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OTTAWA, April 15, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – After much anticipation, Action Life Ottawa, the pro-life educational organization located in Canada’s capital, last week announced the winners of their pro-life video contest.

Two winners were selected to share the prizes offered in this year's competition: Dominic Baklinski of Purdy, Ontario, won first place and a prize of $500 for his video titled “The Loving Choice.” Angela Henry of Combermere, Ontario was awarded second place and a prize of $250 for her video titled “Solidarity: Salute to Life.” 

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The competition challenges Ontario elementary and high school students from grades 7 to 12 to use their creative talents to produce a short video that promotes awareness and respect for human life from conception to natural death. 

Dominic, a grade 10 homeschooled student, said the idea for his video developed from his concern that so may women choose to abort an unplanned pregnancy, when there are so many couples who are not able to conceive and would lovingly adopt a child if one was available. 

“I've never seen a pro-life movie where the mother gives the baby up for adoption, so I wanted to try something like that,” Dominic told LifeSiteNews. 

On finding out that he had been selected as a winner in the competition, Dominic said he at first couldn't believe it, but then the reality sank in and he ran through the house yelling, “I won!” 

Dominic expressed his thanks to Action Life for initiating the competition and giving him the incentive to create the video. “I learned a great deal while creating this video, both about working with the medium, which I've never done before, and about working for the pro-life cause. Thank you Action Life! I hope to do this again.” 

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Angela Henry, a grade 12 homeschooled student whose winning video “Solidarity: Salute to Life” focuses on the unborn, the elderly, the disabled and the needy, said she read about the contest on LifeSiteNews, and, after being involved in Dominic's video, decided to enter a video of her own.

“Initially, my video was going to focus on the unborn and the elderly. However, after reading the LifeSiteNews article again, I changed my approach to include the disabled and the needy. It was the quotes by Action Life's Louise Harbour in the LifeSite article that really made me change my mind.”

“I was so excited when I received the email saying I'd won,” Angela said. “It took me by surprise. While I hoped to win, I didn't really expect to.”

“I want to thank Action Life for putting on the contest and giving young pro-lifers a chance to do something like this,” the young video artist concluded. “I also want to thank LifeSiteNews for the article that helped to shape my video!”

Action Life Ottawa launched their video competition in 2010 as a way of reaching students with the pro-life message. 

“While we have access to the school system, there are impediments and obstacles that sometimes arise in getting the pro-life message out in the schools. Some of it is political but much of it is practical and logistical,” said Action Life’s Executive Director, Louise Harbour. 

Harbour pointed out that the campaign's focus on videos created by youth and posted on YouTube has the potential to reach young people that might otherwise not hear the message.

“It will certainly have a broader reach if the pro-life community really helps us to promote it. The fact that it's youth speaking to youth also has a greater impact than it would otherwise have because of the kind of buzz created in a student competition. The cash prizes add a bit of incentive too.”

The winning videos can be seen on Action Life’s website, or on YouTube here and here