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    • How most Canadians feel about abortion, according to a poll

    Pro choice advocates protest as people participate in the March For Life on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, May 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Pro choice advocates protest as people participate in the March For Life on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, May 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
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    Eight in 10 Canadians back a woman's right to an abortion and two in three don't want the notwithstanding clause used to restrict access to abortions, a new poll suggests.

    The Leger survey also suggests support has diminished significantly since the fall for the idea of a province using the notwithstanding clause to ban discussions of sexual orientation and .

    Leger polled 1,545 people online between May 10 and 12. While the results were statistically weighted they cannot be assigned a margin of error because online polls are not considered truly random samples.

    The survey was taken in the days following the annual March for Life anti-abortion protest rally on Parliament Hill. The issue of abortion rights has been prominent in the American news cycle since 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that protected abortion access south of the border.

    The Leger poll found 80 per cent of Canadians surveyed were in favour of a woman's right to abortion — including 63 per cent who were strongly in favour — while 11 per cent were opposed. Support was slightly higher among women than men — 84 per cent to 76 per cent — and among Canadians over the age of 55.

    It also found 63 per cent of people disagreed with the decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision in the U.S., and about half believed the abortion debate in the U.S. would affect Canada.

    At least 14 states have made abortion illegal since 2022, leading to the closure of clinics that offer the service. As Roe v. Wade fell, activists took to the streets warning of the effects it could have on women’s healthcare, raising concerns about unsafe pregnancies, a woman’s right to choose and sexual assault, while anti-abortion activists celebrated by saying it will protect unborn babies.

    U.S. President Joe Biden, who is facing off against former president Donald Trump in an election later this year, has vowed to protect abortion rights if re-elected, often criticizing the conservative-leaning Supreme Court that Trump helped build while in power.

    The findings may explain partly why the Liberals have ramped up their political attacks on the Conservatives related to abortion rights in recent weeks.

    The poll found one in three people believed the Conservatives were the least committed to protecting abortion rights, compared with nine per cent who said that of the Liberals. Conversely more than one in four said the Liberals were the most committed to protecting the rights, while only about one in nine said that of the Conservatives.

    The Liberals have used abortion as a wedge issue against the Conservatives for years, often with success. It came up again earlier this month after two Conservative MPs appeared at the March for Life rally and one of them, Alberta MP Arnold Viersen tabled a petition calling for the government to regulate abortion.

    Marci Ien, the minister for women, gender equality and youth, suggested the Conservatives might use the notwithstanding clause to walk back abortion rights.

    "It is not too much to say that this is the slope we could be going down," she said.

    The Conservatives, in response to questions about the notwithstanding clause, said they would not use it on abortion. Leader Pierre Poilievre has said he would use it to protect his planned crime bills.

    More than two in three Canadians surveyed did not support using the notwithstanding clause to restrict abortion while one in 10 said they would support it.

    Support for using the clause to ban discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools was slightly higher than for using it for abortion, with 25 per cent of respondents backing it. More than half opposed using it for that purpose.

    That is a significant change from October 2023 when a similar poll question asked by Leger had 37 per cent back the use of the notwithstanding clause to ban gender identity discussions in schools.

    That poll came as the Saskatchewan government was invoking the clause to protect its move to require schools to get permission from parents before using a student's preferred name or pronouns.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2024.

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    Canada

    • The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

    • A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.

    • Pasquale Monaco says he’s debating whether to keep renting out the two-bedroom basement apartment of the Montreal building he owns after it was flooded — again — in August, when the remnants of tropical storm Debby sent four feet of water rushing into the space.

    • The London Police Service (LPS) is currently investigating a suspicious death in the east end.

    • One person has died following a shooting in Scarborough late last night.

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    Sports

    • Jonathan Aranda homered for the second consecutive game, helping Taj Bradley and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Saturday.

    • Kiefer Sherwood spent several nights last spring chasing Quinn Hughes around the ice and generally pestering the Vancouver Canucks.

    • Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

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    Local Spotlight

    Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    • A six-year-old girl who was reported missing in northern B.C. earlier this week remains unaccounted for, and "significant resources from across the province" have joined in the search, police said Saturday.

    • Volunteers and staff members gathered along Vancouver’s Stanley Park Seawall Saturday to pick up litter as part of International Coastal Cleanup Day.

    • A heritage home in Vancouver suffered "extensive damage" in a fire that broke out late Saturday morning, according to firefighters.

    • One person has died following a shooting in Scarborough late last night.

    • A man who was critically injured in an eight-vehicle pileup in Milton Friday has died of his injuries in hospital.

    • Police are looking for witnesses after one man was injured in a shooting outside of a sports bar in Hamilton Saturday night.

    • Milla White from Cochrane literally drew her way into a meeting with former boxer and actor Mickey Rourke.

    • The water coming from your taps might be a bit murky Saturday, but Calgary remains on schedule to end all water restrictions on Sunday.

    • For 12 hours Saturday Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPCK) employees, service personnel and corporate teams rode spin bikes to raise funds and awareness for charities focusing on housing homeless veterans in Canada and the U.S.

    • A potential move to LeBreton Flats for the Ottawa Senators is still years away, but questions and concerns are already being raised about what to do with the Canadian Tire Centre.

    • The Taste of Wellington 2024 wraps up Saturday in Ottawa.

    • A body has been found in the vicinity where a woman went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

    • Pasquale Monaco says he’s debating whether to keep renting out the two-bedroom basement apartment of the Montreal building he owns after it was flooded — again — in August, when the remnants of tropical storm Debby sent four feet of water rushing into the space.

    • A 19-year-old man is in critical condition after being stabbed in Montreal on Saturday.

    • A cyclist died after being hit by a van in Val-d'Or, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, on Saturday.

    • The Edmonton Police Service is looking for a person of interest in connection with a suspicious fire that destroyed a multi-unit building and damaged several townhomes earlier this week.

    • Tattoos are becoming more common in today's society and, as a result, appear to be more acceptable in the workplace than they used to be.

    • Two people have been charged after a daylight shooting in Red Deer earlier this week.

    • A proposal for additional parking to accommodate upgrades at the Irving Pulp & Paper Mill in Saint John, N.B., would add an estimated 500 parking spots at Wolastoq Park.

    • A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

    • Childhood sleep issues may raise suicide risk, study finds

      If your child sometimes has trouble sleeping, it may be easy to chalk it up to a phase they will grow out of one day. But a new study suggests possible serious consequences for this line of thought — such as a higher risk for suicidal ideation or attempts when they are older.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • A herd of dogs paid visit to patients and residents at Riverview Health Centre during an annual event that lifts spirits and wags tails.

    • While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.

    • Fire officials are investigating after a fire completely destroyed the community fridge in the Cathedral neighborhood.

    • The last two months after losing her daughter Bella have been extremely difficult for Kyla Thomson.

    • Regina police arrested three youths in connection to a bear mace incident at a Regina high school on Friday.

    • The Cambridge Professional Fire Fighters’ Association held their annual Muscular Dystrophy Boot Drive on Saturday.

    • Protests were held in front of Kitchener City Hall on Friday, both for and against LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education and queer rights in schools.

    • Police said the pedestrian, a 52-year-old man, was taken to an out-of-region hospital with life-threatening injuries and the driver of the vehicle failed to remain at the scene.

    • The 75-year-old building, formerly the Waskesiu Chamber of Commerce building, was relocated to the Parks Canada compound on the edge of the townsite.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP major crimes unit is investigating after a man’s body was found on Sweetgrass First Nation.

    • Motors were roaring, and tires were spinning as Saskatoon's biggest names in motocross gathered together for the 50-year anniversary of the club's founding on Saturday.

    • The identity of a motorcyclist has been revealed by loved ones on social media following Friday’s fatal south end collision in London. The London Police Service has not released anything regarding the driver’s identity.

    • Huron County OPP are investigating a serious single vehicle collision that took place west of Seaforth.

    • A motorcyclist has died following a serious collision that took place in London’s south end on Friday afternoon.

    • The Barrie Skateboard Association (BSA) hosted a unique competition at the City's Skate Park on Saturday to celebrate its 25th anniversary, which showcased the park's importance and the growth of skateboarding in the region.

    • A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.

    • One person is in hospital after an e-bike crash in Orillia on Thursday.

    • The Amherstburg Freedom Museum is celebrating a year of festivities in anticipation of its 50th anniversary in 2025.

    • The St. Clair College golf teams were successful at the Niagara Knights Invitational tournament on Friday.

    • A LaSalle high school is celebrating its emerald anniversary this weekend, with everyone who has ever walked its halls invited to return.

    • A man who was found dead behind a curling rink in Nanaimo, B.C., earlier this month was the victim of a homicide, police confirmed.

    • A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

    • A six-year-old girl who was reported missing in northern B.C. earlier this week remains unaccounted for, and "significant resources from across the province" have joined in the search, police said Saturday.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • Despite the heavy rain, plenty of muscle turned up for United Way’s annual Pull the Bus fundraiser in Lethbridge Friday.

    • Lethbridge County has rescinded its fire restriction as a result of the recent cool, wet weathr.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes kicked off the 2024-25 season on a winning note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1 in a game played at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.

    • A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

    • Following an outbreak of COVID-19 on its continuing care floor and just ahead of the flu season, St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Elliot Lake has opted to re-introduce a universal masking policy until further notice.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    N.L.

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