Campaign Life Coalition
Encyclopedia
The Campaign Life Coalition (often called Campaign Life) is a Canadian
conservative Christian pro-life
group. It is based in Toronto
, Ontario
. The organization has existed since the late 1970s, and it has long been active in political campaigns.
Campaign Life has supported politicians from different political parties, including Liberals
such as Tom Wappel
and Paul Szabo
and Conservatives
such as Maurice Vellacott
and Stockwell Day
.
At the provincial level, Campaign Life has been active in supporting the Family Coalition Party of Ontario
.
In addition to opposing abortion
, Campaign Life also launched a vocal campaign against same-sex marriage
in 2004-05.
In 2005, the coalition criticised the Conservative Party for nominating same-sex marriage supporters John Baird and Peter Kent
to run as candidates. It expressed support for John Pacheco's "independent conservative" candidacy against Baird in Ottawa West—Nepean
, and for Greg Watrich's independent candidacy against sitting Tory MP James Moore
(Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam
), a supporter of Bill C-38
.
One of its projects is LifeSiteNews, a news website dedicated to issues of culture, life, and family that was created in 1997. LifeSiteNews has been characterized as an "online anti-abortion journal" by the National Post
and a "pro-Life website" by the Vancouver Sun. It is linked to a French-language website, Campagne Quebec-Vie. A Catholic priest, Raymond Gravel
, filed a lawsuit against the websites in 2010 claiming that they had engaged in a campaign against him.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
conservative Christian pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
group. It is based in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The organization has existed since the late 1970s, and it has long been active in political campaigns.
Campaign Life has supported politicians from different political parties, including Liberals
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
such as Tom Wappel
Tom Wappel
Thomas William "Tom" Wappel is a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the House of Commons from 1988 to 2008, representing the Toronto riding of Scarborough West and its successor riding of Scarborough Southwest. He did not seek re-election in the 2008 general election.Wappel is a...
and Paul Szabo
Paul Szabo
Paul John Mark Szabo is a Canadian politician. He is a former member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Mississauga South for the Liberal Party.-Early life and education:...
and Conservatives
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
such as Maurice Vellacott
Maurice Vellacott
Maurice Vellacott is a Canadian politician. He has served in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997, and is currently the Conservative Member of Parliament for the riding of Saskatoon—Wanuskewin in the province of Saskatchewan....
and Stockwell Day
Stockwell Day
Stockwell Burt Day, Jr., PC, MP is a former Canadian politician, and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He is a former cabinet minister in Alberta, and a former leader of the Canadian Alliance. Day was MP for the riding of Okanagan—Coquihalla in British Columbia and the president of...
.
At the provincial level, Campaign Life has been active in supporting the Family Coalition Party of Ontario
Family Coalition Party of Ontario
The Family Coalition Party is a small political party in Ontario, Canada that promotes a socially conservative ideology. It was formed in 1987 by members of the pro-life organization Campaign Life Coalition, and has fielded candidates in every provincial election since then...
.
In addition to opposing abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, Campaign Life also launched a vocal campaign against same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
in 2004-05.
In 2005, the coalition criticised the Conservative Party for nominating same-sex marriage supporters John Baird and Peter Kent
Peter Kent
Peter Kent, PC, MP is a Conservative member of parliament for the riding of Thornhill, and the current Minister of the Environment in the 28th Canadian Ministry.Previously, he was Deputy Editor of Global Television, a Canadian TV network...
to run as candidates. It expressed support for John Pacheco's "independent conservative" candidacy against Baird in Ottawa West—Nepean
Ottawa West—Nepean
Ottawa West—Nepean is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 112,509.-Geography:...
, and for Greg Watrich's independent candidacy against sitting Tory MP James Moore
James Moore (Canadian politician)
James Moore, PC, MP is the Canadian Member of Parliament for Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam. He is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada...
(Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam
Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam
Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-Demographics:Consisting of the following parts of the Greater Vancouver Regional District:...
), a supporter of Bill C-38
Civil Marriage Act
The Civil Marriage Act was legislation legalizing same-sex marriage across Canada...
.
One of its projects is LifeSiteNews, a news website dedicated to issues of culture, life, and family that was created in 1997. LifeSiteNews has been characterized as an "online anti-abortion journal" by the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
and a "pro-Life website" by the Vancouver Sun. It is linked to a French-language website, Campagne Quebec-Vie. A Catholic priest, Raymond Gravel
Raymond Gravel
Raymond Gravel is a Catholic priest from the Canadian province of Quebec, who was formerly the Member of Parliament for the riding of Repentigny, as a member of the Bloc Québécois...
, filed a lawsuit against the websites in 2010 claiming that they had engaged in a campaign against him.