'It feels so good': Alberta MP celebrates overturning of Roe v. Wade
A Member of Parliament from rural Alberta went live on Facebook Friday to celebrate a United States Supreme Court vote to end constitutional protections for abortion.
Friday's overturning of Roe v. Wade is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half of American states.
Arnold Viersen, who represents Peace River-Westlock for the Conservative Party of Canada, titled his video "History in the making!"
"This is something that I know a lot of people have been praying for for a very long time, the overturn of Roe v. Wade," Viersen said.
"The pro-life movement in the United States has been working hard on this for generations and it feels so good to have a win."
The MP went on to call abortion in Canada the "greatest human rights tragedy of our time."
"Three-hundred babies die everyday in Canada and this is something that is a terrible human rights tragedy," he said.
"People are coerced into having abortions. There should be no forced abortions in this country."
"I am disturbed by Roe Vs Wade being overturned. While I recognize there are strongly held beliefs on this issue, reproductive rights in Canada are non-negotiable," CPC leadership candidate Jean Charest tweeted.
"I am disappointed by Roe Vs Wade being overturned. Canadians have strongly held beliefs on this issue, but reproductive rights in Canada will not be revisited by any government that I lead," candidate Patrick Brown tweeted.
Another Conservative MP and candidate for leader, Dr. Leslyn Lewis, tweeted promises to ban "sex-selective" and "coerced" abortions, while encouraging respectful debate on the issue.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the court decision "horrific" and he promised to "always stand up for (a woman's) right to choose."
Viersen said he would be "on guard" for Liberal legislation reaffirming the legality of abortion in Canada.
With files from The Associated Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Sellers 'expecting yesterday's prices': Canadians cope with a correcting housing market
After a series of interest rate hikes implemented by the Bank of Canada, housing markets are now facing a 'significant' correction. CTVNews.ca spoke to Canadians who are now struggling to make the goal of purchasing a home, or selling one, a reality.

Power returning in Toronto after hours-long outage likely caused by crane hitting transmission line
Power is slowing coming back to Toronto's downtown core after a widespread outage caused major disruptions in the city Thursday afternoon.
U.S. Justice Dept. seeks to unseal search warrant of Trump home
The U.S. Justice Department is asking a federal court to unseal the warrant the FBI used to search the Mar-a-Lago estate of former President Donald Trump, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday, acknowledging extraordinary public interest in the case about classified records.
Armed man tries to breach FBI office, killed after standoff
An armed man who tried to breach the FBI's Cincinnati office was shot and killed by police after he fled the scene, leading to an hourlong standoff Thursday afternoon, the Ohio Highway State Patrol said.
Police investigating attack on Brampton, Ont. media personality as attempted murder
A Brampton, Ont. media personality who was attacked with a machete and axe in his driveway will need months of physical rehabilitation to recover, a close friend says.
A new virus was found in China, here's what we know
Scientists are keeping an eye on the Langya virus, a new pathogen that appears to have been transmitted from animals to humans in China and causes symptoms similar to COVID-19 or the flu.
Will you be eligible for one of Ontario's new tax credits? Here's the breakdown
The Ontario government is planning to move forward with several tax credits for residents as it formally tabled its 2022-23 budget on Tuesday.
'Devastating': Search continues for Sask. mushroom picker missing for 7 days
It’s been seven days since 74-year-old Lois Chartrand went missing while mushroom picking in the forest north of Smeaton, Sask.
Vegetarian women more likely to suffer hip fractures: study
A study out of the United Kingdom’s University of Leeds reports women who don’t eat meat are 33 per cent more likely to break their hips later in life.