Abortion clinic workers object to distribution of bubble zone info

By Cleveland V. Stordy

Also See: 100 YEARS ARCHDIOCESE OF VANCOUVER

Workers at one of Vancouver's abortion clinics called police to complain that someone was in their bubble zone distributing copies of the very legislation that created the zone.

Special to The B.C. Catholic Sissy von Dehn hands passers-by information that they should be aware they are in a bubble zone and watch what they say. Discussion of the topic of abortion could get them into hot water, she points out.

The legislation, called The Access to Abortion Services Act, prohibits any form of protest of abortion-related issues within a 50-metre access zone or "bubble zone."

Sissy von Dehn was inside the zone handing the information to passersby at Everywoman's Health Centre abortion clinic at Broadway and Commercial in August, informing the public that they risked arrest under the legislation if they so much as discussed the subject of abortion.

One person, possibly a clinic staff member, took a copy of the information and went into the facility.

Soon after two plainclothes Vancouver police officers arrived and went directly into the building. They emerged 45 minutes later to speak with von Dehn, informing her that she was not breaking the bubble zone law, and adding that clinic workers were upset at her actions.

This seems to mean that the very people who insisted on the legislation in the first place are now upset when someone informs the general public of its existence. In September B.C.'s Court of Appeal upheld the bubble zone law as being minimally invasive of someone's freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

Section 1 of the charter to uphold the bubble zone cites it as a "reasonable limitation on the freedom of expression" because of its importance in protecting medical clinics, personnel, and patients.

"If the truth be told, this legislation is actually supposed to be posted on all entrances to the abortion facility, and this hasn't been done in spite of a court ruling," according to John Hof, president of Campaign Life Coalition B.C.

The police have assured Sissy that she can inform people when they are inside the 50-metre bubble zones without fear of being arrested, and she promised to continue to do so.

"The B.C. Court ruling means that only pro-abortion information is allowed inside bubble zones," Von Dehn said.

The Catholic Civil Rights League said that the ruling meant, "In effect, within the bubble zones, there would only be allowed a one-sided information zone, limited to abortion providers."

"Presumably this makes it an offence for medical information to be provided within the access zones, unless it is provided by the abortion provider. Therefore women in B.C., once inside the zone, cannot be exposed to content informing them of other pregnancy options, even if that information is based on a growing recognition of negative post-abortion medical consequences," Hof said.