Last month at Durham College, a group of anti-abortion protesters gathered with large graphic signs, sparking debate about their methods and the impact on students and passersby.
This incident reflects a concerning trend south of the border.
The U.S. changed dramatically when Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, leading to significant societal shifts and legal debates surrounding reproductive rights and healthcare access.
Now, many states have imposed near-total abortion bans, leaving women without critical care—even in life-threatening cases. Doctors, fearing legal consequences, hesitate to provide necessary treatment.
Could Canada be heading down the same road? Protests like the one at DC raise concerns about efforts to restrict abortion rights here as well.
Canada’s journey with abortion rights has been a long one. Back in 1969, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau took the first step by changing the Criminal Code. Under these changes, women could get abortions, but only if doctors agreed their health was at risk.
Then came 1988, a turning point in Canadian history. The supreme court made a bold decision: they said the old rules went against the constitution and threw them out. From that day forward, abortion became what it should have been all along – a regular part of health care that women could access when needed.
Looking back to the dark period between 1926 and 1947, between 4,000 to 6,000 Canadian women died due to unsafe, illegal abortions – a heartbreaking reminder of what’s at stake.
The present is just as troubling in the U.S.: a 14 year-old in Arizona was denied essential medication due to new abortion laws. A woman in Wisconsin, miscarrying, was sent home to suffer. Another woman faced an18-hour drive drive for life-saving care for an ectopic pregnancy. Meanwhile, doctors, trapped between medical ethics and unclear laws, struggle to treat their patients.
It might be easy to assume that Canada will remain different from the U.S., that the same backsliding on abortion rights won’t occur. However, history shows that rights can be eroded without vigilance.
While abortion is legal in Canada, getting one is not the same province-to-province. In Prince Edward Island, an abortion is allowed up to 12 weeks into pregnancy. Nova Scotia says 16 weeks is the limit. In New Brunswick, it is 14 weeks – unless paid out of pocket, then it’s 16. In Yukon and Nunavut, the limit is 13 weeks.
Across Canada, only three special clinics – one in British Columbia, another in Southern Ontario, and a third in Quebec – can help women who need care between 23 weeks and six days of pregnancy.
No providers in Canada offer abortion care beyond 23 weeks and six days. In rural areas, women might need to travel a distance to find a clinic. With anti-choice groups gaining momentum, it is uncertain whether they will push for even tighter restrictions.
Attempts to undermine abortion rights occur through subtle means, such as politicians’ comments on “conscience rights” legislation, which would allow doctors to refuse abortion referrals.
The assumption that abortion rights will remain secure simply because they are legal today is a mistake. If attention is not paid and pushback against misinformation and restrictive policies is not made, rights could quietly be taken away without notice.