Abortion crusader Henry Morgentaler named to the Order of Canada

Henry Morgentaler, the abortion crusader who changed the face of health care in Canada, has been named to the Order of Canada. This is an appointment that is long overdue, and that is richly deserved.

Dr Morgentaler is a visionary who had the guts to go against a system that forced women to seek out the ministrations of back alley abortionists, with all of the shame and loathing that goes with that - not to mention health risks. He gave women back their dignity, their power to choose and access to safe and professional clinical services.

Henry Morgentaler is a remarkable man. He was born in Poland on March 9, 1923.

After the German invasion of Poland, Henry's father, Josef Morgentaler, was arrested and executed by the Gestapo. In 1944, Henry Morgentaler was sent to the notorious concentration camp, Auschwitz.

After the war, he was granted a United Nations scholarship. This enabled him to attend medical school in Germany.

Ever a man of strong principle, when he graduated Morgentaler refused to move to Israel because of his opposition to Zionism. In 1950, he and his wife, Chava Rosenfarb, made the decision to move to Canada.

He worked in Montreal for 20 years as a general practitioner.

Over time his convictions about abortion drew him into conflict situations. On October 19, 1967, he gave testimony before a government committee. He stood by his conviction that any pregnant woman should have a right to a safe abortion.

In 1969 Morgentaler made the courageous decision to give up his family practice and began openly performing illegal abortions. At that time abortion was only legal when the procedure was carried out in a hospital after being given the green light by a Therapeutic Abortion Committee.

Many judicial and political battles followed during the subsequent decades.

In his fight to provide women with dignity and choice by providing accessible abortion services, Morgentaler was reviled by those who regarded abortion as the ultimate sin. In times past, their regimens of guilt and constriction forced women to seek out back alley abortionists with their 'coat hanger' remedies.

Such was the hatred directed toward Morgentaler that his Harbord Street clinic in Toronto was bombed in 1992.

Joanne Byfield, president of Life Canada, personifies the anti-choice attitude. She didn't disguise her hostility on learning about the Morgentaler appointment:

" ... to make this an official Canadian position, which is to say we Canadians think this man is a hero because he kills babies for a living, is outrageous."

Thomas Collins, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Toronto, said in a statement that Canada's highest honor had been "debased" by Dr Morgentaler receiving the reward.

It was left to another recipient, Buzz Hargrove, to say what a great many Canadians believe. The Canadian Auto Workers president put it this way:

"I'm absolutely thrilled to be on the list at the same time as Dr. Morgentaler. I supported him. I supported his efforts. I think he's done more for half the population in this country ... in terms of fighting for women's reproductive rights."

Canadian Liberal Leader, Stephane Dion, also paid a compliment to the legendary crusader:

"Dr. Morgentaler has stood up for a woman's right to choose for his entire career, often at great personal cost and risk."

Hats off to a great Canadian.