Morgentaler to receive Order of Canada: report
01.07.2008 16:00
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
 Dr. Henry Morgentaler opened his first abortion clinic in Montreal in 1969. (J.P. Moczulski/Canadian Press)The Governor General is reportedly preparing to name a leading abortion rights crusader to the Order of Canada, news that has outraged anti-abortion groups. Dr. Henry Morgentaler, who led the fight to legalize abortion in Canada, was supposed to be honoured Monday, but the ceremony has been delayed for unknown reasons, a government source told the Globe and Mail. The honour, considered the highest in the country, is announced by the Governor General on the advice of an advisory panel. Conservative MPs on Monday did not directly confirm the news, but stressed that appointments to the order are not made by cabinet. Nine people, including two government appointees, sit on the Order of Canada panel. MP Maurice Vellacott, a Conservative from Saskatchewan who opposes abortion, told the Globe and Mail that he heard Morgentaler's appointment was not unanimous. "This is a pretty divisive issue," he said. "I think we can all agree on that, so why would we have the highest honour in the country being issued when there is obviously a strong difference of opinion about it?" Anti-abortion groups were more direct in their condemnation of the appointment. The Campaign Life Coalition said it is dreadful that a man who spent his life performing abortions should be honoured. The coalition is urging other Order of Canada recipients to return their medals in protest. "If Morgentaler had any integrity, he would refuse the medal," Mary Ellen Douglas of the coalition said in a press release. "This presentation should be given to people who have made Canada a better place to live and the elimination of thousands of human beings who would have contributed to the future of Canada is a disgrace, not an honour." 'A hero to millions of women'Now 85, Morgentaler, a Polish Holocaust survivor who immigrated to Montreal after the war, opened his first abortion clinic in 1969 and performed thousands of procedures, which were illegal at the time. Morgentaler, a trained family physician, argued that access to abortion was a basic human right and women should not have to risk death at the hands of an untrained professional in order to end their pregnancies. Morgentaler's clinics were constantly raided by his opponents, and one in Toronto was firebombed. Morgentaler was arrested several times and spent months in jail as he fought his case at all court levels in Canada. His victory came on Jan. 28, 1988, when the Supreme Court of Canada struck down Canada’s abortion law. That law, which required a woman who wanted an abortion to appeal to a three-doctor hospital abortion committee, was declared unconstitutional. Feminist and author Judy Rebick told the Globe and Mail on Monday that it is about time Morgentaler is honoured for his long battle. "Dr. Morgentaler is a hero to millions of women in the country," she said. "He risked his life to struggle for women's rights … He's a huge figure in Canadian history and the fact that he hasn't got [the Order of Canada] until now is a scandal." Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal LinksIN DEPTH: MorgentalerCBC ARCHIVES: Henry MorgentalerIN DEPTH: Order of CanadaHealth HeadlinesBenefits of magic mushrooms may linger: reportScientists say that when they surveyed volunteers 14 months after taking hallucinogenic mushrooms, most said they were feeling and behaving better because of the experience.Morgentaler to receive Order of Canada: reportThe Governor General is reportedly preparing to name a leading abortion rights crusader to the Order of Canada, news that has outraged anti-abortion groups.Cooling spray alleviates needle pain in kids, sucrose helps some newborns: studiesParents who cringe at the thought of their child suffering because of an injection, blood test or a tube being inserted can take heart. Research, including two new Canadian studies released Monday, sheds more light on how to alleviate the pain. Disabled veterans' families feel strain on finances, health: surveyPeople who care for Canada's disabled veterans often face overwhelming demands and financial pressures, according to a study prepared for Veterans Canada.Pay more attention to STDs among older people: epidemiologistsSexually transmitted diseases have doubled in less than a decade among a group of over-45 British residents, leading researchers to urge the dispelling of false assumptions about sex among older people. Health FeaturesIN DEPTHDrug-resistant TBAnatomy of a killerPeople who read this also read …
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