Nahanni Fontaine, Manitoba's Minister of Families, speaks in the house during question-and-answer period at the Legislative Building, in Winnipeg, on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/POOL-Ruth Bonneville
GACWINNIPEG - A new Manitoba law restricting protests near clinics and hospitals where abortions are performed is to take effect Saturday.Â
The NDP government introduced a bill last year that creates buffer zones of between 50 and 150 metres around such health facilities, as well as the homes of abortion providers.Â
Inside those zones, people are not allowed to block access, attempt to dissuade people from getting an abortion or harass or intimidate individuals.Â
Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine has said some people entering hospitals and clinics over the years have been blocked, accosted or photographed by anti-abortion protesters.
Anti-abortion groups have disputed this, saying their actions have been peaceful and have not disturbed anyone.Â
Fontaine says Manitobans have the right to safe and accessible health care, including access to abortion services.Â
"Whether you're accessing reproductive care, recovering from a procedure or providing critical health care to Manitobans, this new legislation will make sure your safety and privacy is protected," Fontaine said in a release Friday.Â
The province says other facilities that provide surgical or medical abortion services, such as hospitals, pharmacies and doctors' offices, have the option of requesting a buffer zone.Â
The law also supports access to abortion by protecting physicians and pharmacists who provide non-surgical options for early abortion.Â
Other provinces, including British Columbia, have similar provincial legislation.Â
This report by ¹ú²úÓÕ»ó¸£Àû was first published Jan. 31, 2025.Â
¹ú²úÓÕ»ó¸£Àû. All rights reserved.
Get the latest from ¹ú²úÓÕ»ó¸£Àû News in your inbox. Select the emails you're interested in below.
For many Indigenous communities, access to financial services and economic opportu…
Trust in international money transfers has long been tied to physical places: a ba…
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Tax: | |
| Today's total: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
