to grow in the way that it needs to,” she said.
“There are too many of us who have had horrific experiences being pregnant, having children and navigating health care.”
Limits on how late an abortion could be performed during a pregnancy are determined at a provincial or territory level in Canada and enforced by the medical community, not by the courts.
Young girls like 14-year-old Violet Goulden attended the event to raise awareness for her peers that may be faced with the difficult choice of abortion.
“You hear about all the terrible cases that could happen and still happen very often, and there's just no access, so this could save somebody's life,” Goulden said.
The Trudeau government is spending $3.5 million on two projects to improve abortion access in Canada following the re-emergence of the Roe v. Wade case.
Funding will stem from a year-old budget pledge to spend $45 million over three years to help organizations make sexual and reproductive information and services more available.
Advocates said last week that none of the money had been paid out yet.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada pledges funds as G7 develops response to famine fallout from Russian invasion
Canada pledged $50 million to prevent Ukrainian grain from going to waste on Sunday as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed to work with G7 nations on further measures to halt the famine caused by the Russian invasion of the embattled country.

Connecting Indigenous inmates to their culture: Grand Chief performs at Manitoba prison
Behind prison walls, National Indigenous People's Day was celebrated this month, with inmates at a Manitoba federal prison granted access to music, drumming and sharing circles — positive steps forward to reconnect Indigenous inmates with their culture and rehabilitate a group that is incarcerated at a disproportionate rate.
Hundreds of thousands celebrate return of Toronto Pride parade to downtown streets
Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets of downtown Toronto on Sunday as the city's Pride parade returned for the first time in two years.
BREAKING | Colorado Avalanche win Stanley Cup, beat Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6
Colorado Avalanche win the 2022 Stanley Cup, beating two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine a 'turning point' in world history: defence chief
Canada's chief of defence says Russia's invasion of Ukraine is going to change the course of history.
Halifax scientists have a plan to capture carbon from the atmosphere using mining materials
A Dalhousie University team of scientists — in a joint venture with a company called Planetary Technologies — is now in the next phase of their research to use the power of the ocean to one day reduce the world’s carbon levels.
U.S. Ambassador Cohen on inflation, the convoy protests, abortion rights and gun control
David Cohen has been the United States' Ambassador to Canada since November 2021, and in the time since, both Canada and the United States have experienced a series of shared challenges. In an interview at his official residence in Ottawa, Cohen opens up about the state of the relationship.
Trump's lasting legacy grows as U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe
The abortion decision in the U.S. marked the apex in a week that reinforced former U.S. President Donald Trump's ongoing impact in Washington more than a year and a half after he exited the White House.
Trudeau mocks 'bare-chested horseback riding' Putin as G7 leaders meet in Germany
Russian President Valdimir Putin was a target of mockery by leaders of the Group of Seven, as they sat around a table Sunday, commencing their three-day summit in Bavarian Alps, Germany.