Until EWTN began covering the March for Life in Washington, D.C., few understood how big it really was. Last year, EWTN began broadening its coverage of Canada’s National March for Life with a special hosted by Doug Keck and Fr. Joseph that included footage of the March as well as on-the-ground interviews.
Ottawa’s majestic Parliament, where Canada’s National March for Life will take place May 9.
But this year our coverage of Canada’s National March for Life comes of age! EWTN’s Director of Programming and Production Peter Gagnon and EWTN Field Production Manager John Kuklinski made a pilgrimage to Ottawa to plan full-on coverage of the March, which will occur on May 9! Why Ottawa? Because it’s the capital of Canada (people outside of Canada frequently think the capital is its largest city, Toronto ) and the March takes place on the steps of the Parliament.)
“This year we will expand our coverage to go live on location with (“Life on the Rock” Co-Host) Fr. Mark Mary on site and (EWTN Chaplain) Fr. Joseph and (EWTN Executive Vice President and “Bookmark” Host) Doug Keck in the EWTN studio,” Gagnon said.
How important is our coverage? Consider this: Canada is one of the few nations on earth where abortion is legal for any reason up to the moment of birth. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to strike down the section of the country’s Criminal Code governing abortion by declaring it unconstitutional. However, Coalition Life notes that this change in the law made little difference because “therapeutic abortion panels,” which were already in existence, were interpreting exceptions so broadly as to make abortion on demand a fact in almost every case.
EWTN Director of Programming & Production Peter Gagnon at his desk at the Network’s headquarters in Irondale, Alabama
This year’s theme is particularly chilling: “It’s a girl should not be a death sentence.”
Says Gagnon: “The organizers told us that a legislator told them that he wanted to discuss the morality of specifically aborting girls – sex-selective abortions – and he was not allowed to bring it up in Parliament. The organizers also told us that one legislator said that Catholic schools should not be allowed to teach that abortion is wrong!”
In addition to the March, EWTN’s coverage will include footage of bishops and Cardinals celebrating pro-life Masses and their homilies as well as a Candlelight Vigil that will take place the night before.
“Father Mark will stay overnight because there are a couple events the next day to train young people in the pro-life movement,” Gagnon said. “This will be packaged into a future ‘Life on the Rock.’”
Canada’s 2012 National March for Life!
EWTN is the only Network that will provide live coverage of the entire March.
“The organizers are very excited about EWTN’s coverage because they really want to spread the word about the March and get more people involved in the pro-life movement in Canada whether they are marching or want to participate from home,” Gagnon said. “Others might show clips, but they don’t do full live coverage.”
Check EWTN’s website, www.ewtn.com for updates as we get closer to the March, as well as the website of the Campaign Life Coalition, which organizes the March, http://www.campaignlifecoalition.com/index.php?p=Schedule_of_Events.
Support our brothers and sisters in Canada – watch this year’s March May 9 on EWTN!