History of Abortion
in Canada

1969 - As a result of the passing of the Onmibus Bill, introduced by Pierre Trudeau, the Criminal Code is amended to decriminalize abortions done by doctors in hospitals.

1973-74 - Contrary to law, Henry Morgentaler sets up an abortion clinic in Montreal. He is arrested and charged and found innocent and guilty three times. The Quebec government eventually stops charging him.

1975 - A petition of over 1 million signatures is presented to parliament requesting protection for the unborn.

1981 - Quebec sets up abortion clinics as part of its community health services. These CLSC’s operate outside Canadian law but with the financial backing of the government of Quebec.

1982 - Morgentaler opens a free standing abortion clinic in Winnipeg and Toronto.

1988 - The Supreme Court of Canada in a split vote strikes down the 1969 criminal code amendment declaring it unconstitutional. In effect eliminating any regulations around abortion in Canada.

1989 - Various abortion laws are drafted and presented in the House of Commons. Each are defeated.

1991 - The Supreme Court rules that a child in the process of being born was not a “person”. Therefore, two midwives Sullivan and Lemay could not be found negligent in causing the death of a child they were delivering. This confirms that unborn babies do not have legal rights under Canadian law.

1991 - Life Chain begins

1991 - The Supreme Court unanimously rules that it is constitutionally permissible for unions to use compulsory dues to finance causes which may be opposed by workers who pay those dues. College teacher Mervyn Levinge had objected his union’s support of the NDP and pro-abortion causes.

1991 - Quebec’s Civil code is revised to allow girls 14 years old to have an abortion without parental knowledge or consent.

1995 - BC’s NDP government set up a “bubble zone” around abortion clinics which forbids leafleting, sidewalk counseling or any attempt to dissuade people from performing or submitting to abortion. The bubble zone, it is argued, infringes people’s freedom of expression.

2006 - Ontario MP Paul Steckle introduces Private Members’ Bill C-338, which would amend the Criminal Code to make it illegal to perform an abortion after 20 weeks’ gestation. The bill has not yet received second reading or debate in the House of Commons.

To this day there are still no laws regulating abortion in Canada.

Source: https://abortionincanada.ca/history/abortion-in-canada-timeline/