By Bryan Dryden, Canadian Catholic News
[Ottawa – CCN] – The annual National March for Life planned for May 14 in the nation’s capital has been cancelled.
However, the cancelation of the march that rallies thousands of pro-life Canadians may turn out to be a blessing if making it an online event this year ends up expanding the event’s reach.
“For all those who have always wanted to attend in the past but couldn’t, now they can participate,” said Debbie Duval, national capital organizer for the Campaign Life Coalition which has organized the event for more than 20 years. “And for those who were going to attend, they can still participate,” Duval said.
In a statement on April 8, 2020 announcing the cancelation of a physical march and rally in Ottawa because of the ongoing public health crisis caused by the deadly COVID-19 virus (which has seen governments around the globe institute unprecedented measures to curb public gatherings), March for Life organizers announced an extensive and wide-ranging series of virtual programming that will be offered for the first time online.
Going online in 2020 is a necessity because of a world-wide pandemic. But more online programming in conjunction with an actual annual gathering in the nation’s capital could be considered as a way to expand the event even further in the years ahead.
“It is something that we have talked about,” Duval told Canadian Catholic News. “It is important for people to come together, gather together and share that experience together – and that will never change – but this is something we can look at doing more of in the future,” Duval said of the online programming. “We will see how it goes this year, what works and what doesn’t and how maybe this can be something in the future in addition to the annual march every year in Ottawa.”
What is planned online by the largest single pro-life event held in Canada each year is a “week-long, online program building up to the day of the 23rd National March for Life, which marks the May 14, 1969, passing of the infamous omnibus bill that opened the floodgates to abortion on demand in our country.
“This initiative will also bring awareness to the killing occurring at the other end of the spectrum, near the end of life, with a focus on the proposed expansions to Canada’s euthanasia law,” an April 8 statement by the National March for Life organizing committee said.
The online National March for Life, which will all be available to access through the MarchForLife.ca website, starts May 10-12 with high-profile pro-life films and interviews, followed by a virtual candlelight vigil on May 13 and then online pro-life Masses and religious services on May 14 that will include a livestreamed virtual rally with guests from Canada and around the world.
There are also plans for a pro-life special on May 14 to be available on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) that would be hosted by international pro-life speakers Kevin Dunn and Stephanie Gray. That special “will focus on the most important life issues facing Canadians currently – and what we can do as a nation to rebuild a culture of life,” the March for Life statement said.
“Let us never forget that abortion is the greatest human rights injustice of our time, and even during this ongoing global health crisis, the killing of children before birth continues in our country,” the statement continued.
“While we may feel immobilized due to stay-at-home orders, it’s up to all of us to mobilize online, in prayer and solidarity. Now, more than ever, it’s time to boldly let our political leaders know that the right to life needs to be protected, and celebrated.”
Although March for Life organizers had been planning for the possibility that the rally in Ottawa would have to be cancelled, the decision became a fait accompli when both Ontario’s provincial government and the City of Ottawa banned all public gatherings of more than five people for the foreseeable future. How long the provincial ban will last as of now is unknown but the City of Ottawa has announced that all city facilities will remain closed until the end of June.
On March 28, 2020 the province of Ontario enacted an emergency order “to prohibit organized public events and social gatherings of more than five people, effective immediately.”
“If we are going to stop the spread of COVID-19 now and keep our communities safe, we need to take extraordinary measures to ensure physical distancing,” said Premier Doug Ford. “I strongly encourage everyone to do the responsible thing and stay home unless absolutely necessary. I can assure everyone that we will do everything in our power to stop this virus in its tracks.”
Before the march and rally in Ottawa was officially cancelled, Duval told the Canadian Catholic Newsthat “we certainly are not going to be breaking any laws.” All indoor events associated with the March for Life in Ottawa had already been cancelled as of March 19.
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