‘Bring Back the Dignity of Life’: Pro‑Life Advocates Prepare for Upcoming March in Ottawa

The Campaign Life Coalition is inviting Canadians to join the 2026 “March for Life” in Ottawa this spring, recognizing 57 years since the legalization of abortion in Canada, while also opposing euthanasia this year.

Canada’s largest annual pro-life event will take place May 14, with participants rallying on Parliament Hill before marching through downtown Ottawa to call on the government to strengthen protections for Canadians they say are vulnerable to abortion or euthanasia.

CLC spokesperson Josie Luetke tole The Epoch Times the group has been “fighting and marching and petitioning and working so hard to bring back the dignity of life” since abortion was legalized in 1969. But this year CLC is also speaking out against Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), which was first legalized in 2016.

The group has included euthanasia in its message this year while noting that eligibility for MAID is set to expand in 2027 to include those whose sole condition is a mental illness.

“Euthanasia is a super important issue in our country, and that’s really why, when we march, we’re not just marching because of the abortion issue, but also because of euthanasia,” Luetke said in a video on this year’s event.

“It has now been a decade of legal euthanasia in Canada… and so year after year, we continue to see the numbers rise.”

Luetke noted it is expected Canada will surpass 100,000 deaths from euthanasia this year, saying, “It’s not a milestone we ever wanted to reach.”

CLC vice-president Matthew Wojciechowski said in the video that this year’s march is “really one of the only marches in the world that takes on both of these issues at the same time.” He said the focus is advocate for “the right to life from the moment of conception… all the way to natural death.”

There are an estimated 100,000 abortions performed in Canada each year. CLC notes that this amounts to more than four million abortions since the procedure was legalized.

Candlelight Vigil

The March for Life event in Ottawa starts with a candlelight vigil on May 13 and will feature live music, testimonials, and prayers.

The rally runs from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on May 14 and begins on Parliament Hill with a gathering and speeches. The march through downtown Ottawa starts at 1:30 p.m. and wraps up with a closing prayer at the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute.

Wojciechowski said after the march, participants will return to Parliament Hill to hear testimonies of those whose lives were impacted by abortion, including both men and women.

The day after the march, CLC is set to hold a youth summit for young adults, high school students, and young professionals to attend workshops and listen to guest speakers about the pro-life movement.

This year will be the 29th annual March for Life event in Ottawa. The theme of this year’s event is “Follow Me,” a reference to a Bible verse from the New Testament.