Sarah Felzien, left, Tracy Kennedy, right. Both from Red Deer. Working on preparations for this week's parade. (Supplied)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

Local Movement Organizing

Red Deer Pro-Choice joining Westerner Days Parade

Jul 19, 2022 | 4:29 PM

Members of Red Deer Pro-Choice say they will be joining the Westerner Days parade this year, in response to the annual Pro-Life parade entry and the recent reversal of Roe v. Wade in the United States.

Officials say their informal group of central Albertans formed this year, after the Supreme Court overturned the landmark decision that allowed the right to abortion, prompting many to look stateside in concern and wonder if Canadian women and transgender people were at risk in Canada as well.

“Though abortion is legal in Canada, there is a very active anti-choice movement at work. You don’t have to look far to find individuals, and particularly politicians, who don’t agree with the procedure for ideological reasons,” says Tracy Kennedy, one of the local organizers. “We can’t be complacent. As they’ve demonstrated in the U.S., things can change.”

The group says access is a key issue across Canada. They note that while abortion is an insured service under the Canada Health Act, some provinces do not provide accessible or funded services (Backgrounder: Abortion Access Issues | Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (arcc-cdac.ca).

In Alberta, Red Deer Pro-Choice says access to the service may be particularly difficult for rural, remote, or low-income individuals, as they must travel to Edmonton or Calgary, the only communities that currently offer the service.

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The two organizers are cognizant, however, that, though the topic is political and deeply personal, the parade is a family-friendly environment.

“Both of us are moms who believe in bodily autonomy, but we don’t want to have to prompt any difficult conversations with children for whom it isn’t age-appropriate,” says co-organizer Sarah Felzien. “We’ve taken care to ensure we are joyful and positive walking the route, while still getting our message across.”

As part of the modern pro-choice movement, Red Deer Pro-Choice says it endeavors to be inclusive, recognizing that abortion is a healthcare issue that not only impacts women, but also disproportionately affects transgender and non-binary people as well.

The group says it has been busy prepping for Westerner Days and working with other community organizations but hasn’t decided on its future goals beyond the parade.

“For now, we are simply mobilizing,” says Kennedy. “We are serving notice to opponents that this movement is organizing.”

“We are also letting supporters know they aren’t the only ones with progressive views in central Alberta,” adds Felzien.