Kiera Merriam
A local group called '100 Good Men Who Give a Damn' (100GM) have seemingly unwittingly given a $19,000 donation to an organization that Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC) calls an anti-choice organization.
In an email to Saugeen Shores Hub, a spokesperson for 100GM, Donald Day, said that while it's not for the group to take a side politically or religiously, during their presentation to 100GM, Grey Bruce Pregnancy Centre (GBPC) "told us that they are pro-choice" and "have specially trained staff to give counselling and help women choosing abortion."
Joyce Arthur, Executive Director for the ARCC said that Grey Bruce Pregnancy Centre is an affiliate of Pregnancy Care Canada (PCC), an umbrella group of about 80 "crisis pregnancy centres" (CPCs) across Canada, and as such must follow directives laid out by PCC including only hiring Christian staff and volunteers and never referring for an abortion.
Grey Bruce Pregnancy Centre is listed on Pregnancy Care Canada's website as an affiliate but we didn't find any mention of Pregnancy Care Canada on Grey Bruce Pregnancy Centre's website.
Arthur went on to say that the GBPC's website is "very typical of other CPCs," offering free pregnancy tests, offering very little information on their site, as well as offering "post-abortion support" which she says is on the premise that abortions are harmful.
Running a baby clothing boutique and holding events like baby bottle drives are also typical of CPCs, Arthur said, adding that not only do you have to pay attention to what is explicitly stated on their websites but also what is missing.
On their About Us page, the ARCC says that while abortion access is often considered a settled issue in Canada, in reality it's still very politicized. Their stated mission is "to ensure reproductive freedom by protecting and advancing rights and access to abortion and to quality reproductive health care," adding that a nationally coordinated effort is needed to tackle existing barriers and to ensure abortion access Canada wide.
A spokesperson for GBPC was quoted in various news articles as saying that the 100GM donation was their largest donation to date. Their website states that they provide "accurate information on all options" but that they "do not provide abortion referrals."
Under the 'Available Supports' section of their 'Abortion in Canada' page, the Government of Canada says that crisis pregnancy centres are usually run by anti-abortion organizations. "They often look like clinics or support centres, but they are designed to discourage people from getting an abortion," the site said.
We reached out to Grey Bruce Pregnancy Centre for comment but have not heard back.
We also reached out to a few members of 100GM and all either declined to comment or didn't respond in time for publication.
We will update the article as more information becomes available. We can be reached at news@saugeenshoreshub.ca.
100 Good Men operates similarly to the Grey Bruce 100 Women Who Care group wherein members meet four times a year and each donates $100 to a charity of the group's choosing. The charities are nominated by members and voted on at each of the four meetings.
In addition to their recent donation to the Grey Bruce Pregnancy Centre, since October 2024 100GM have donated over $40,000 in total to local charities including REACH Centre Grey Bruce, The Women's Centre Grey Bruce and Home and Community Support Services of Grey Bruce.
The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada offers a three-page primer on identifying anti-choice clinics. It can be viewed here.
Their list of anti-choice groups in Canada can be found here. Grey Bruce Pregnancy Centre is #222.
