The Eastview Birth Control Trial
Encyclopedia
The Eastview Birth Control Trial was an important event in the history of contraception in Canada. In keeping with contemporary Christian views on contraception
, the dissemination of information and the possession of materials relating to birth control were illegal in Canada. The trial was the first successful legal challenge, and it marked the beginning of a shift in Canadian society's acceptance towards such practices.
In September of 1936, Dorothea Palmer
was arrested in Eastview
(now Vanier, Ontario), and charged with possessing materials and pamphlets related to birth control, then highly illegal under Canadian law. As she was working for the Kitchener-based Parents' Information Bureau (PIB), her arrest could have led to the collapse of the organization and as many as two years' imprisonment for Palmer. However, the PIB was the brainchild of industrialist A.R. Kaufman, a eugenically-minded
industrialist whose support would eventually see Palmer's
charges dropped. The trial lasted from September 1936 to March 1937.
Ultimately, the case was dismissed by the presiding magistrate Lester Clayon, who ruled that, as Palmer's actions were "in the public good," no charges could be held against her. In his final ruling, he explained that:
Christian views on contraception
Prior to the 20th century, contraception was generally condemned by all the major branches of Christianity including the major reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin...
, the dissemination of information and the possession of materials relating to birth control were illegal in Canada. The trial was the first successful legal challenge, and it marked the beginning of a shift in Canadian society's acceptance towards such practices.
In September of 1936, Dorothea Palmer
Dorothea Palmer
Dorothea Palmer was a Canadian who played a prominent role in the effort to legalize birth control in that country.In September 1936, Palmer was arrested and charged under section 207 of the Criminal Code, which stated that...
was arrested in Eastview
Eastview, Ontario
Eastview, Ontario can mean the following:*Eastview was the name of Vanier, Ontario before 1969. Vanier is now a neighbourhood of Ottawa.*Eastview, Frontenac County, Ontario is a community in the city of Kingston...
(now Vanier, Ontario), and charged with possessing materials and pamphlets related to birth control, then highly illegal under Canadian law. As she was working for the Kitchener-based Parents' Information Bureau (PIB), her arrest could have led to the collapse of the organization and as many as two years' imprisonment for Palmer. However, the PIB was the brainchild of industrialist A.R. Kaufman, a eugenically-minded
Eugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
industrialist whose support would eventually see Palmer's
Dorothea Palmer
Dorothea Palmer was a Canadian who played a prominent role in the effort to legalize birth control in that country.In September 1936, Palmer was arrested and charged under section 207 of the Criminal Code, which stated that...
charges dropped. The trial lasted from September 1936 to March 1937.
Ultimately, the case was dismissed by the presiding magistrate Lester Clayon, who ruled that, as Palmer's actions were "in the public good," no charges could be held against her. In his final ruling, he explained that:
The mothers are in poor health, pregnant nine months of the year ... What chance do these children have to be properly fed, clothed and educated? They are a burden on the taxpayer. They crowd the juvenile court. They glut the competitive labour market.