Procedure not available in the province, but then it has only a few more people than Abbotsford
The B.C. Catholic
Prince Edward Island is the only province where doctors do not abort unborn infants, but a group of activists is trying to change that.
Abortion Access Now P.E.I. recently announced they will take the government to court, calling the lack of abortion access on the island a violation of “equality rights.”
“We have spoken with many women who have tried to access emergency contraception, who have travelled off island to have an abortion, and who have been blocked from having an abortion,” said spokeswoman Colleen MacQuarrie.
Currently, women in a province with a population only slightly larger than that of Abbotsford, B.C., travel to nearby New Brunswick or Nova Scotia to end the lives of their unborn children.
The pro-abortion group, formed in December, calls the situation “discriminatory and unlawful.” It publicized its decision to sue the government over abortion access Jan. 5.
P.E.I. Right to Life responded to the announcement, saying that while there is no law against abortion in Canada, it’s not actually a constitutional right.
“In such a small province, travel for medical treatment is inevitable,” said president Holly Pierlot.
While women cannot get an abortion on the island, those who seek it in neighbouring provinces have their hospital bills covered under P.E.I. Medicare.
Other Canadian pro-life groups have chimed in, calling the lawsuit unnecessary.
“Some Canadians are completely out of touch with the majority who understand and accept that, even with a top-notch health-care system, not every single medical procedure will be available in every single area of the country,” wrote Jennifer Schouten of WeNeedALaw.
Jennifer, wife of director Mike Schouten, wrote that their family was recently on vacation in a remote B.C. city when their son became seriously ill.
Doctors discovered he had a ruptured appendix and needed immediate surgery. Without a surgical team nearby, they had to fly him 684 kilometers to B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver.
“We are not bitter, and we certainly aren’t demanding that surgical teams be established throughout northern B.C. for our convenience,” Jennifer wrote.
Sarah MacDonald of Campaign Life Coalition wrote in a press release: “There is a great need in our province for medically necessary services such as trauma care, cancer treatment, surgical care, and more. Why aren’t these activists suing the government to increase access to these services?”
The government said it would review the lawsuit and “respond accordingly in due course.”
