BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“The biggest issue with these centres is that they often use very deceptive tactics with the objective to delay abortion access for the people who are looking to get care.” Debbie Owusu-Akyeea (Spokesperson for the pro-choice advocacy group Action Canada)

“This isn’t about revoking people’s charitable status if they’re telling the truth.” Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

The subject matter we are about to explore is highly sensitive and can evoke strong emotions. It’s crucial to acknowledge that there are many valid viewpoints on this issue. I encourage you to engage with this topic thoughtfully, examining the arguments and evidence presented from all sides.

I received an email from a group of concerned Canadian citizens about their thoughts surrounding Trudeau’s government pushing legislation to revoke the charitable status of Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs). This planned legislation would have the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) remove their charitable status by labeling them as “misinformation spreaders” with an “anti-choice agenda.”

I did a little research on the Government of Canada website, and found out that the federal government will introduce legislation to require more transparency from charities providing pregnancy counselling. Specifically, registered charities whose purpose, or one of their main activities is to provide pregnancy and reproductive health support and services, including pregnancy options counselling, would be required to explicitly disclose if they do not provide: abortions, birth control, or referrals to these services. Organizations that do not clearly and prominently provide the required transparency risk losing charitable status.

Marci Ien, the Minister for Women and Gender Equality, said the legislation is meant to combat the spread of ‘misinformation’ by some charities that operate crisis pregnancy centres. “People are walking in the doors of pregnancy crisis centres expecting to receive information on all options that are available to them,” Minister Marci said during a press conference.

There are dozens of Crisis Pregnancy Centres (CPCs) operating across Canada. Their goal is to provide a safe place for women facing difficult decisions surrounding pregnancy. Their services often include free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, counselling, parenting classes, adoption referral, and post-abortion support.

I stumbled upon an article titled, “Navigating Crisis Pregnancy Centers: A Scoping Review.” 110 articles were screened and 63 articles were included; the majority were commentaries (31.7%) and qualitative studies (30.2%). Common themes included: CPCs use of unnecessary ultrasounds, manipulation by appearing as abortion clinics, provision of inaccurate information about abortion risks, and targeting marginalized groups. Quantitative studies found Black and low-income individuals were more likely to have reported attending a CPC compared to their White or middle and high-income counterparts.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has said that if he’s elected prime minister, his government will not support any legislation to regulate abortion.

This topic is deeply divisive, and it’s easy to become entrenched in our own opinions. However, a true understanding of this issue requires us to step outside our comfort zones and explore the perspectives of others. We invite you to join us in this journey of understanding, even if it means challenging your own preconceived notions.

REFERENCES:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010782423003049

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2024/10/government-of-canada-protecting-reproductive-freedom-and-covering-essential-health-care-costs.html

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/liberals-introduce-legislation-to-require-pregnancy-counselling-charities-to-say-if-they-offer-abortion-support-5750271

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2024/10/protecting-reproductive-freedom-by-preventing-abuse-of-charitable-status.html

https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.7366854

Liberals want pregnancy counselling charities to say if they offer abortion

Protecting Your Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

BY PAUL JUNOR

The death of youth worker Alisha Brooks on Sunday, December 8^th, 2024 has sent shockwaves throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Her untimely passing at the hands of Aaron Shea who was out on statutory release with a history of intimate partner violence is even more troubling. Brooks was actively involved in a national campaign against domestic violence and was a strong advocate of the Safe at Home Program run by the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada.

Nadia Formigoni, spokesperson for the Safe at Home program which provides help to children and families who are exposed to domestic violence shared, “She was a fierce advocate.” She highlighted her “resilience, leadership and generosity of spirit.?

The death of Brooks has put a spotlight on the troubling social issue of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). In fact, November has been officially recognized as IPV Awareness month. According to the World Health Organization (2019) it is a major global public health concern as it affects millions of people and can result in immediate and long-lasting health, social and economic consequences.

A fact sheet on IPV prepared by the Government of Canada describes IPV as spousal, or domestic violence, and is a prevalent form of gender-based violence (GBV). It refers to multiple forms of harm caused by a current, or former intimate partner. Some of the relationships in which it can occur include:

• Within a marriage, common-law or dating relationship
• Regardless of the gender and sexual orientation of the partner
• At any time during a relationship and even after it ended
• Whether, or not partner live together or are sexually intimate with one another

There are diverse spaces in which it can occur such as: public, private or online. It may include the following:

• Physical abuse
• Criminal harassment (stalking)
• Sexual violence
• Emotional/psychological abuse
• Financial (economic) abuse
• Spiritual abuse
• Reproductive coercion
• Coercive control
• Technology-facilitated violence (cyberviolence)

The following data was reported to Statistics Canada by police forces:

• In 2023,123,319 people aged 15 and older were victims of IPV of which 78% of the victims were women.
• Between 2019 and 2023, there were 979 people who were victims of IPV homicide of which 73% were women.

There was a special tribute to Brooks by CHEERS (Creating Hope, Ensuring Excellence & Roads to Success), which is a community-based mentoring program sponsored by Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre where she worked as an outreach worker from May 4^th, 2019, for two years. The FB post reads, “It is with heavy hearts that we share the devastating news of the loss of one of our cofounding members, Alisha Brooks. Alisha was a beacon of light, a positive force for change, and an inspiration to everyone whose life she touched. Tragically her life was senselessly cut short due to a domestic situation that turned fatal.”

Natalie Johnson posted a tribute to Brooks on December 13^th, 2024, on her Facebook page. She writes, “Precious Aisha. We will always remember your beautiful smile. We are heartbroken, saddened with what happened and we are also angry about what took place. We continue to keep the family and everyone in our prayers during this difficult time.”

There was a message posted by Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre on its FB page. The message states, “We are saddened to have lost a long-time community member. She has many family members in our community and our condolences go out to everyone. We will miss seeing her around and keep the well-being of her daughter close to our hearts and support however best we can.”

A Go Fund Me page was launched by Veronica Brooks, mother of Alisha on Tuesday, December 10^th. She writes, “My daughter Alisha was the most vibrant, outspoken and welcoming person in any and every room. She lit up the room with her laugh alone! Whether it was a party, or a one-on-one conversation, she made you feel seen and brought a smile to your face. She was simply the light of many lives as we had the privilege of knowing her. You’ll miss her laugh, but her friends and our family will miss her every second of every day.”

Veronica describes positive aspects of her daughter. She notes, “Alisha worked so hard for all those she helped at work, from youth to new refugees. Alisha was a vital member of her community. Our family and her daughter will struggle immensely in her absence. Our family is seeking to raise funds to raise financial support during this tragic time.”

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“We’re not accepting new patients.” Again.

You throw your head back against the cushions, a wave of despair washing over you. It feels like you have been abandoned by the system.

You hold up your prescription bottle. “This is about to run out. I called every clinic in the area, and no one’s taking new patients. That’s ridiculous. How am I supposed to get this filled? I should try those phone appointments again. At least it saves the drive. I know, but I worry about the quality of care. You know how important those in-person check-ups are. With my cancer history and family history of heart disease, preventative care is crucial. I can’t afford any interruptions in my care. Walk-in clinics are just not an option.”

“This is supposed to be a first-world country. How can we not have access to basic healthcare?”

Every region of Ontario is experiencing a shortage of family doctors, and the crisis is only going to get worse if the provincial government doesn’t take immediate action

In February of 2024, a group of family physicians held a meeting to talk about alternative career paths, because they determined that the practice of family medicine is not sustainable in Ontario. The meeting was intended also to draw attention to what doctors believe is lack of goodwill by the health ministry in its negotiations with the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) for what was going to be the next physician services agreement, which determines how much money physicians can bill the government for providing care under OHIP.

Dr. Ramsey Hijazi, founder of the Ontario Union of Family Physicians, a group of more than 1,700 doctors, said the organization had planned a mass movement of doctors to take a “Coordinated day off” that Monday, but decided to hold a virtual meeting instead to avoid any impact on patient care. About 150 family doctors took part in the career summit.

After the meeting, the doctors talked about the possibility of transitioning out of family medicine into other fields, such as hospital, or cosmetic medicine.

Readers. Community. News like this should be frightening to you. In many ways, it is important to question the fact that we do live in a first-world country, and many of you do not have access to basic health care.

A group of concerned citizens in Ontario are urging the government to address the critical issue of defunding family medicine. It is imperative to recognize that family doctors are not just healthcare professionals, but also small business owners who face significant financial challenges due to inadequate funding.

Family doctors in Ontario are paid by the government through funding intended to cover various expenses such as: rent, staff salaries, nursing services, electronic medical records, computers, phone bills, utilities, and more. However, this funding has remained stagnant for far too long and has failed to keep up with rising costs and inflation. As a result, family doctors struggle to meet their basic operational expenses.

Let’s shed light on this issue further:

Financial Burden:  The average cost of running a single doctor’s practice exceeds $100,000 per year.  (Source: Ontario Medical Association)

Inadequate Compensation:  Unlike salaried professionals, or employees who receive benefits such as: 1-yr maternity leaves, pensions, sick leave, vacation pay, health and dental benefits from their employers, family doctors do not have access to these benefits despite their crucial role in our healthcare system.

Uncompensated Workload:  Family doctors provide up to 20 hrs/wk of UNPAID administrative work to manage: incoming results, bloodwork, diagnostic imaging – x ray, CT, MRI reports, pharmacy prescription requests, specialists’ requests and notifications, without receiving any additional compensation. (Source: Ontario College of Family Physicians)

Recruitment Challenges:  The above financial constraints faced by family doctors discourages new graduates from entering primary care practice. (Source: Canadian Medical Association).  The government can increase medical school spots, but in the last decade, 20% FEWER medical students are choosing Family Medicine. (Source: CARMS statistics https://www.carms.ca/data-reports/r1-data-reports/r-1-match-interactive-data/

Retention Challenges:  Once Family Physicians finish their training, FEWER family medicine graduates are choosing to ACTUALLY PRACTICE Family Medicine.  Choosing instead to work in: the ER, hospital, focused areas – sports medicine, or cosmetics clinics, or alternative careers such as working for the federal government, or consulting.  These positions often pay much better, do not have unpaid administrative burden, and require much less business responsibilities.

Up to 47% of physicians (including family doctors and specialists) polled by Statistics Canada stated they planned on leaving the profession within the next five years. (Source: Statistics Canada https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220603/cg-a002-eng.htm

This does not take into account those planning to retire within the next five years. Many have already begun leaving, a phenomenon known as #DOCXIT

It is essential for our government representatives to take immediate action towards fair compensation for family doctors in order to maintain a robust primary care system that serves all Ontarians effectively.

These concerned citizens have started a petition, and in signing this petition, they are demanding that the government:

• Increase funding for family doctors to cover rising operational costs and inflation.
• Provide fair compensation packages, including access to pensions, health benefits, and paid sick time.
• Recognize the additional workload of family doctors by compensating them for administrative burden.
• Implement measures to attract and retain new graduates into primary care practice in Ontario.

It is high time we value the dedication and hard work of our family doctors who play a vital role in keeping our communities healthy. Let us stand together to ensure they receive fair compensation that reflects their contributions.

36,978 have signed the Ontario Union of Family Physicians’ petition.

Let’s get to 50,000!