Words cannot do the event justice. Nor can any amount of photos. There is nothing quite like being in Ottawa with nearly 7000 pro-lifers on the Hill and in the streets. The vast majority of the crowd, probably 75-80%, were high school and university students and they add a vitality to the March that is nearly impossible to describe. Many of the pro-life veterans I talked to say they were reinvigorated by the March and many teachers report that their students are on fire to take up the pro-life cause when they return to their schools.

So whatever else the March for Life does – garnering media attention, witnessing to the public at large, sending a signal to politicians – one of the most important outcomes of this large demonstration is to recharge the batteries of the pro-life movement. We come out of the annual March stronger and more energized.

This year’s March for Life was our 10th annual one, which commemorates the May 14, 1969 Omnibus bill that legalized abortion, and by every account the March was a smashing success. The theme was “Justice for the Unborn,” a notion that infused speeches from the candlelight vigil held on the eve of the March through the speeches on Parliament Hill to the speakers at the Youth Conference the day after. There were also Masses and church services as well as the sold-out Rose Dinner.

Officially, the March got underway the evening of May 9 with a Catholic Mass at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus church in downtown Ottawa. In his homily, Father Vincent Pereira said that “life, once conceived, must be protected with the utmost care.” He lamented that in Canada we boast of being a democracy, yet we extend no rights to the unborn child.

The Mass is followed by a procession of several blocks to the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights Monument for a half-hour candlelight vigil just after dusk. Founded by the late Dr. Andre Lafrance, the vigil this year was led by young people from Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic church in downtown Ottawa. It is impossible to capture the moment on film as pictures depict circles of light in darkness, but the vigil is a moving remembrance of those who are sacrificed on the altar of convenience. Especially moving was Fred Schubert’s reading of Sara Smith’s abortion-survivor story.

On the morning of May 10, there was another Mass at St. Patrick’s Basilica, a prayer service led by Pastor Marc Jagt of the Canadian Reformed Church of Ottawa, and an ecumenical prayer service at St. George’s Anglican Church led by John Counsell, pastor of outreach and discipleship at Bethel Pentecostal Church in Ottawa. The Mass at St. Patrick’s was offered by Fr. Frank Pavone of U.S. Priests for Life; the Mass was packed and hundreds were turned away at the door.

There was also a press conference on May 10 with MPs Maurice Vellacott, Paul Steckle and Harold Albrecht, members of the Parliamentary Pro-Life caucus, focusing attention on the issue of sex-selection abortions. Vellacott decried the “systemic violence against women, both pre- born and pregnant, through prenatal sex selection.” Steckle said, “Selecting pre-born girls for termination, simply because they are female, is an important example of the violence and discrimination that still exists against women and girls today.”

The main event, if you will, is the March. Busloads of high school students arrive just before noon and many leave before the Rose Dinner. Their numbers swell the crowd slowly over an hour before the March officially begins. The assembled listen to musician David MacDonald and associates. Scanning the throng you see banners from many schools as well as signs from the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Women’s League, Physicians for Life, Lutherans for Life, LifeLine, St. Catharines, Ont. Right to Life, the National Campus Life Network, Guelph Youth for Life.

As in the Washington March for Life, more church groups are coming to Ottawa with personalized banners to proudly proclaim their church community’s support for the cause for life. Usually a pastor can be seen leading his flock grouped around their banner and often praying or singing together during the march.

Eduardo Verastegui at the Rose Dinner on the evening of the March for Life.		Nearly 7000 pro-lifers took part in the 10th annual National March for Life in Ottawa, making it the largest such annual demonstration on Parliament Hill.

Silent No More led off the March with Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life.		Politicians, religious and pro-life leaders and members of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign sit on the stage in front of Parliament Hill as the throng assembled for the March.
As far as the eye could see it was pro-lifers witnessing to the injustice of abortion.		Members of Silent No More shared their own personal, moving stories of regret after the march through the streets.
The vast majority of March participants were youth who came from elementary and high schools, universities and colleges, as part of church and youth groups and with their families. At least three-quarters of those at the March were youth.

Between 12:30 and 1:00 pm, speeches commence. Brief presentations were heard from parliamentarians, Janet Morana and Angelina Steenstra of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, former MP Pat O’Brien (now a consultant to CLC), religious leaders including Fr. Pavone, March co- chair Frank Mountain, and CLC National President Jim Hughes. Introducing them was mistress of ceremonies, 16-year-old Elizabeth Lemieux, daughter of MP Pierre Lemieux.

The MPs, strangely far fewer in number this yearthan ever before, included Conservatives Lemieux, Harold Albrecht, Maurice Vellacott, Jeff Watson, Mark Warawa, Myron Thompson, James Lunney, David Anderson, Dean Del Mastro, Rod Bruinooge (Bev Shipley and Cheryl Gallant were present but did not address the crowd), and Liberals Paul Szabo and Paul Steckle. Tom Wappell (Liberal) and Andrew Scheer (Conservative) were tied up with official business in Parliament but sent greetings. The MPs’ speeches were appreciated and cheered by the crowd but have also been noticeably far more subdued this year and last since the Conservatives took over the reigns of power. Hopefully, we will one day get to the stage where they will once again give the rousing, passionate types of speeches that we heard from US Congressmen and Senators at the annual US March for Life.

Bella producer Leo Severino addresses the packed Hampton Inn banquet hall at the Rose Dinner while Bella lead actor Eduardo Verastegui looks on.

Conservative Jeff Watson addresses the march with his family by his side.

The huge crowd afterwards proceeded through the streets of Ottawa, led by a group of women from the Silent No More Awareness Campaign and Father Frank Pavone, the U.S. national director of Priests for Life, They were followed by large contingent of Knights of Columbus in full regalia. The throng held signs, prayed and chanted as they marched the approximately one hour route through the streets. They returned to the Hill to hear moving personal testimonials from the men and women of Silent No More – women who regret their abortions and men who regret lost fatherhood. Abortion is a choice that often causes physical, psychological and spiritual harm and eight people explained the great costs they incurred for their “choice.”

In the evening, about 1,000 people swelled a banquet room at the Hampton Inn for the Rose Dinner which was sold out weeks in advance. Attended by a number of MPs (Conservatives Rick Dykstra, Jason Kenney and Garry Breitkreuz, while Stockwell Day sent written regards) and the retiring Catholic archbishop of Ottawa, Marcel Gervais, attendees were treated to a delicious dinner (New York striploin) and video greetings from Father Ted Colleton, who was unable to attend the March in person due to health complications.

The dinner’s keynote speakers were the two main figures responsible for the film Bella. The movie, which tells the story of a pregnant New York City waitress, captured the Smithsonian Latino Centre’s Legacy Award, as well as the Toronto International Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award. Producer Leo Severino of Metanoia Films told the crowd the movie was created in response to a realization of the power of media. “The media are shaping our culture,” noting that the pro-life ethic embodied in Bella has the potential to touch and save lives. The film’s star, Eduardo Verastegui, renounced a past that included roles in racy films, lamenting, “I poisoned society with the material with which I was involved,” but more seriously, “I offended God.” Following his conversion, his resolve to not be involved in films offensive to God meant he did not work in the field for two years before Bella came along. But he is excited about the potential Metanoia Films and Bella have to make a difference.

The next day, more than 600 young people – high school and university students of all ages, attended the youth conference held at the new Hampton Inn Conference Center where they once again heard from Severino and Verastegui as well as Stephanie Gray, executive director of the Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, and Faytene Krysow, author of the book Stand on Guard: A Prophetic Call and Research on the Righteous Foundations of Canada. Jim Hughes offered opening remarks, while Samantha Singson, Joanna Miller and Theresa Matters shared emceeing duties. Sponsored by Niagara Right to Life, the conference featured music provided by Gethsemane Ministries and discussion groups facilitated by the National Campus Life Network.

Retiring Catholic archbishop Marcel Gervais of Ottawa attended the Rose Dinner.		As has been the custom in recent years, the Knights of Columbus were out in force, decked out in full regalia near the front of the march.		Elizabeth Lemieux, daughter of Conservative MP Pierre Lemieux, as emcee for the March.

Once again many in the media ignored the March for Life and many of those that reported on it got parts of the story wrong – especially the number that attended. For dubious reasons most of the mainstream press chose to ignore the March or lowballed the numbers. The National Post gave it an eighth of a page but no photo and it undermined our estimate of 7000 participants by quoting a RCMP officer who “eyeballed” the crowd and said that it was half the actual number. For anyone at the March, 3500 was obviously way off; perhaps that is why the paper did not run a photo or else readers would realize the truth about the crowd.

The CBC did a panel on its Politics show with Don Newman featuring CLC National Organizer Mary Ellen Douglas and PPLC co-chair Maurice Vellacott. CTV also had a brief report. The Canadian Press and Toronto Sun, both which failed to cover the March, however did cover a pseudo-controversy stemming from the March for Life after it was discovered that a trademarked government of Canada word mark was mistakenly used on two banners.

March for Life 2007 co-chair Frank Mountain called this year’s March “fabulous” as he described the “great time” and “good crowd” we had. “Pro-life crowds are always happy. You don’t get negatives at all … Everything seemed to go smoothly,” he told The Interim newspaper. The highlight? Everything. Even the weather was fine. It seems that every year the specter of rain is in the air but that the sun fights its way to shine through. This year was no different; at noon, the radio stations reported a storm watch for the capital region but we experienced no rain or thunder.

Plans are already underway for the 2008 National March for Life. The organizing committee is considering keynote speakers and once again working with religious leaders to become involved. And while they are also working with high schools to increase the number of students, they are also working on ways of reminding pro-life veterans that they too must show up.

Every year the March grows and gets better. It is a national pro-life witness that reinvigorates the movements and sends a signal to all of Ottawa that the pro-life movement is a force to be reckoned with. At 7000, the March is one of the largest events the city sees each year. Mark your calendars to plan to be part of an even bigger and better March in 2008.

Yours for life and family
Jim Hughes
CLC National President