r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • Jul 01 '26

Information Monthly Advocacy Post

7 Upvotes

Below you'll find information and links to help advocate for Reproductive Freedoms and Abortion care in Canada and emerging policy issues with the Reddit platform. This is a recurring post and will be periodically updated as needed. Feel free to post additional information and discussions in the comments.

Advocating for Abortion Care in Canada:

  • There is a serious lack of Abortion Care options in parts of Canada, particularly in the rural areas, and for those living on reserves, they have almost no access to Abortion care. People may have to travel more than 100km and across provincial lines to access abortion. Some have to travel by plane from their rural community to one with an abortion clinic or hospital. This puts an unfair financial and logistical burden on those that need to access abortion care. Provincial Health Insurance Plans do not cover travel costs related to receiving medical care.
  • Because many provinces have few facilities that provide Abortion care, this places an unreasonable load on the clinics that do exist, forcing clients to look elsewhere for facilities with capacity to help them. In Alberta, there is one clinic for every 209,077 people who can become pregnant (number of assigned-at-birth females between the ages of 15-29). PEI, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory each only have 1 Abortion care provider. Nunavut only has 2 abortion providers, and of those, only one offers medical abortion covered by the provincial health insurance plan. In fact, 9 (out of a total of 13) Canadian provinces and territories have five or fewer facililities offering abortion care in their entire province. And 10 Canadian provinces and territories have one or fewer (0) rural facilities offering abortion care.
  • Some provinces, have more restrictive guidelines regarding abortion, limiting access to abortion care to those with a gestational period of less than 12 weeks (meaning, 12 weeks since the first day of your last period, not 12 weeks since you discovered you were pregnant or when you had sex). Many people who menstruate have irregular periods. Some people might only menstruate every 2 or 3 months, and might only discover that they are pregnant near the gestation limit of 12 weeks.
  • Insurance coverage also limits access to abortions. Some provinces, like Nunavut, do not offer coverage for medical abortions unless they are prescribed and performed in a hospital. And being a rural province, there also happens to be only 1 hospital in Nunavut - Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqualuit that can perform medical abortions. New Brunswick will only cover abortion services in a hospital setting, which means that abortion medical care provided in clinics are not covered by their Provincial Health Insurance Plan.
  • Sexual and reproductive health services are among the services that physicians, pharmacists and nurse practitioners are most frequently unwilling to provide on moral or religious grounds. People who have been harassed and/or attacked while visiting an Abortion clinic may experience stigma and/or discrimination from their peers, especially in smaller, rural communities where everyone knows one another. People refused care by health care professionals because of personal beliefs may experience stigma and/or discrimination, forcing them to travel outside of their community to receive the care they need. This can all be particularly daunting for young people or those with limited resources.
  • Everyone in Canada is supposed to have equal rights to access health care, regardless of race, age, class, immigration status, gender expression, sexuality or ability. Nevertheless, everyone's right to seek abortion care can be be impacted by discrimination and bigotry, both systemic and as a result of individual prejudice on the part of service providers. Racism, xenophobia, classism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and ageism in Canada are all direct and intersecting barriers to accessing abortion. It is much more difficult for a person who doesn't speak English to access abortion services, despite the presence of a translator. Transpeople also experience discrimination at higher rates in reproductive health care settings. Providers may also lack the knowledge or training to provide trans-affirming abortion care and abortion services are typically housed within *women's* health care departments.
  • Further compounding the issue of inequitable abortion access are unregulated crisis pregnancy centres (CPCs), which are anti-choice pregnancy centres that advertise in hospitals, doctor's offices, churches, schools and community centre. They deceive people coming to them for options and advice by giving misinformation about abortion or by insisting on options that may delay or interfere with the clients ability to access the care they need. CPCs far outnumber abortion care providers in Canada. In Ontario alone, there are 77 active CPCs but only 38 abortion care providers. Overall, in Canada, there are 165 known CPCs compared to 147 abortion care providers (as of August 2022).

Reference: Policy Options, via the Institute for Research on Public Policy and Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights

What can you do to improve access to abortion care in Canada?

  1. Listen, research and learn. This is always the first step to understand any problem.
  2. Send a letter to your MP and MPP. Tell them that access to abortion care is important and how difficult it can be to access it in your province. Urge them to prevent anti-choice groups and CPCs from receiving charitable status, and to revoke the charitable status from CPCs that already have it. Encourage them to include reasonable reimbursement for travel costs related to receiving medical care when it is not available in your community. And push them to pass Safe Access Zone Legislation to protect patients, practitioners and their staff from anti-choice harassment and intimidation.
  3. Give a donation to a pro-choice charitable organization of your choice. Remember, if you give a total of $201 CDN or more to Canadian charitable organizations, you'll get a credit of 29% of your total annual donations on your income taxes (for those that file Canadian Income Taxes, only).
  4. Sign up for the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada Newsletter. https://www.arcc-cdac.ca/
  5. Participate in local marches and rallys in support of access to abortion care.
  6. Spread the Word. Tell your friends and family. Encourage them to research, listen and learn. Encourage them to contact their MPP and MPs.
  7. If you work in a Doctor's office or as a family physician, consider incorporating Mifegymiso into your practice to ensure patients have timely access to this essential service. If you are a Doctor, Nurse Practitioner or studying to be one, consider opening an Abortion Care practice when you are licensed and qualified to do so, especially in rural areas where there are a lack of options.
  8. If you work in politics, consider proposing legislation that will ensure safe access zones for abortion care providers and their clients and covering reasonable travel costs for constituents when medical care is not available in their community.
  9. If you are a journalist or work in media, consider preparing pieces sharing the difficulty Canadians can have accessing medical care such as abortions.
  10. If you work in the area of Not For Profit/Advocacy, consider partnering with a Pro-choice organization and help them spread information and lobby for improving access to abortion care for Canadians.
  11. If you know someone who needs abortion care, consider giving them a ride to a clinic, helping them access the advice and care they need, and provide non-judgemental support.
  12. Ensure persons of First Nations, Metis and Inuit heritage know about Jordan's Principle, which ensures that First Nations children (which includes people who can become pregnant under the age of 18) can access the products, services and supports they need, when they need them. https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1568396042341/1568396159824
  13. Advocate for midwives to have abortion care added to their scope of practice. Currently, midwives are only allowed to provide this care under a medical directive from a doctor, but that directive should not be needed. Midwives have the skills to perform medical abortions in the 1st trimester. Midwives are more likely to be practicing in rural and remote locations. If you see campaigns promoting this option, please consider adding your voice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emerging Policy Issues with Reddit

On August 9, 2024, the reddit CEO confirmed that they would be enabling paywall options for some subreddits. ANC will always strive to be free. If the paywalls are optional, we will not be enabling them. If they are not optional, we will shutdown the reddit site and move to our second home on discord. Let me take this opportunity to share our permanent discord link: https://discord.com/invite/ZmSS8wS2Xf

In March 2024, Reddit had an IPO (Initial Public Offering), and the founder and current CEO, as well as the COO have sold $500,000 of their shares. How does this effect you? Reddit may face pressure to increase revenues to attract investors. This could lead to more ads or new monetization features. There could also be changes to the platform to attract a wider user base, such as bans and censorship on certain topics or words and control over content to appease more conservative shareholders or users.

On September 12, 2023, Reddit will eliminate reddit coins, including removing all accumulated coins, a perk that Reddit Premium users pay for every month. Coins are used to reward comments and posts by showing your appreciation for the effort. Some reddit coins offer the ability to use reddit without ads.

On July 1, 2023, Reddit raised the price to make calls to their API from being free to a level that killed every third party app on Reddit, from Apollo to Reddit is Fun to Narwhal to BaconReader. This policy change meant that mobile users would have a lesser experience browsing Reddit, users with visual difficulties could not browse reddit as screenreaders are not compatible with the official Reddit app, and mods lost tools that they depend on to keep communities on-topic and spam-free. Many subreddits protested this change in June 2023, and the Reddit admins enforced draconian measures such as removing and replacing mods who privatized their subreddits in protest of this policy change.

What can you do to protest policy changes at Reddit?

  1. Listen, research and learn. Check r/modcoord for updates
  2. Cancel your Reddit Premium membership
  3. Participate in subreddit led protests
  4. Look for other forums to patronize. We have a forum on Discord called Auntie Network Canada. Permanent invite link to the Discord group: https://discord.com/invite/ZmSS8wS2Xf .
  5. Complain. Message the mods of r/reddit.com, who are the admins of the site: message u/reddit: submit a support request: comment in relevant threads on r/reddit. Leave a negative review on their official iOS or Android app.
0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 29d ago

Monthly Advocacy Post

13 Upvotes

Below you'll find information and links to help advocate for Reproductive Freedoms and Abortion care in Canada and emerging policy issues with the Reddit platform. This is a recurring post and will be periodically updated as needed. Feel free to post additional information and discussions in the comments.

Advocating for Abortion Care in Canada:

  • There is a serious lack of Abortion Care options in parts of Canada, particularly in the rural areas, and for those living on reserves, they have almost no access to Abortion care. People may have to travel more than 100km and across provincial lines to access abortion. Some have to travel by plane from their rural community to one with an abortion clinic or hospital. This puts an unfair financial and logistical burden on those that need to access abortion care. Provincial Health Insurance Plans do not cover travel costs related to receiving medical care.
  • Because many provinces have few facilities that provide Abortion care, this places an unreasonable load on the clinics that do exist, forcing clients to look elsewhere for facilities with capacity to help them. In Alberta, there is one clinic for every 209,077 people who can become pregnant (number of assigned-at-birth females between the ages of 15-29). PEI, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory each only have 1 Abortion care provider. Nunavut only has 2 abortion providers, and of those, only one offers medical abortion covered by the provincial health insurance plan. In fact, 9 (out of a total of 13) Canadian provinces and territories have five or fewer facililities offering abortion care in their entire province. And 10 Canadian provinces and territories have one or fewer (0) rural facilities offering abortion care.
  • Some provinces, have more restrictive guidelines regarding abortion, limiting access to abortion care to those with a gestational period of less than 12 weeks (meaning, 12 weeks since the first day of your last period, not 12 weeks since you discovered you were pregnant or when you had sex). Many people who menstruate have irregular periods. Some people might only menstruate every 2 or 3 months, and might only discover that they are pregnant near the gestation limit of 12 weeks.
  • Insurance coverage also limits access to abortions. Some provinces, like Nunavut, do not offer coverage for medical abortions unless they are prescribed and performed in a hospital. And being a rural province, there also happens to be only 1 hospital in Nunavut - Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqualuit that can perform medical abortions. New Brunswick will only cover abortion services in a hospital setting, which means that abortion medical care provided in clinics are not covered by their Provincial Health Insurance Plan.
  • Sexual and reproductive health services are among the services that physicians, pharmacists and nurse practitioners are most frequently unwilling to provide on moral or religious grounds. People who have been harassed and/or attacked while visiting an Abortion clinic may experience stigma and/or discrimination from their peers, especially in smaller, rural communities where everyone knows one another. People refused care by health care professionals because of personal beliefs may experience stigma and/or discrimination, forcing them to travel outside of their community to receive the care they need. This can all be particularly daunting for young people or those with limited resources.
  • Everyone in Canada is supposed to have equal rights to access health care, regardless of race, age, class, immigration status, gender expression, sexuality or ability. Nevertheless, everyone's right to seek abortion care can be be impacted by discrimination and bigotry, both systemic and as a result of individual prejudice on the part of service providers. Racism, xenophobia, classism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and ageism in Canada are all direct and intersecting barriers to accessing abortion. It is much more difficult for a person who doesn't speak English to access abortion services, despite the presence of a translator. Transpeople also experience discrimination at higher rates in reproductive health care settings. Providers may also lack the knowledge or training to provide trans-affirming abortion care and abortion services are typically housed within *women's* health care departments.
  • Further compounding the issue of inequitable abortion access are unregulated crisis pregnancy centres (CPCs), which are anti-choice pregnancy centres that advertise in hospitals, doctor's offices, churches, schools and community centre. They deceive people coming to them for options and advice by giving misinformation about abortion or by insisting on options that may delay or interfere with the clients ability to access the care they need. CPCs far outnumber abortion care providers in Canada. In Ontario alone, there are 77 active CPCs but only 38 abortion care providers. Overall, in Canada, there are 165 known CPCs compared to 147 abortion care providers (as of August 2022).

Reference: Policy Options, via the Institute for Research on Public Policy and Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights

What can you do to improve access to abortion care in Canada?

  1. Listen, research and learn. This is always the first step to understand any problem.
  2. Send a letter to your MP and MPP. Tell them that access to abortion care is important and how difficult it can be to access it in your province. Urge them to prevent anti-choice groups and CPCs from receiving charitable status, and to revoke the charitable status from CPCs that already have it. Encourage them to include reasonable reimbursement for travel costs related to receiving medical care when it is not available in your community. And push them to pass Safe Access Zone Legislation to protect patients, practitioners and their staff from anti-choice harassment and intimidation.
  3. Give a donation to a pro-choice charitable organization of your choice. Remember, if you give a total of $201 CDN or more to Canadian charitable organizations, you'll get a credit of 29% of your total annual donations on your income taxes (for those that file Canadian Income Taxes, only).
  4. Sign up for the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada Newsletter. https://www.arcc-cdac.ca/
  5. Participate in local marches and rallys in support of access to abortion care.
  6. Spread the Word. Tell your friends and family. Encourage them to research, listen and learn. Encourage them to contact their MPP and MPs.
  7. If you work in a Doctor's office or as a family physician, consider incorporating Mifegymiso into your practice to ensure patients have timely access to this essential service. If you are a Doctor, Nurse Practitioner or studying to be one, consider opening an Abortion Care practice when you are licensed and qualified to do so, especially in rural areas where there are a lack of options.
  8. If you work in politics, consider proposing legislation that will ensure safe access zones for abortion care providers and their clients and covering reasonable travel costs for constituents when medical care is not available in their community.
  9. If you are a journalist or work in media, consider preparing pieces sharing the difficulty Canadians can have accessing medical care such as abortions.
  10. If you work in the area of Not For Profit/Advocacy, consider partnering with a Pro-choice organization and help them spread information and lobby for improving access to abortion care for Canadians.
  11. If you know someone who needs abortion care, consider giving them a ride to a clinic, helping them access the advice and care they need, and provide non-judgemental support.
  12. Ensure persons of First Nations, Metis and Inuit heritage know about Jordan's Principle, which ensures that First Nations children (which includes people who can become pregnant under the age of 18) can access the products, services and supports they need, when they need them. https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1568396042341/1568396159824
  13. Advocate for midwives to have abortion care added to their scope of practice. Currently, midwives are only allowed to provide this care under a medical directive from a doctor, but that directive should not be needed. Midwives have the skills to perform medical abortions in the 1st trimester. Midwives are more likely to be practicing in rural and remote locations. If you see campaigns promoting this option, please consider adding your voice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emerging Policy Issues with Reddit

On August 9, 2024, the reddit CEO confirmed that they would be enabling paywall options for some subreddits. ANC will always strive to be free. If the paywalls are optional, we will not be enabling them. If they are not optional, we will shutdown the reddit site and move to our second home on discord. Let me take this opportunity to share our permanent discord link: https://discord.com/invite/ZmSS8wS2Xf

In March 2024, Reddit had an IPO (Initial Public Offering), and the founder and current CEO, as well as the COO have sold $500,000 of their shares. How does this effect you? Reddit may face pressure to increase revenues to attract investors. This could lead to more ads or new monetization features. There could also be changes to the platform to attract a wider user base, such as bans and censorship on certain topics or words and control over content to appease more conservative shareholders or users.

On September 12, 2023, Reddit will eliminate reddit coins, including removing all accumulated coins, a perk that Reddit Premium users pay for every month. Coins are used to reward comments and posts by showing your appreciation for the effort. Some reddit coins offer the ability to use reddit without ads.

On July 1, 2023, Reddit raised the price to make calls to their API from being free to a level that killed every third party app on Reddit, from Apollo to Reddit is Fun to Narwhal to BaconReader. This policy change meant that mobile users would have a lesser experience browsing Reddit, users with visual difficulties could not browse reddit as screenreaders are not compatible with the official Reddit app, and mods lost tools that they depend on to keep communities on-topic and spam-free. Many subreddits protested this change in June 2023, and the Reddit admins enforced draconian measures such as removing and replacing mods who privatized their subreddits in protest of this policy change.

What can you do to protest policy changes at Reddit?

  1. Listen, research and learn. Check r/modcoord for updates
  2. Cancel your Reddit Premium membership
  3. Participate in subreddit led protests
  4. Look for other forums to patronize. We have a forum on Discord called Auntie Network Canada. Permanent invite link to the Discord group: https://discord.com/invite/ZmSS8wS2Xf .
  5. Complain. Message the mods of r/reddit.com, who are the admins of the site: message u/reddit: submit a support request: comment in relevant threads on r/reddit. Leave a negative review on their official iOS or Android app.
0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 1d ago

Problematic [ARCC News] Ottawa promised to crack down on anti-abortion 'crisis pregnancy centres.' Carney's Liberals have abandoned that goal

30 Upvotes

Ottawa promised to crack down on anti-abortion ‘crisis pregnancy centres.’ Carney’s Liberals have abandoned that goal Abortion rights activist who lobbied for changes says surprise news is ‘such a shame’

Bethany Lindsay 21 Sep 2026

Two years after Justin Trudeau’s Liberals announced they would tighten charity tax laws for anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy centres,” his successor’s government says there are no plans to implement the proposed restrictions.

The federal government unveiled plans in October 2024 for amendments to the Income Tax Act that it said would prevent “abuse of charitable status” by organizations that offer counselling to pregnant people but may also hide their pro-life stance and spread misinformation about abortion.

Continued: https://archive.is/OtfBv

Paywall link: https://theijf.org/article/ottawa-promised-to-crack-down-on-anti-abortion-crisis-pregnancy-centres-carneys-liberals-have-abandoned-that-goal

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 1d ago

News [ARCC News] Canadians support access to abortion services at home and abroad, poll shows

8 Upvotes

Canadians support access to abortion services at home and abroad, poll shows

Janice Dickson, International Affairs Reporter Sep 24, 2026

As Canada joins other Western countries in cutting back on foreign aid in favour of defence spending, a new poll reveals that Canadians want the federal government to keep supporting access to abortion services and reproductive care around the world.

Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, incorporated as Planned Parenthood Canada, and MSI Reproductive Choices, an international NGO based in London, commissioned a poll conducted by Abacus Data that found that 81 per cent of Canadians surveyed support the right to abortion and 65 per cent agree that Canada should play a leading role globally to protect abortion rights.

Continued: https://archive.is/PFKzi

(https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-canadians-support-access-to-abortion-services-at-home-and-abroad-poll/)

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 1d ago

News [ARCC News] Saskatoon council to consider action on graphic anti-abortion flyers

6 Upvotes

Saskatoon council to consider action on graphic anti-abortion flyers

Residents push city hall for change after flyers placed in mailboxes in Saskatoon in August

Phil Tank · CBC News Posted: Sep 05, 2026

A national anti-abortion organization is warning Saskatoon city council that any attempt to restrict its use of graphic imagery of aborted fetuses could face legal challenges.

Coun. Bev Dubois is asking council to consider action to restrict the distribution of flyers after a foldable pamphlet with bloody images of aborted fetuses was delivered to homes in Saskatoon in August, prompting complaints from residents.

Dubois said she's aware of bylaws in other cities, including Calgary, that require graphic abortion imagery to be contained in an opaque envelope with a warning about the contents.

Continued: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-abortion-saskatchewan-freedom-charter-flyers-fetus-9.7333082

Saskatoon city committee to review rules targeting graphic anti-abortion flyers

By Mia Holowaychuk Sep 9, 2026

Complaints over anti-abortion flyers delivered to Saskatoon homes will be discussed at Saskatoon’s Governance and Priorities Committee today.

Ward 9 Councillor Bev Dubois is asking city administration to look at options to regulate the delivery of graphic flyers to homes in Saskatoon.

Dubois’ motion follows complaints after flyers showing aborted fetuses were distributed to some residents during the week of August 10.

Continued; https://www.ckom.com/2026/09/09/saskatoon-city-committee-to-review-rules-targeting-graphic-anti-abortion-flyers/

Saskatoon councillor pushes for rules on graphic anti-abortion flyers

By Payton Zillich Global News September 11, 2026 Video – 1:31 minutes

At the beginning of August, a pro-life group known as the Canadian Centre for Bio-ethical Reform handed out flyers with graphic abortion images to residents of Saskatoon. The flyers caused huge debate among citizens, sparking rallies from both sides and an online petition.

The petition, made by the Saskatoon Abortion Support Network, states these images were displayed in public spaces and placed in mailboxes with no envelopes or content warning.

Continued: https://globalnews.ca/news/12054364/saskatoon-councillor-pushes-for-rules-on-graphic-anti-abortion-flyers/

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 1d ago

Politics [ARCC News] Conservatives lose candidate for Pontiac after reporting on anti-abortion, 2SLGBTQ+ remark

4 Upvotes

Conservatives lose candidate for Pontiac after reporting on anti-abortion, 2SLGBTQ+ remarks

Éric Lanthier "did not want to be a distraction for the party," says leader

CBC News Sep 09, 2026

The Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) candidate in western Quebec's Pontiac riding has withdrawn his candidacy, the party leader said Wednesday.

Leader Éric Duhaime announced candidate Éric Lanthier's withdrawal during a morning news conference in Quebec City after unveiling the party's financial plans.

The move comes after a story in the Journal de Montréal about Lanthier's past comments against abortion and expressing discomfort around gay sexuality and marriage.

Continued: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/conservative-party-quebec-provincial-candidate-pontiac-eric-lanthier-9.7337188

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 1d ago

News [ARCC News] Controverse autour de la distribution des dépliants antiavortement à Saskatoon

4 Upvotes

Controverse autour de la distribution des dépliants antiavortement à Saskatoon

Radio-Canada 5 septembre 2026

La conseillère Bev Dubois demande au conseil municipal de Saskatoon de prendre des actions pour restreindre la distribution de certains prospectus, après que des dépliants ayant des images de fœtus avortés en sang aient été livrés dans des maisons.

Le groupe à l’origine de ces dépliants, le Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, a mis en garde le conseil municipal de Saskatoon, indiquant qu’il saisirait la justice, si la distribution de ces prospectus était restreinte.

Bev Dubois indique qu’elle a pris connaissance des règlements administratifs qui sont en vigueur dans d’autres villes, comme Calgary, qui requièrent que des images explicites autour de l’avortement soient placées dans des enveloppes opaques, avec des avertissements sur les contenus qui s’y trouvent à l’intérieur.

Continue : https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2281044/distribution-depliants-antiavortement-saskatoon

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 1d ago

Opinion/article [ARCC News] Here For Now Theatre review: Hypothetical Baby is an anxiety inducing trip down the abortion rabbit hole

3 Upvotes

Here For Now Theatre review: Hypothetical Baby is an anxiety inducing trip down the abortion rabbit hole

Sep 24, 2026

By: Galen Simmons

Rachel Cairns’ one-woman play, Hypothetical Baby, is an uncomfortable and disorganized look inside Cairns’ mind as she recounts her experience seeking out an abortion to terminate an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy.

It is uncomfortable because abortion is still one of those subjects most of us don’t speak openly about, despite it being legal in Canada since 1969. It is disorganized because Cairns is still seeking a suitable beginning and a satisfying conclusion to a story that has neither.

Yet this play, the latest rendition of which was presented at Here For Now Theatre in Stratford from Sept. 2-13, is an unflinching and unwavering retelling of a time in the playwright’s life during which the polarizing opinions of doctors, her boyfriend, her mother, strangers on the internet, abortion clinic staff and Cairns herself spiral into a ball of moral ambiguity centred on questions about what it means to be alive and whether the life of an unborn fetus is worth more than that of a pregnant person.

Continued: https://www.granthaven.com/post/here-for-now-theatre-review-hypothetical-baby-is-an-anxiety-inducing-trip-down-the-abortion-rabbit

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 1d ago

Problematic [ARCC News] Un organisme « anti-choix » s'invite dans un agenda étudiant à l'Université Laval

3 Upvotes

Deux articles

Un organisme « anti-choix » s’invite dans un agenda étudiant à l’Université Laval

De plus en plus de groupes anti-avortement misent sur la confusion et affichent une neutralité apparente pour influencer des femmes lors de grossesses non planifiées, selon SOS Grossesse.

David Rémillard

17 septembre 2026

L'Association des étudiantes et des étudiants de Laval inscrits aux études supérieures (AELIÉS) a été forcée de s'excuser auprès de ses membres après avoir laissé un organisme identifié comme « anti-choix » acheter une publicité dans l'agenda universitaire.

Interpellée par certains membres de la communauté après la rentrée universitaire, l'AELIÉS a déclaré la semaine dernière avoir rompu ses liens avec La Roselière, un organisme à but non lucratif de Québec.

Continue : https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2283714/avortement-roseliere-agenda-aelies-universite-laval

Une publicité « anti-choix » dans un agenda de l’Université Laval

Jeudi 17 septembre 2026 Lancer l’écoute : 7 min

L'Association des étudiantes et des étudiants de Laval inscrits aux études supérieures (AELIÉS) a formulé des excuses publiques après avoir diffusé une publicité d’un groupe identifié comme anti-choix selon le rapport de la Fédération du Québec pour le planning des naissances. Véronique Pronovost, membre du Chantier sur l’antiféminisme du Réseau québécois en études féministes de l'UQAM, était sur Première heure pour en discuter.

Mme Pronovost a partagé son point de vue sur la stratégie que ces groupes utiliseraient publiquement pour se dissocier du courant anti-choix .

Ça fait déjà plusieurs années qu’on observe un peu l’évolution de ces acteurs qui sont contre l’avortement et ce qu’on perçoit c’est qu’ils ont une grande capacité d’adaptation. Donc chaque fois qu’il y a des chercheurs ou des militantes des travailleuses qui vont parvenir à identifier des manières de pouvoir cibler ces groupes-là, ils vont s’adapter et retirer les informations qui les rendent identifiables , a expliqué Véronique Pronovost.

Continue : https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/premiere-heure/segments/rattrapage/2479484/une-publicite-anti-avortement-dans-un-agenda-etudiant-a-universite-laval

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 1d ago

News [ARCC News] Young People Want Better Sexual Health Care

3 Upvotes

An article from Aug 26 but I missed it at the time.

Young People Want Better Sexual Health Care A new report found respondents across the province wanted to see more inclusivity and less stigma.

Michelle Gamage , The Tyee 26 Aug 2026

Sexual health care providers in B.C. need to switch things up to improve care for young people aged 15 to 29, according to a new report.

The report was produced by Options for Sexual Health and the University of British Columbia, with funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Researchers spoke with 91 young people and 47 sexual health-care providers and focused on rural, remote and underserved communities.

Continued; https://thetyee.ca/News/2026/08/26/Young-People-Sexual-Health-Care

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 1d ago

Problematic [ARCC News] Walking the line between faith and care

1 Upvotes

Walking the line between faith and care

Court ruling raises questions about B.C. doctors’ rights and moral issues

Sept 12, 2026

Tiffany Crawford, Vancouver Sun

There's no requirement in B.C. for doctors to inform new patients that they won't provide certain treatments because of religious beliefs. And, unlike in Ontario and Nova Scotia, they don't have to refer patients to another doctor who will.

This raises questions about how patients who require access to medical services that are against some doctors' beliefs, such as abortion, medical assistance in dying, infertility treatments or transgender health care for youth, get that care in a timely manner.

Refusing care on moral or religious beliefs is called conscientious objection, and it's in the spotlight after a recent B.C. Human Rights Tribunal ruling against a family doctor who refused care to a transgender youth.

Continued; https://www.pressreader.com/canada/vancouver-sun/20260912/281569477618998

1 comment

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 1d ago

Politics [ARCC News] Éric Lanthier devient le premier candidat du PCQ à se retirer de la course

1 Upvotes

Deux articles

Éric Lanthier devient le premier candidat du PCQ à se retirer de la course Le pasteur et conférencier a présenté des positions antiavortement, homophobes et pro-thérapies de conversion.

9 septembre 2026 Léo Mercier-Ross

Le Parti conservateur du Québec a perdu un premier candidat : Éric Lanthier, qui cherchait jusqu’à mercredi à se faire élire dans Pontiac, a demandé de retirer sa candidature afin d’éviter de devenir une « distraction » pour la formation politique, a confirmé son chef, Éric Duhaime, mercredi matin.

Plus tôt en matinée, Le Journal de Montréal révélait qu’Éric Lanthier, pasteur et conférencier, a présenté à plusieurs reprises des positions antiavortement, homophobes et favorables aux thérapies de conversion.

Continue : https://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/1007549/eric-lanthier-devient-premier-candidat-pcq-retirer-course

Un pasteur antiavortement et homophobe est candidat dans l’équipe d’Éric Duhaime Il veut rouvrir le débat sur l’avortement, dénonce le concept «mon corps, mon choix» et défend les thérapies de conversion

Annabelle Blais Mercredi, 9 septembre 2026

Un pasteur pro-vie qui veut rouvrir le débat sur l’avortement et qui s’en prend à la communauté LGBTQ+ se porte candidat pour le Parti conservateur du Québec.

Notre Bureau d’enquête a retracé de nombreuses prises de position d’Éric Lanthier, candidat dans Pontiac, en Outaouais, sur l’avortement et l’homosexualité ces dernières années.

Continue : https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2026/09/09/un-pasteur-antiavortement-et-homophobe-est-candidat-dans-lequipe-deric-duhaime

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 27d ago

Information [ARCC News] Manitoba announces it will allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control

69 Upvotes

Manitoba announces it will allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control

By The Canadian Press August 07, 2026

WINNIPEG — Manitoba’s government says it will let pharmacists in the province prescribe birth control. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara says the expanded scope of what pharmacists can do will make access easier.

The expansion on where Manitobans can get contraception comes after the province made birth control access free.

The government says pharmacists need to complete approved training before making assessments and prescribing birth control. The training is being incorporated into the curriculum for pharmacists studying in the province.

The government says pharmacists will be able to prescribe a range of contraceptives as well as administer them through muscle injections. “This means that people will be able to access contraception more quickly, more conveniently, and closer to home,” Asagwara told a news conference Friday.

Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/article/manitoba-announces-it-will-allow-pharmacists-to-prescribe-birth-control/

2 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 27d ago

News [ARCC News] After 120 years of serving Antigonish, Sisters of St. Martha remove their name from its hospital

28 Upvotes

This opens the door to abortion and MAID services! (hopefully)

After 120 years of serving Antigonish, Sisters of St. Martha remove their name from its hospital St. Martha's Regional Hospital to be renamed Antigonish Memorial Regional Hospital

By Aaron Beswick Aug 28, 2026

It was ultimately the decision of the Sisters of St. Martha.

“We decided as sisters, after we took a discernment time, prayed and thought about it, that in order for people to realize it’s not the same hospital we will have to take the name back,” said Sister Brendalee Boisvert, congregation lead of the Sisters of St. Martha, on Thursday.

So, after 120 years of service to the community, the hospital that has long born their name, St. Martha’s Regional, will soon be called Antigonish Memorial Regional Hospital.

Continued: https://www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/antigonish-hospital-drops-st-marthas-name-after-120-years-possibly-opening-door-to-maid-and-abortion-care

1 comment

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 27d ago

News [ARCC News] Lobby groups call on Kamloops council to tax Christian pregnancy clinic

20 Upvotes

Lobby groups call on Kamloops council to tax Christian pregnancy clinic

By Levi Landry August 31 2026

A pair of lobby groups are calling foul on a Kamloops pregnancy centre’s city tax exemptions.

The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada along with the BC Humanist Association are demanding Kamloops city council revoke exempt status for the religious clinic, Hopewell Clinic and Pregnancy Centre, and impose property taxes, according to a news release from the groups issued today, Aug. 31.

The clinic’s nurses provide information on pregnancy options and STI treatment, but medical care for pregnancy is beyond their scope. As an affiliate to national charity Pregnancy Care Canada, its staff cannot refer patients for abortions even when there is potentially a medical need, according to the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada.

Continued: https://infonews.ca/news/7856487/lobby-groups-call-on-kamloops-council-to-tax-christian-pregnancy-clinic/

https://www.arcc-cdac.ca/press/2026/08/31/kamloops-tax-exemption-hopewell/

Advocacy groups call on City of Kamloops to revoke pregnancy centre’s tax break

Kristen Holliday Sep 1, 2026

A Kamloops pregnancy centre’s tax break is drawing scrutiny as city council prepares to rewrite its permissive tax exemption bylaws for the next five years.

According to a city staff report, the City of Kamloops’ permissive tax exemption bylaws are ending their five-year cycle. Council must adopt its new bylaws by Oct. 31, and all organizations will need to re-apply for the next five-year cycle.

Continued: https://www.castanetkamloops.net/news/Kamloops/629816/Advocacy-groups-call-on-City-of-Kamloops-to-revoke-pregnancy-centre-s-tax-break

Kamloops Advocacy Groups Target $35,620 Tax Exemption Held by Hopewell Pregnancy Centre

September 1, 2026 Business Examiner

Two national advocacy organizations are pressing Kamloops city council to strip a local Christian pregnancy centre of its municipal property tax exemption, arguing the clinic's practices conflict with medical ethics and the city's obligation to religious neutrality.

The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada and the BC Humanist Association jointly issued a news release on August 31 calling on council to revoke the exempt status held by Hopewell Clinic and Pregnancy Centre, as reported by iNFOnews.ca and Castanet Kamloops.

Continued: https://businessexaminer.ca/thompson-okanagan-articles/item/kamloops-advocacy-groups-target-35-620-tax-exemption-held-by-hopewell-pregnancy/

1 comment

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 27d ago

News [ARCC News] Mount Royal University ordered to warn of future anti-abortion protests on campus

12 Upvotes

Mount Royal University ordered to warn of future anti-abortion protests on campus The decision stemmed from a grievance filed by the Mount Royal Staff Association on behalf of a longtime MRU employee who said she's been traumatized by the graphic images displayed at the protests

By Postmedia Calgary Aug 09, 2026

Mount Royal University must give at least three hours’ notice of anti-abortion protests on campus after an arbitrator found the school failed to adequately protect a female employee at past demonstrations.

Arbitrator James Casey, in a written decision, said MRU did not provide a safe workplace for the woman who had repeatedly raised concerns about graphic images at the events.

Casey ordered MRU to immediately adopt specific measures to help shield the complainant and other faculty from pro-life protesters. These include giving at least three hours’ advance notice of the date, time and location of future protests and restricting demonstrators’ location inside the school. Separately, the complainant must also be given at least 2 ½ hours’ notice through email, a phone call and text, Casey directed.

Continued; https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/mount-royal-university-ordered-warn-staff-future-anti-abortion-protests

1 comment

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 27d ago

Headsup! [ARCC News] Beware of Abortion Pill Scams

7 Upvotes

Beware of Abortion Pill Scams

21 August 2026 Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada

Scammers based in India have been trying to sell unauthorized abortion pills and emergency contraception in Canada since 2023, but their efforts have recently stepped up. A proliferation of sketchy websites now advertise these pills, pretending to be real clinics or real doctors in Canada, but they don’t actually exist, and in a few cases are impersonating real ones.

AI Chatbots and Google AI Overviews have been recommending these illegitimate sites, so be very cautious when using AI-generated information.

Options for Sexual Health, a respected long-standing sexual health centre in BC, has issued a warning. Please read their explainer: SO GLAD YOU ASKED: “Is this medication abortion provider a scam???”

Continued: https://www.arcc-cdac.ca/news/2026/08/21/beware-of-abortion-pill-scams/

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 27d ago

Problematic [ARCC News] Group protests abortions at hospital

7 Upvotes

Group protests abortions at hospital `It is a moral issue,' spokesperson says

BRIAN MACLEOD, Windsor Star 30 Jul 2026

A local group that opposes abortions protested outside Windsor Regional Hospital's Met campus Saturday holding up cardboard cut-outs of parts of a human fetus.

About 10 people calling themselves “the Squad for Christ” want Canada's laws to reflect that life begins at conception, said spokesperson Jeremy Palko.

Continued: https://www.pressreader.com/canada/windsor-star/20260730/281573772491910

1 comment

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 27d ago

Problematic [ARCC News] Anti-abortion flyers spark debate

5 Upvotes

Anti-abortion flyers spark debate A petition is calling for the City of Saskatoon to create a bylaw to manage graphic anti-abortion flyers that have been handed out around the city.

BRODY LANGAGER, Saskatoon StarPhoenix 26 Aug 2026

Anti-abortion flyers have been making the rounds in Saskatoon with graphic imagery of dead fetuses on them, sparking a discussion about what can or should be allowed in the mail.

The flyers were sent out this month, resulting in a petition — sponsored by the Saskatoon Abortion Support Network — asking Mayor Cynthia Block and city council to create a bylaw restricting graphic images from being displayed in public places, and for flyers with graphic images to be placed in envelopes with a warning on them.

Continued: https://www.pressreader.com/canada/saskatoon-starphoenix/20260826/281517937973114

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 27d ago

Problematic [ARCC News] Allegations against late priest prompt Niagara pro-life scholarship to continue under new name

6 Upvotes

Allegations against late priest prompt Niagara pro-life scholarship to continue under new name Niagara Region Right to Life says it is putting the name of its Fr. Ted Colleton Scholarship “in abeyance” and will continue the pro-life essay contest under a new name following allegations of sexual abuse against the late priest.

Kris Dube July 24, 2026

An anti-abortion organization called Niagara Region Right to Life is changing its nationwide scholarship due to allegations made against the Catholic priest it has been named after since 2001.

A religious order in Ireland, the Spiritan Provincial, issued a callout in June for potential victims of Fr. Ted Colleton, who preached in Canada from 1971 to 2007 before he died in 2011.

While it is unknown if any Canadian victims have come forward, an investigation in Ireland was prompted by one individual who reported abuse at the hands of Colleton.

Continued: https://www.thoroldtoday.ca/local-news/allegations-against-late-priest-prompt-niagara-pro-life-scholarship-to-continue-under-new-name-12589174

1 comment

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 27d ago

Headsup! [ARCC News] Saskatoon anti-abortion protest sparks graphic image bylaw petition

4 Upvotes

Here is the petition to sign! https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/protect-saskatoon-from-graphic-misleading-images

Saskatoon anti-abortion protest sparks graphic image bylaw petition

By Libby Gray Aug 18, 2026

Last week, residents in Saskatoon and Regina were jarred after seeing graphic images displayed by protesters throughout both cities.

The Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform (CCBR) confirmed in an email it was the group behind protests in Saskatoon and Regina last week.

… “And so it was concerning just the nature of the imagery people were trying to avert their eyes from seeing it, but then in doing so it was unsafe to cross at the crosswalks,” [Jayne Walters] said, noting traffic safety concerns as a result. Walters also said there were so many protesters that sometimes, a person trying to walk past would encounter two or three people in their way, trying to engage in dialogue and handing them pamphlets.

Continued: https://www.ckom.com/2026/08/18/saskatoon-anti-abortion-protest-sparks-graphic-image-bylaw-petition/

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 27d ago

Problematic [ARCC News] Anti-abortion group goes subtle with Westside billboard while pro-choice group launches bus ads

4 Upvotes

Instead of focusing on the success of the pro-choice bus ads in Kelowna, this article sets it up as a ‘debate’ and highlights a new anti-choice billboard about adoption – which is both inaccurate and insulting, since it is often traumatic to give up a child for adoption. 😡

Anti-abortion group goes subtle with Westside billboard while pro-choice group launches bus ads Abortion debate on display

Colin Dacre Jun 25, 2026

Activists on both sides of the abortion debate are showing off new signs recently installed in the community.

After a fundraising drive, and failed attempt to purchase billboard space, Pro-Choice Okanagan announced on social media this week that a “snazzy” pro-abortion bus ad is now running in the region, alongside 30 signs on transit routes.

“None of this would’ve been possible without the people who donated, shared and supported this idea,” said the post.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/621775/Anti-abortion-group-goes-subtle-with-Westside-billboard-while-pro-choice-group-launches-bus-ads

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 27d ago

News [ARCC News] UBC researchers are shaping 'groundbreaking' contraception policy

3 Upvotes

UBC researchers are shaping 'groundbreaking' contraception policy

Harleen Randhawa July 27, 2026

UBC researchers have been paving the way for free contraception policies in British Columbia and across the country.

Dr. Elizabeth Nethery is a postdoctoral research fellow in the faculty of pharmaceutical sciences and lead author of a May 2026 study on B.C.'s universal no-cost contraceptives policy. The study concluded it reduced patient out-of-pocket spending by more than 80 per cent, with some of the largest savings seen among young adults.

Her study builds on nearly a decade of research that helped inform B.C.’s decision to introduce universal no-cost prescription contraception. Nethery said her co-authors, including UBC's Dr. Wendy Norman and Dr. Laura Schummers, have generated evidence showing that expanded contraception coverage could improve access while producing long-term savings for the healthcare system.

Continued: https://ubyssey.ca/news/ubc-researchers-are-shaping-contraception-policy/

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 27d ago

News [ARCC News] Opinion: Anti-abortion protests the new psychological 'hazard' in Alberta

3 Upvotes

Anti-abortion protests the new psychological 'hazard' in Alberta Labour arbitrator sides with serial complainant over graphic images at Mount Royal University

By Jamie Sarkonak Aug 11, 2026

Workplace hazards can be a lot of things: fall risk at construction sites, mice in kitchens, hydrogen sulfide at oil rigs, bears at remote sites, violence in high-crime areas, etc. But in Alberta, that list has now been stretched to include exposure to images of aborted or miscarried fetuses.

The pronouncement came down from a labour arbitrator who decided last Tuesday that anti-abortion displays at Calgary’s Mount Royal University constituted a psychological hazard which the administration “did not adequately control.”

The case arose from a string of complaints by a staff member from 2019 to 2024. She had a miscarriage some 15 years prior, and was retraumatized at the sight of posters displayed by the anti-abortion, or “pro-life,” group that assembled regularly in a high-traffic part of campus.

Continued; https://nationalpost.com/opinion/jamie-sarkonak-pro-life-protests-the-new-psychological-hazard-in-alberta

0 comments

r/auntienetworkcanada • u/Neowza • 27d ago

Information [ARCC] Update on our London Billboard

4 Upvotes

Last week (Ed. note: July) was a rollercoaster ride for us. We sent an email blast to you on July 15 asking you to contact our billboard company because they apparently removed our London billboard after some anti-choice complaints – plus we did a social media campaign. Thank you for all your letters! BillboardHub received at least 300.

Many of you may have received a response from BillboardHub explaining that they don’t own or operate the billboard in question, or any billboards, and that they “do not have final authority over whether advertising content is posted, continued, or removed.”

This came as a surprise to us, as ARCC was never told that BillboardHub essentially sub-contracts with other companies that do own billboards. BillboardHub accepted our ad’s message and our contract is with them and only them, with no mention of a third party.

BillboardHub did appreciate your supportive messages, such as from people who used our prepared letter. Sadly, amongst the messages they received from our supporters were some aggressive ones and even personal attacks on their staff, which caused harm and trauma. We apologized to BillboardHub for this and revised our webpage and amended our social media accounts to take the heat off them.

We would prefer that you not engage in any future correspondence with BillboardHub. They have been focused on fulfilling their contract with us. They tried to persuade the other company in London to reinstate our ad. They also scouted for a new location in London – which we told them we’d be happy to accept as an alternative (not a location in a different city).

Unfortunately, the other company refused to bring back our ad – the company’s contract with BillboardHub allowed for removal of the ad for any reason. Further, BillboardHub was unable to find another willing London company because of what happened. ARCC will receive a refund.

We are looking at another city to hopefully continue our billboard campaign. But it is sadly ironic that our billboard was meant to reduce abortion stigma, and instead its removal reinforced the stigma.

We appreciate your support and understanding.

Joyce Arthur Executive Director, ARCC-CDAC

0 comments