OTTAWA, May 8, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – For the third year in a row the mayor of Ottawa, Jim Watson, has proclaimed that the day of the Canadian National March for Life be honored as ‘Respect for Life Day’ in the nation's capital.
Campaign Life Coalition, organizer of the National March for Life, was informed by City of Ottawa Protocol Advisor Alison Thomas that Mayor Watson issued the proclamation today.
The mayor notes that the National March for Life, taking place this Thursday, has been taking place in Ottawa for the past fifteen years “to bring awareness for the need for life-affirming solutions.”
“Thousands of people from across Canada and the United States will come to Parliament Hill to participate in the March for Life on May 9th, 2013,” the proclamation reads.
Last year's National March for Life brought nearly 20,000 pro-lifers to Ottawa. Organizers are anticipating that numbers at this year's March will again surpass previous attendance.
In previous years Mayor Watson's Respect for Life Day proclamation pointed out that “The rights of the people of Canada including the unborn, the elderly and those with handicaps are gradually being eroded,” and that, “the community needs to get involved to ensure the rights of all people are respected and upheld.”
Mayor Watson's 2011 proclamation stated, “Thousands of people from across Canada and the United States will be coming to the National March for Life on Parliament Hill to witness to the sanctity of human life from conception until natural death.”
Click “like” if you are PRO-LIFE!
The mayor’s proclamation in 2011 became a flashpoint for pro-life and pro-abortion supporters in the days leading up to the march after pro-lifers took to social media to congratulate him.
Mayor Watson himself was forced to defend the proclamation while at the same time affirming his belief in the “right to choose.”
“I don’t happen to agree with those who want to take away a woman’s right to choose,” Watson had told reporters. “But … it’s not the mayor’s personal beliefs and hunches that should rule the day.”
Pundits also noted at the time that the city’s policy stipulates a proclamation does not constitute a “personal or civic endorsement.”
Some legal-abortion advocates had argued that the special day violated a city policy that proclamations ought not be issued for “politically or religiously motivated” causes. But Mayor Watson said the political qualification refers to partisan politics.
The theme of this year's March for Life is “End Female Gendercide: 'It's a girl' should not be a death sentence.”
As tens of thousands of pro-lifers descend on Parliament Hill on Thursday to witness to the sanctity of human life from conception and to advocate for justice for the unborn, Tory MP Mark Warawa, whose motion to ask Parliament to condemn sex-selective abortion was quashed by the Sub-Committee on Private Members’ Business, intends to bring the message of the March for Life to the House while the pro-life advocates are gathered on the lawn outside.
The schedule of events for the 2013 National March for Life is available on the Campaign Life Coalition website here.
Related:
Ottawa mayor again declares ‘Respect for Life Day’ for National March for Life
Ottawa mayor affirms belief in ‘right to choose’, defends ‘Respect for Life Day’