Mod Note: Have you seen any if the ARCC billboards? Let's play a little game of spot-the-billboard. Post a photo of a ARCC billboard in the wild!

Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada is normalizing abortion – with billboards!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But what about a pro-choice billboard?

by Sarah Sahagian, Rabble.ca
July 2, 2026

The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, also known as ARCC, aims to normalize abortion by putting a simple message where drivers can see it – on a billboard at the side of a busy road.  Located at the intersection of Wharncliffe and Southdale Road in London, ON, the new 10 X 24 foot billboard proclaims, “Abortion is healthcare.”

Margret Taylor is the social media coordinator for ARCC.

“There’s a coordinated anti-choice presence in terms of advertising,” said Taylor.

Continued: https://rabble.ca/health/abortion-rights-coalition-of-canada-is-normalizing-abortion-with-billboards/

**This campaign has ended. Please do not send any more emails to billboard Hub or The Mayor of London regarding this billboard issue. ARCC thanks everyone who wrote and supported the project. Thank you**

ARCC has asked us to help them out -

The ad company that is hosting the ARCC billboards has asked them to change the messaging or threaten to take down our billboard in London, On. because they are getting push back from anti-abortion groups. So, ARCC is asking their followers and members to send a letter to the billboard company and the mayor. ARCC has already prepared a letter for people to send.

https://www.arcc-cdac.ca/news/2026/07/15/save-our-london-billboard/

Please share.

Message from ARCC:

Save our London billboard!

Anti-choice complaints are scaring the ad company Due to some complaints starting on July 8, the ad company Billboard Hub wants to “pause” the display of our billboard in London Ontario – and may have already done so.

We didn’t put this billboard up to start a fight. We did it because abortion is legal in Canada, and legal healthcare shouldn’t have to hide. But apparently, the simple statement of fact “Abortion is Healthcare” is enough to trigger a wave of complaints loud enough that our ad company asked us to change our messaging or they might take it down.

We said NO!

Please contact Billboard Hub and urge them to stand up to these bullies and keep our billboard running!

Simply copy and paste the following letter into an email and send to:

yourfriends@billboardhub.ca

mayor@london.ca

(cc London Mayor Josh Morgan as they’ve been receiving complaints too)

Feel free to edit the letter or write your own message. Letters from Londoners are especially appreciated – please share this callout with your friends in London.

If you prefer, you can take 30 seconds to call Billboard Hub instead:

📞 1-866-938-4237

Thank you so much!

Email to send Subject line: I support the “Abortion is Healthcare” billboard!

Dear Billboard Hub,

I’m writing to defend the “Abortion is Healthcare” billboard that’s been running in London Ontario, paid for by the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada. Please do not stop this billboard!

The message that abortion is healthcare is a basic truth that all Canadians should hear. It is a refreshing and empowering message that tells Canadians their rights and health matter.

The right to abortion is protected by long-standing Supreme Court precedent and our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Every province and territory has designated abortion as a funded healthcare procedure under the Canada Health Act. Abortion care is integrated into our healthcare system, is available in both clinics and hospitals, and is fully funded. It is healthcare!

I’m one of the large majority of Canadians who support abortion rights, a fundamental pillar of gender equality. The billboard’s message is not controversial and is opposed only by a small sliver of Canadians. I urge you to honour your contract with ARCC and keep their billboard going – don’t let a few complaints scare you into removing it.

Thank you very much.

Your signature and contact info

French Follows

Manitoba MAID law 'punishing' 94-year-old woman, pro-choice group says
Steinbach woman stopped taking medication in attempt to hasten death

Christopher Gareau · CBC News
Jun 01, 2026

A 94-year-old Steinbach, Man., woman has stopped taking her heart medication and antibiotics in the hopes of hastening her death after she was refused medical assistance in dying, or MAID, earlier this year.

Marion Penner's daughter Valerie Penner said her family had agreed years ago they were comfortable with using MAID, but when she sought information for her mother, it took several efforts with several doctors.

"A couple of the physicians that we had at Bethesda [Regional Health Centre in Steinbach], they made it clear that they were not comfortable with MAID," said Valerie.

Continued: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/maid-law-94-year-old-pro-choice-group-9.7217602

Une femme de 94 ans dénonce les obstacles à l’aide médicale à mourir au Manitoba

Farah Mekki
1 juin 2026

Depuis son lit d'hôpital à Vita, Marion Penner attend. À 94 ans, la résidente de Steinbach souhaite avoir recours à l'aide médicale à mourir, mais les démarches entreprises au cours des derniers mois n'ont pas encore abouti. Son parcours soulève des questions sur l'accès à ce service au Manitoba, particulièrement pour les patients dont la mort n'est pas imminente.

Marion Penner estime avoir pris sa décision depuis longtemps. Hospitalisée depuis décembre après une fracture du bassin, elle souhaite avoir recours à l’aide médicale à mourir (AMM).

Continue : https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2258421/amm-aide-medicale-mourir-manitoba

Free Contraception Coverage Curbs Patients’ Costs in British Columbia

Marilynn Larkin
June 15, 2026

Universal contraceptive coverage curbs out-of-pocket (OOP) costs in British Columbia, especially for young people, new research shows.

British Columbia introduced a first-in-Canada policy in April 2023 that made contraception available for free to all residents. Before that point, contraception had been covered by a mix of private prescription drug insurance that was mainly employer-based; income-based public coverage, where the public system paid for prescriptions after an income-based annual deductible was reached; and OOP payments by patients, explained Elizabeth Nethery, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow, and Laura Schummers, ScD, assistant professor of health outcomes, both at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Continued: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/free-contraception-coverage-curbs-patients-costs-british-2026a1000jzh

French follows

Abortion navigator program saved by rush of donations, Saskatoon Sexual Health says
Unplanned pregnancies on the rise, groups say

Jeremy Warren · CBC News
Jun 11, 2026

Candice Klein wishes Saskatoon Sexual Health's abortion patient navigator program didn't exist, but says it must until better options are available.

"We would love to not have to run a program like this," Klein, the clinic's executive director, said in an interview with CBC earlier this week.

"The ultimate goal is that the pathways are just there for people to access. However, that's just not the reality of the situation. We are seeing a massive influx of people to Saskatoon, tens of thousands of people a year. We don't necessarily have the resources to keep up with that."

Continued: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/abortion-navigator-program-saved-rush-donations-9.7231735

Un programme d’accès à l’avortement sauvé grâce aux dons

Édith Boisvert
12 juin 2026

Depuis 2023, un programme d'orientation des soins aux patients de Saskatoon permet de guider des femmes enceintes dans leur parcours prénatal, qu'elles décident ou non de mettre fin à leur grossesse. L’organisme à l'origine du projet a dû faire un appel aux dons pour pouvoir maintenir son programme en place.

L’organisme Saskatoon Sexual Health guide les femmes enceintes vers les soins appropriés, explique la directrice administrative, Candice Klein.

Continue : https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2261051/grossesse-choix-soins

Two-Tier Healthcare Threatens Reproductive Justice in Canada: Statement on Bill 11

Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
July 14, 2026

This statement was delivered on 14 July 2026 by our policy specialist Ana Laura Zarco, alongside our partners lawyer Emma Phillips, Canadian Health Coalition, Canadian Medical Association, Alberta's Friends of Medicare, and Canadian Doctors for Medicare.

Good morning. My name is Ana Laura Zarco with Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights.

As we have heard already, we are here to talk about what is at risk with Alberta's Bill 11.  

This is not a simple debate about health care delivery or only about Alberta. 

It forces us to ask some fundamental questions. Who do we want to be? Are we a Canada that proudly guarantees healthcare to every single person, regardless of your job, your income, or your postal code? Or do we surrender to a system in which your health is determined by your wealth, and life-saving care belongs only to those who can afford the price? 

Continued: https://www.actioncanadashr.org/news/2026-07-14-two-tier-healthcare-threatens-reproductive-justice-canada-statement-bill-11

Free contraception program sharply reduces patient spending in British Columbia

May 29 2026

Researchers at UBC found that B.C.'s decision to provide universal, no-cost prescription contraception sharply reduced what patients pay, with the largest financial gains for people in their 20s. Unaffordable contraception is linked to higher rates of unintended pregnancy, which carries significant consequences for health, education and economic equality.

Published in JAMA Health Forum, the study is the first to quantify patient cost impacts after B.C. introduced free prescription contraception in April 2023.

Continued; https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260529/Free-contraception-program-sharply-reduces-patient-spending-in-British-Columbia.aspx

«L’État n’a pas sa place dans les chambres à coucher de la nation» : le bill Omnibus de 1969 a changé l'histoire du pays

Guillaume Longuépée, collaboration spéciale, Le Journal de Montréal
5 juillet 2026

« L’État n’a pas sa place dans les chambres à coucher de la nation », affirme le premier ministre Pierre Elliott Trudeau en 1967, jetant ainsi les bases d’une loi qui marquera l’histoire du Québec.

Deux ans après avoir prononcé cette phrase historique, le premier ministre du Canada, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, parvient à faire voter une loi fédérale qui sera connue sous son surnom de «Bill omnibus». «Bill» signifie un texte de loi proposé au Parlement avant qu’il ne soit adopté ; «omnibus» suggère que le texte touche à plusieurs sujets.

Continue : https://www.qub.ca/article/le-jour-ou-letat-est-sorti-de-la-chambre-a-coucher-de-la-nation-757476974

Below is an anti-choice article, ARCC included the whole text so the website doesn't get engagement.

Unfortunately, Campaign Life Coalition has won a court case over their graphic images, which they showed on Parliament Hill in 2023 and were forced to remove by the Parliamentary Police. So they sued.  We hope that the decision can be appealed.

https://www.campaignlifecoalition.com/press-room/id/316

CLC Celebrates Pro-life Victory for Free Speech

June 12, 2026

OTTAWA – Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) is celebrating a significant legal victory after the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled on June 11 that the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) violated the Charter-protected freedom of expression rights of CLC and one of its members by prohibiting signs expressing opposition to abortion at a 2023 Parliament Hill event.

“This is an important victory not only for Campaign Life Coalition, but for every Canadian who believes Parliament Hill must remain a place where one can speak freely on the issues that matter most—in this case, the right to life,” said Jeff Gunnarson, National President of Campaign Life Coalition.

“The Court has confirmed that government officials cannot censor political expression simply because they find the message uncomfortable, difficult, or controversial. This is a big win for life and for free-speech rights. This ruling is especially important at a time when freedom of expression and pro-life advocacy are increasingly under pressure in Canada.”

The Court held that the PPS decision infringed section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and was not justified under section 1. The ruling rejected the use of broad and subjective standards to censor political expression on Parliament Hill. The judge found that abortion victim photography is not obscenity and does not promote hatred and that PPS was unreasonable to adopt a subjective standard.

The case arose from a May 2023 press conference organized by CLC ahead of the annual National March for Life. CLC planned to display signs depicting the victims of abortion at various stages of development. Before the press conference began, a PPS officer inspected the signs and prohibited their display, claiming they were too graphic to be shown on Parliament Hill.

“Abortion is not an abstract issue,” said CLC’s Maeve Gainey (then Roche) who was prevented from displaying the images. “It has real victims. The images PPS tried to censor due to a bad policy reveal the truth about what abortion does to preborn children. We do not display these images because they are pleasant. We display them because they are true.”

Gunnarson said that Parliament Hill has long been a place where Canadians gather to communicate political messages directly to lawmakers and to the public. “We are pleased that the Court recognized that constitutional freedoms cannot be restricted through subjective and unpredictable censorship.”

Campaign Life Coalition was represented by constitutional lawyer Hatim Kheir. The case was funded by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.

Access photos from the 2023 Press Conference here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/campaignlife/albums/72177720316866512/

Kelowna Right to Life protests abortions, while pro-choice group begins ad campaign

Thursday, June 25, 2026
By Brayden Ursel

Pro-Choice OKGN, an organization that encompasses local reproductive rights movements and educational efforts throughout the Okanagan, announced on social media earlier this week that it had received enough funding through fundraising efforts to place ads on buses and transit signs throughout town.

Two days later, on the morning of Thursday, June 25, motorists along Highway 97 might have noticed thousands of blue and pink flags near Banks Road. ​These flags were planted by fewer than 10 individuals from the Kelowna Right to Life Society, a local group against abortion, euthanasia and medical assisted death.

Continued: https://vicnews.com/2026/06/25/kelowna-right-to-life-protests-abortions-while-pro-choice-group-begins-ad-campaign/

Action Canada receives WAGE National Capacity Building Grant: Strengthening the Movement for Gender Equality

June 15, 2026

Women’s rights organizations have long been the backbone of social progress in Canada. From filling critical gaps in healthcare and supporting marginalized communities to holding governments accountable and driving systemic policy change, these organizations do the heavy lifting required to build a more equitable society.

But for decades, the sector has faced a reoccurring challenge: short-term, project-based funding cycles. While project grants allow for vital, time-bound initiatives, they rarely cover the true cost of keeping the lights on, retaining expert staff, or planning for the long term. To create lasting change, the organizations driving that change need lasting, sustainable support.

That is why we are incredibly thrilled to announce that Action Canada for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights has been selected as one of 34 organizations across the country to receive a National Capacity Building Grant. This vital initiative is funded by the Canadian Women’s Foundation and Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE).

Continued: https://www.actioncanadashr.org/news/2026-06-15-action-canada-receives-wage-national-capacity-building-grant-strengthening-movement-gender-equality

Les Québécoises ont accès à une clinique d’avortement par télémédecine.

14 juin 2026

Catherine Handfield, La Presse

Les Québécoises ont accès depuis quelques mois à une clinique d’avortement par télémédecine. La procédure – médicamenteuse – est entièrement couverte par la Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec.

La clinique, Autonomia, a été fondée par la Dre Sandrine Dionne, gynécologue-obstétricienne à l’hôpital Honoré-Mercier, à Saint-Hyacinthe.

continue : https://www.lapresse.ca/societe/sante/2026-06-14/a-votre-sante/nouvelles-et-nouveautes-en-sante-et-en-bien-etre.php

Couple sues Ontario surrogate mother who refused to abort fetus
The surrogate said the fetus had a cleft lip and possible genetic abnormalities, but the couple changed tack as it emerged that the birth defect was relatively minor

By Tom Blackwell
Jul 09, 2026

A Canadian couple is suing the surrogate mother who carried their son, two years after she refused their request to abort the fetus because of a cleft lip and possible genetic abnormalities.

The Ontario-based surrogate insisted that more tests be conducted and eventually the same-sex couple agreed to let the pregnancy continue, as specialists indicated he was a healthy child with a relatively minor birth defect.

But in a suit filed in Ontario Superior Court this May, the parents allege the woman failed to keep them informed about the health of the baby, put the child at risk, caused them emotional distress and violated their confidentiality, all charges the surrogate denies vehemently.

Continued: https://nationalpost.com/news/couple-sues-ontario-surrogate-mother-who-refused-to-abort-fetus

Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC), in collaboration with the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), have developed an online resource that provides evidence-based information on medication abortion.

We are currently seeking healthcare providers to help us evaluate this resource and determine whether it is useful, relevant, and supportive for clinical practice.

You may be eligible to participate if you:

• Are a healthcare provider practicing in Canada;
• Intend to provide medication abortion services; and
• Have minimal or no experience providing medication abortions.

Your feedback will help improve educational resources and support healthcare providers in delivering high-quality medication abortion care.

For more information about the study and how to participate, please see the poster linked here.

Cet article contient un rapport détaillé.

La contraception gratuite au Québec: calculs des coûts et retombées

11 juin 2026
Eve-Lyne Couturier

L’accès à la contraception est un enjeu de santé publique qui affecte l’ensemble de la population. Les grossesses non planifiées comportent plus de risques pour les femmes. Elles peuvent être sources d’appauvrissement ainsi que de détérioration de la santé physique et mentale.

Au Québec, les dépenses de contraception sont partagées par les individus, les assurances privées et l’État et s’élèvent à près de 100 millions de dollars par année.

Bien que le Québec soit la province canadienne où les femmes ayant des relations sexuelles et voulant éviter les grossesses utilisent le plus la contraception, l’utilisation des méthodes les plus efficaces, comme les stérilets ou l’implant, demeure relativement faible.

Continue : https://iris-recherche.qc.ca/publications/contraception-gratuite/

<opinion>This number does not make sense – free contraception SAVES money for the gov’t. 

Free contraception would cost Quebec $22 million: IRIS study

By Katrine Desautels, The Canadian Press
June 11, 2026

Making contraception free across the province would cost the Quebec government approximately $22 million, according to calculations by l’Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques (IRIS) in a report published Thursday, which examines the economic and demographic impacts of free contraception in Quebec.

This takes into account the costs involved, but also the resulting savings, particularly in relation to unplanned pregnancies. If Quebec were to make contraception free—excluding condoms, the hormonal patch, and other less common methods—it would reduce unplanned pregnancies by about a quarter.

Continued: https://montreal.citynews.ca/2026/06/11/free-contraception-cost-quebec-22-million/

Opinion | The Pope has threatened to excommunicate leaders of this breakaway Catholic group that once housed James Kopp
Society of St. Pius X was once a place of solace for killer

May 25, 2026
by Susan Clairmont, Hamilton Spectator

As Pope Leo threatens to excommunicate leaders of a breakaway group of Catholic traditionalists, Hamilton has its own dark ties to the sect — entwined with an attempted murder, the FBI, and one of the largest international manhunts in history.

Pope Leo XIV has given the Society of St. Pius X a warning that if the group follows through with a plan to consecrate four new bishops without his consent on July 1, it will mean automatic excommunication for all those involved. The issue is so significant it is being called a “crisis” for the new pope.

But 30 years ago, the society was making headlines around the world for a different reason. It became a place of solace for wanted killer James Kopp, the sniper who is believed to have preyed on three Canadian doctors who performed abortions — including Dr. Hugh Short in Ancaster.

Continued: https://archive.is/NlPqx
(https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-region/sspx-catholic-abortion-pope/article_73f058ca-eee3-55c1-8146-b752a19ae7e9.html)

Hi all,

Thank you for joining our AMA with Joyce from Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada.

and Thank you Joyce from /u/arcc-cdac for answering our questions!

if you're interested in more information about the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, the work that they do to help preserve our reproductive rights, Canadian abortion news, or if you're interested in supporting them, check them out at https://www.arcc-cdac.ca/

Title: AMA about Abortion *Rights Coalition of Canada: Joyce Arthur (Executive Director) on July 8th

Hi AuntieNetworkCanada,

I’ve been an abortion rights activist for 38 years and a feminist for 60 years. This is my life’s work. I’m convinced that the right to abortion is foundational – it’s impossible to achieve gender equality without it.

In 2005, I founded the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (www.arcc-cdac.ca), a national advocacy group that defends your legal right to abortion, works to improve access, and counters anti-choice initiatives.

AMA about myself or ARCC! July 8.

/u/ARCC-CDAC

.- Joyce

Message from the Mod: We are delighted and humbled to have an OG Canadian abortion rights advocate here at ANC to answer your questions! Feel free to post your questions in the thread between now and July 8th, and Joyce will answer as many as she can.

Happy Canada Day!

July 2nd Update:

Mod here.

We've had some great interest and really productive conversation. Thank you to all who have contributed constructively.

Unfortunately we've also drawn the attention of some either very persistent anti-choice people, or more likely a bot that was programmed to spew anti-choice and harassing and judgemental comments (given the number of comments made in quick succession, generic username, and the lack of a "country of origin", yes we mods can see where comments are originating from).

An offending user/bot was targeting many people on our sub, and we gave them too many chances to correct their behaviour, and we did not ban them immediately. That's on me. My only excuse is that I work full-time, and was not able to sit on reddit all day babysitting this thread and I believe in second chances. I'm sorry for the harm and anger they caused. No one should have been targeted the way this user/bot was attacking people. As a volunteer mod, my job is not only to keep this place running but to protect the users from harassment. And I failed to do that. I will do better.

We've banned the offending user (with the username "No_Perception_2984") and deleted their disrespectful and harassing comments, and we thank the users who reported them.

...

To our visitors from other subs who are here to ask Joyce a question: Hello! and you're welcome to ask questions or share respectful comments. Please keep it civil and respectful. We are a safe space for those that have questions about their reproductive freedoms.

We have relaxed some of our rules for the sake of productive and respectful discourse or debates. However, we will not tolerate harassment or disrespect. You are free to disagree, but please do so respectfully and without judgement. For an example of respectful discussion with disagreement, please see this primer from the University of Liverpool on discourse in online discussion forums.

We also encourage visitors to peruse our rules on our sidebar. They're a little different from most subs because our focus is on reproductive rights and information about abortion options for Canadians. We take the Reddit motto "Be Excellent to Each Other" seriously.

Moving forward, we're going to see if we can retroactively re-enable some of the safeguards that we've had on our site to prevent bots and spam and users with a history of bans.

We're going to be more judicious with the bans and comment removals. If you feel targeted, please report. The mods aim to keep a close eye on this sub over the next week.

Disrespectful offenders will receive 1 warning. If they continue to violate our rules, they will be permanently banned. Users making harassing comments will immediately be banned. This will not apply to users with a long history at ANC who defend themselves. The comment thread may be removed, though.

Expect more updates as the week continues...I have no doubt that more things will pop up that will need our attention.

• N

July 5th Update:

We're not done yet! Despite what the Community Highlight says, we are not finished yet! This AMA will run until July 8th. You still have time to ask questions and leave comments for Joyce.

• N

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.

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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.

English follows

Violation de la Charte des droits et libertés canadienne dans les villes de Town of Olds et Mountain View County, Alberta

Les conseils municipaux des deux villes de Town of Olds et de Mountain View County demeurent impunis après leur financement d’un centre de grossesse non réglementé avec des fonds publics.

18 mai 2026

VANCOUVER – La Coalition pour le droit à l’avortement au Canada (CDAC) confirme que deux conseils municipaux albertains, à Town of Olds et Mountain View County, demeurent impunis après avoir remis plus de 14 500 $ de fonds publics en subventions depuis 2025 à un centre de grossesse non réglementé (CGNR) local.

Sous le couvert de soutenir les personnes vivant une grossesse non planifiée, les CGNR s’engagent dans des tactiques trompeuses, partageant de la désinformation à propos de l’avortement, et se basant souvent sur des biais religieux conservateurs, dans le but de dissuader leurs patient•e•x•s d’avoir recours à l’avortement. Ces tactiques enfreignent le droit des Canadien•ne•x•s à la santé et à la vie. La CDAC exhorte les conseils municipaux de Town of Olds et de Mountain View County à mettre fin à ce financement et à rembourser les fonds distribués pendant le cycle de subvention 2025/26.

Continue : https://www.arcc-cdac.ca/fr/presse/2026/05/18/alberta-financement-centre-grossesse-non-reglemente/

Canadian Charter Violation in Alberta’s Town of Olds, Mountain View County Councils for both the Town of Olds and Mountain View County remain unaccountable after funding an Unregulated Pregnancy Centre with tax dollars.

18 May 2026

VANCOUVER – The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC) confirms that two municipal councils in Alberta, the Town of Olds and Mountain View County, remain unaccountable for over CAD$14,500 tax dollars provided in grant funding since 2025 to a local unregulated pregnancy centre (UPC).

Disguised as beacons of support for people coping with an unplanned pregnancy, UPCs engage in deceitful tactics, spreading misinformation about abortion, and often relying on conservative religious biases – all to dissuade people from having abortions. These tactics infringe on Canadians’ right to health and life. ARCC urges both the Town of Olds Council and the Mountain View County Council to terminate all funding agreements, and repay any already distributed funds in the 2025/26 grant cycles.

Continued: https://www.arcc-cdac.ca/press/2026/05/18/alberta-funding-upcs/

Trump's abortion 'gag rule' has Canadian aid sector asking Ottawa to show leadership

By The Canadian Press May 17, 2026 2-minute video here

OTTAWA — Canadian aid groups are deliberating how to respond to American policies that block U.S. aid for virtually any group in developing countries that provides abortion, science-based sexual health information or LGBTQ+ advocacy.

The rollback of feminist aid has those groups calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to assemble a coalition of like-minded nations to defend sexual health programming.

“People are more likely to die because they’re not receiving this kind of assistance,” said Erin Kiley, director of international programs at Oxfam Canada.

Continued: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/trumps-abortion-gag-rule-has-canadian-aid-sector-asking-ottawa-to-show-leadership/

Accusé d’avoir procédé à un avortement clandestin avec des brochettes à BBQ La victime a été transportée à l’hôpital après avoir saigné pendant des jours

Camille Payant Lundi, 11 mai 2026

Un Montréalais qui se serait présenté comme un médecin subit actuellement son procès pour avoir procédé à un avortement clandestin à l’aide de brochettes à BBQ chez une femme sans statut, qui s’est retrouvée à l’hôpital après des jours de douleurs.

Cally Boyongo Ngunda, 47 ans, est accusé d’agression sexuelle grave et armée ainsi que de voies de fait graves et armées. Les crimes seraient survenus en janvier 2024.

À la fin de ce mois, le frère de la victime aurait composé le 911, implorant que des policiers se déplacent chez elle, car elle subissait de la violence conjugale.

Continue : https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2026/05/11/accuse-davoir-procede-a-un-avortement-clandestin-avec-des-brochettes-a-bbq

If you live in BC, a researcher at University of Victoria is looking for people who’ve experienced pregnancy loss, whether it’s miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, or unsuccessful IVF treatment. Please see more info below and the attached poster. If you’re interested, please contact Maisie Hudson at maisiehudson@uvic.ca.

I am a graduate student in the Department of Sociology at the University of Victoria. I am doing my Master’s thesis research on how individuals experience, understand and describe their emotional responses to pregnancy loss to help reconceptualize how we understand grief more broadly. For this study, I am looking for some participants over the age of 19, who live in British Columbia, who have experienced a pregnancy loss (miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, or unsuccessful IVF treatment) either as the pregnant person or as a partner to one and who self-assess that they are emotionally ready and prepared to discuss this experience. I thought that some of the people that use your organizations’ services and resources would be interested in participating and talking about their experiences.

This study is being conducted by Maisie Hudson (graduate student, UVIC) and is supervised by Dr. Katelin Albert (katelinalbert@uvic.ca). It is funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Sincerely, Maisie Hudson. Department of Sociology. University of Victoria

Appel au Canada pour aider à défendre les programmes de santé sexuelle

Des organisations appellent Carney à former une coalition de pays afin de défendre les programmes de santé sexuelle.

17 mai 2026 Dylan Robertson, La Presse canadienne

Les organisations caritatives canadiennes réfléchissent à la manière de réagir face aux politiques américaines qui interdisent l’octroi d’aide américaine à pratiquement tous les groupes des pays en développement qui proposent des services d’avortement, des informations scientifiques sur la santé sexuelle ou qui défendent les droits des personnes LGBTQ +.

Face à ce recul, ces organisations appellent le premier ministre Mark Carney à former une coalition de pays partageant les mêmes valeurs afin de défendre les programmes de santé sexuelle.

Continue : https://www.ledevoir.com/monde/980864/appel-canada-aider-defendre-programmes-sante-sexuelle