OTTAWA, April 11, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – On April 28th, a group of 25 pro-life women will begin a 200 km walk from the Morgentaler Abortion Clinic in Montreal to the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa, ending in the nation's capital on May 9th to coincide with the National March for Life.
The Back to Life Walk is an initiative of MY Canada Association. The 25 walkers hope to raise awareness that Canada shares the distinction of allowing abortion right up to the moment of birth with only two other countries on earth: China and North Korea.
“2013 is the 25th anniversary of no laws on abortion in Canadas,” said walk organizer Faytene Grasseschi.”Many Canadians do not realize it is actually legal to abort a baby up to birth in Canada…Because of this, we knew we needed to do something special to bring awarenes.”
In 1988 the R. vs Morgentaler case went to the Supreme Court of Canada. The judge who ruled in the case, Justice Bertha Wilson, struck down the abortion laws current at the time, but charged Parliament with the responsibility to determine and legislate at which point a child in the womb should be deemed worthy of protection.
To this day, Parliament has never passed such legislation.
As the 25 women walk they are representing the 25 years since 1988. Their goal is not only to bring awareness to the current legal state of the nation but it is also to share their personal experiences, Faytene explained.
“The statement that the debate on abortion is closed is simply not true,” Faytene said. “The Supreme Court of Canada called upon Parliament to have a debate and make a law on abortion. That debate was never completed. The law was never made.”
“The aim of the walk is to raise awareness about this. When properly informed, most Canadians disagree with the status quo,” she said.
The organizers of the Back to Life walk emphasize that the main focus of the walk is not political but personal.
The 25 women who have volunteered for the trek are from across Canada. They represent many cultural, regional, and social backgrounds and experiences.
“Each walker has her own unique story and personal reason for walking,” Faytene said. “Most of the women have personally had abortions. Many were pressured into it and, in the name of choice, felt like they had no choice.”
Faytene pointed out that some of the walkers are making the arduous journey because they chose abortion of their own will and later regretted it because of physical or emotional consequences that they experienced – consequences that they did not understand prior to having their abortions.
She added that some of the walkers did not have abortions themselves, but personally witnessed the hurtful impact on mothers, friends, or sisters who did.
A few are simply walking because they are a part of the post-abortion generation and desire change.
“The goal of the walk is to give these women, who felt like they had no choice, their voices back,” Faytene said.
“We were amazed,” Faytene observed, “when we put the invitation out for women to apply and began to read the applications. We had no idea that almost every woman would have a very personal reason for applying, and many with very painful abortion stories to share.”
“What we quickly realized was that, in the name of choice, so many women in Canada have felt like they did not have a choice. So many women have been pressured into abortion and carry deep pain from that harassment. This really is the untold story of abortion in Canada. So the walk is a very personal journey for each of the walkers.”
Faytene also pointed out that while supporters are not encouraged to physically join the walkers en route, financial support to help defray costs is very welcome, as each of the women is raising her own support to participate in the walk.
Moreover, the organizers of the Back to Life walk encourage all supporters to join the walkers at the National March for Life on May 9 in front of the Parliament of Canada, and again on May 10 for a special gathering at the Supreme Court of Canada.
“With every step we take we are walking for our own restoration, our mothers, our sisters, our friends and our future nation. We count it an honour to share our stories in the hopes it will help other women and open many eyes in Canada,” Faytene said.