OTTAWA, May 14, 2001 (LSN.ca) – March for Life 2001 was a success with some 3,300 in attendance in the nation’s capital on Friday, demanding an end to discrimination against unborn babies. The most remarkable feature of this year’s March was the large percentage of young people in the ranks of the pro-life demonstrators. This trend has been growing each year to the point that the march is becoming a more youth-oriented event. Members of Parliament who addressed the crowd were especially impressed with the number of youths and young families. The long, impressive line of marchers and their sea of signs traveled a lengthier route this year through the streets of downtown Ottawa in order to pass by the Canadian Human Rights Monument. They were seen by many thousands of people who were downtown and around the Parliament buildings during a busy Friday afternoon.
In the evening, almost 600 of the marchers attended a banquet with pro-life Parliamentarians at the Congress Centre. Canadian Alliance MP Jason Kenney presented a message of encouragement from Leader of the Opposition, Stockwell Day. Nationally respected political scientist, Professor Ted Morton of Calgary, presented a fascinating dinner talk on the political realities and possibilities for advancement of the pro-life agenda in Canada. About 200 youths attended the dance following the banquet.
A youth conference the following day sponsored by Campaign Life Coalition Youth (CLCY) was attended by over 200 youths. CLCY president, Tanya Granic, 20, said the March and the conference were “incredible”. She saw a “great increase in youth participation” and felt encouraged that there is a “strong pro-life youth presence building.” Youth conference organizer Cathrina Keet, 22, was happy with the attendance at the conference and felt many of the youth were motivated into pro-life action.
LifeSite has searched all media outlets for news reports on the March for Life and found no coverage except on the Canadian Public Affairs Channel and a small mention of the pre-March press conference by PEI’s Charlottetown Guardian. If anyone has seen a report on the March by the media please send it to LifeSite.