News & Analysis

ACTION / ACTIVITY

Jan-May

2013

SUPPORTED MOTION M408 TO CONDEMN FEMALE GENDERCIDE

    CLC worked hard in support of  the motion by MP Mark Warawa (Langley) to condemn sex-selective abortion which is happening in Canada.  One of our staff sat on a special pro-life committee, comprised of several groups, to help promote the Motion.  For months, CLC helped mobilize pro-lifers to write, phone and visit their MP’s about voting in favour of the motion. We did so with newsletter articles, email campaigns, press releases, social media campaigns, media interviews and a petitition campaign to all party leaders which garnered thousands of signatures.
     CLC also made “End Female Gendercide” the official theme of our flagship pro-life event, the National March For Life.
     Although the Motion did not pass, our support of this worthy effort by MP Warawa helped make abortion a kitchen table topic across Canada.

Jan 2013

URGED FEDS TO BLOCK  BILL 52, QUEBEC’S EUTHANASIA LAW

     After Quebec announced its intention to circumvent the Criminal Code of Canada by euphemistically renaming euthanasia as “medical aid in dying”, CLC issued a press release which called upon the federal Justice Minister to use all tools available to prevent the Quebec government from “getting away with murder”.  We urged the government to take court action and even to withhold federal transfer payments, if necessary.
 

Feb 2013

SUPPORTED EFFORTS TO HAVE THE RCMP INVESTIGATE DEATHS OF BABIES BORN ALIVE AFTER ABORTION, AS HOMICIDES

     After a blogger brought to light that a Stats Canada report showed  491 babies had been killed or left to die after failed abortion, three Conservative MPs wrote a letter to the RCMP demanding that the deaths be investigated as homicides.  The MPs were Maurice Vellacott (Saskatoon-Wanuskewin), MP Leon Benoit (Vegreville-Wainwright) and MP Wladyslaw Lizon (Mississauga East-Cooksville).

     In an effort to raise awareness of this problem, CLC publicly praised the efforts of the MPs with a press release, wrote an article in our monthly newsletter, published a blog and gave media interviews on the topic.   

Mar

2013

HELD 2^nd ANNUAL DEFUND ABORTION RALLY AT QUEEN’S PARK

Our CLC Youth division organized a rally at Queen’s Park on Tuesday March 19.  This took place at the steps of Ontario’s legislature and was attended by 350 pro-lifers from across the province who braved blizzard conditions to participate in the rain-or-shine event.  We had several compelling speakers tease out different aspects of the economic drain that elective abortion represents. We had pro-life Liberal MPP Joe Dickson speak to the crowd. CLC also read out a note of encouragement from pro-life federal Conservative MP, Garry Breitkreuz, who introduced private members bills in the past that were aimed at defunding abortion.
    There was media coverage of the rally, and we sent every MPP a report and photos from the event, to serve as a form of lobbying.

Mar

2013

FOUGHT  U.N. EFFORTS TO ENSHRINE ABORTION AS A “HUMAN RIGHT”  

      Twelve youth representing CLC travelled to New York to attend the 57th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The Commission’s main theme was “The prevention and elimination of violence against women” which pro-abortion radicals at the U.N. used to promote legal abortion.
     Our youth reps gave speeches to U.N. delegates, asked difficult questions to expose their agenda and encouraged friendly delegates from other countries to vote against all efforts to pass pro-abortion language.   Thanks be to God, the language did not pass.

Apr 2013

LEVERAGED THE GOSNELL MURDER TRIAL TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE BARBARIC NATURE OF ABORTION

    April was the height of media coverage in the trial of late-term abortionist, Kermit Gosnell. He was charged with murder for committing several live-birth abortions at his Philadelphia clinic.  CLC used the grisly details of filthy conditions and total disregard for human life to expose to the Canadian public, the true evil of the abortion industry. 

    We discussed the details of late-term abortions and of Gosnell’s crimes in several media interviews. We also published a blog calling for  “Born Alive Infant Protection” legislation in Canada, similar to that passed in America.
 

May 9^th 2013

ORGANIZED THE 16^th ANNUAL NATIONAL MARCH FOR LIFE
     CLC coordinated and paid for the 16^th annual National March For Life at Parliament Hill in Ottawa.   This year’s had a record-breaking crowd with 25,000 in attendance. That represented a 25% year-over-year increase.     
     Approximately 80% of attendees were under the age of 35.  Almost 2 dozen pro-life Members of Parliament and Senators stood shoulder to shoulder with us on the steps of Parliament Hill to demand legal protection for all human beings from conception to natural death. Unlike the media black-outs of past years, there was nation-wide media coverage in 2013. That is valuable because it helps us reach the hearts and minds of those who are not pro-life.       The NMFL is actually a 3-day event with a massive prayer vigil and church services throughout the city the night before (May 8), plus a huge Youth Conference and Workshops (May 10) to train the next generation with pro-life apologetics and knowledge. The massive, 3-day program requires months of planning and is organized and funded by Campaign Life Coalition.

June 2013

MOBILIZED SUPPORTERS TO LOBBY THEIR MPP TO VOTE ‘NO’ TO THE TRANSSEXUAL ‘BATHROOM BILL’
     With only a few days notice, CLC found out that the Ontario government was set to quietly pass 3^rd reading of  Bill 33, the “Bathroom Bill” without any public knowledge that it was even moving through the legislature.
     This bill would grant men the legal right to enter women’s washrooms, change rooms and showers if they merely claimed to  “transgendered”, i.e.  a “woman trapped” in a man’s body”.
     In advance of the vote, CLC sent its Ontario supporters an urgent request to lobby their MPPs against Bill 33.  Despite our efforts, the bill passed without a recorded vote.  CLC’s National President, Jim Hughes, subsequently sent a letter to all MPPs pointing out the shamefulness of “secretly” passing such a controversial change to the law.

July 2013

ONTARIO BY-ELECTIONS
     CLC worked feverishly throughout the month of July to obtain information about candidates who would be running in the August 1^st provincial by-elections that were scheduled for 5 ridings. This information was sought so as to identify which were pro-life so that we could mobilize get-out-the-vote campaigns to help elect them.
     We reached out to all the candidates by phone, email and also by asking our supporters in the riding to speak to candidates on our behalf.
     CLC published a special by-election web page on which we were able to rate several candidates as pro-abortion, one P.C. candidate in London as Pro-life, and two other candidates as Educable.

     We put out email and voice blasts urging pro-lifers in London to vote and volunteer for P.C. candidate Ali Chahbar. We even arranged for 20 pro-life youth to volunteer on Chahbar’s campaign, going door-to-door on behalf of the pro-life candidate the day before the election.  On August 1^st, the result was very close, but the pro-life candidate came in second place, behind a pro-abortion NDPer.

     CLC had also conducted a get-out-the-vote campaign for Conservative MP Peter Penashue, whom we endorsed during the Labrador federal by-election.

Aug 2013

INTENSIVE PRO-LIFE TRAINING TO STUDENT INTERNS
     CLC had 11 student interns working at our Toronto office during the summer. Besides helping with the overwhelming amount of administrative work, CLC also took the opportunity to help form these high school and university students into future pro-life leaders.   
     All this will have fruits for years to come.  In fact, one of the interns subsequently decided to work for CLC on a part-time basis.

Sep 2013

BEGAN WEBINAR SERIES TO RECRUIT PRO-LIFE CANDIDATES

     CLC conducted live, interactive, online webinars, training pro-lifers to go out in their community and recruit good people to run for nomination in the party of their choice. Our goal is to have a large number of pro-lifers win nomination contests in 2014 so they have the opportunity to run in the 2015 federal election and hopefully, become new, pro-life members of parliament.

    Two additional webinars were held in November and more have been scheduled for January 2015.

Sep 2013

40 DAYS FOR LIFE – FALL CAMPAIGN OF PRAYER & FASTING

      CLC brought the 40 Days For Life (40DFL) campaign into Canada in 2007.   We still run the Toronto and Ottawa campaigns primarily with CLC staff as the organizers. 

      The fall 2013 campaign kicked off September 25. It required a massive effort for months in advance to promote the campaign and to recruit prayer volunteers. 

  Thus far 40DFL has saved at least 7,536 babies worldwide… that we know of.

Oct

3rd 2013

DEFUND ABORTION CAMPAIGN – National expansion to 5 provinces
      On October 3, CLC expanded its Defund Abortion initiative nationally to 4 other provinces including Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.  It began in Ontario. Simultaneous rallies were held at 4 provincial legislatures and 57 MPP riding offices throughout Ontario.
     At least 38 news reports about the initiative were published including TV, radio and newspaper.    

     The defund campaign has continued throughout the year with pamphleting blitzes, petitions and MPP lobbying.

     Next spring, three more provinces will be added to what is now a nationwide initiative – Quebec, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and possibly P.E.I.

Oct

6th 2013

LIFE CHAIN – ANNUAL DAY OF PUBLIC WITNESS
       CLC’s national headquarters once again coordinated simultaneous demonstrations in more than 200 locations across Canada where a Life Chain event took place on Sunday October 6^th for 1 hour.

      CLC supplies signs for the Life Chain, acts as a central hub for location listings so that new people can get involved and helps promote it via various methods including church bulletin announcements, ads, etc.

Nov 2013

CONTINUED OUR REGIONAL PRO-LIFE FORUM SERIES
       In November, CLC held its final pro-life forum for the year.  At these forums, several CLC speakers give talks on pressing issues in the culture war.  From abortion to euthanasia to the sexualization of school curriculum and much more, local people from the region get educated on what’s happening. 

        This complete location list of pro-life forums organized in smaller communities by CLC includes:   
                   - BRAMPTON – September 21
                   -SARNIA – October 5
                   - PETERBOROUGH – October 19
                   - WALKERTON – November 23   

     There’s a good reason CLC travels to put on these regional forum events. The cost and distance of national conferences is often prohibitive for people who'd love to hear talks from pro-life and pro-family leaders.  By CLC travelling to where the people live, this makes it easy for people in that community to attend an event which packs the punch of a major national conference, but at an affordable price...and without the long-distance travel.

Dec 2013

FOUGHT AGAINST CANADA LIFTING THE BAN ON THE RU-486  CHEMICAL ABORTION PILL

   A recent article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) announced that an application had been submitted to Health Canada to get the abortion pill (RU-486) approved.  CLC successfully fought against approval of this deadly drug years ago.

    We leapt into action again, launching a petition to Canada’s Health Minister, an ‘email your MP’ campaign and a Letter to the Editor campaign.  

     With God’s grace, we will again be successful in persuading Members of Parliament to maintain the current ban on RU-486.

Ongoing

GIVING TALKS IN SCHOOLS

     A key part of making Canada a pro-life nation involves converting the next generation away from apathy and pro-abortion attitudes.

     In 2013 alone, CLC’s Youth representatives have visited approximately 20 schools in Ontario to give pro-life talks.  We estimate that roughly 5,000 students all across the provinces have heard in-class talks by CLC’s Youth Coordinator, Alissa Golob, plus other CLC Youth representatives.

    Almost every time these talks are given, students tell us afterwards that their opinion on abortion has changed as a result of the talk, and they are now “pro-life”.

Weekly

REACHING A NEW AUDIENCE THROUGH NATIONAL TELEVISION

     CLC been able to bring the pro-life  message to tens of thousands of Canadians every week. This breakthrough in mass communication of the pro-life message was virtually unthinkable just a few years ago, and is possible only through God’s blessing upon our ministry.

     Every Monday between 7pm – 8pm EST, a CLC spokesperson goes on Sun News Network, a national television station, to conduct a 6-7 minute interview dealing with current life and family issues.  The host of the program is Michael Coren who rotates four CLC spokespersons each week (Jack Fonseca, Alissa Golob, Shantel Jose and Tanya Granic Allen).

     Each week, some aspect of the evil of abortion is discussed, along with other issues that play into the culture of death.

     These CLC spokespersons also get interviewed from time to time on other prime time programs by Sun News, including Bryan Lilley’s show The Byline, and Ezra Levant’s The Source.
 

Ongoing

PROVIDE NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP

     CLC’s National President, Jim Hughes, in his role as Vice-president of the International Right to Life Federation, meets monthly via teleconference with leaders around the world to discuss strategies.  He also meets quarterly with pro-life/family leaders in Washington, DC.

     CLC also holds monthly conference calls with its national and regional leaders across Canada to review tactics and strategies.  

      Jim Hughes also meets monthly with Business For Life, a group of business people who provide financial support for special projects.