Take Action

Write a Letter to the Editor

Almost all local newspapers have a section for publishing letters from readers, and these can be a great way to start a discussion in your community! The paper will include information on where/how to submit these letters. Here are some tips for writing and submitting your letter:

• Focus on one issue only. Trying to address separate issues in one letter will decrease your chance of getting published and make it very difficult to be clear given the limited word count. Most community newspapers allow a maximum of 250 words, and larger publications often limit it to 200 or fewer.
• You can write about anything you’d like to start a community conversation about. If you are responding directly to a current news story or article, note this in your email subject line when sending your letter. For example, your subject line might be Re: “Be a voice for the voiceless” – June 21, 2012
• Remove non-essential words. For example, don’t say, “I think” or “I believe”. It’s obvious and will increase the chance of editors changing the letter.
• Use verified facts.
• Include your letter in the body of your email (NOT as an attachment), below a brief introduction including your name, address, and daytime phone number.
• Pay attention to other letters that are published. Note what is effective about them to help you improve your own skills.
• If your letter doesn’t get published the first time, don’t be discouraged! News publications receive many letters, so please try again.

Organize a flag display in your city

Since our first massive display of 100,000 flags on Parliament Hill in 2014, our flags have been used over 70 times across the country. These pink and blue flags represent the pre-born lives lost annually to abortion in Canada. We have also done displays with 10,000 flags where each flag represents 10 lives lost.

If you’re interested in coordinating a display in your community, we would love to chat! Contact us and we’ll provide the support, instructions, information to share and, of course, the flags!

Invite us to do a presentation (at a school, church, community group, etc)

Educating and motivating the grassroots is a key part of our mission to get Canadians politically engaged to stand up for our vulnerable pre-born neighbours. We have presentations geared at different age groups and audiences and would be happy to customize a presentation for you.

Please contact us for more information or to set up a date.

Sign a petition

Grassroots democracy is exactly that, grassroots. It’s organic, and it’s the people of Canada who need to send the message to their leaders. Please take a moment to sign an online petition or print off copies of the International Standards Law petition to gather signatures from friends and family before presenting it to your Member of Parliament to be submitted into the House of Commons.

Canada’s government needs to hear the message that we need a law! One very effective way to communicate that is by means of a written petition. It only takes 25 signatures to get something read in the House of Commons and this is a great opportunity to affect the policy in our country by using our freedom of expression.

For a list of guidelines for petitions to the House of Commons click here.

Petition Tips:

• Signature, city, and province are all that is required.
• Any age can sign the petition.
• Bigger is not always better. Longer petitions can be split into smaller ones (a few pages each) which will allow a sympathetic MP to present the petition in the House of Commons many times.
• Make it most effective by asking to meet with your MP to discuss the issue. See our talking points for a productive visit with your MP if you’re not sure where to start.
• Petitions remain relevant for a long time. Please keep at it and continue to drop off copies at your MP’s office.
• If your MP is hostile to the cause, you may send the petitions to any other MP instead. Even if your MP is hostile, he is duty-bound to present your petition in the House of Commons. Either way, ask the MP to let you know when it is read in the House of Commons.

Contact your local representative

Nothing beats talking to your MP, MPP or MLA in person, but you can also give them a phone call or send an email to voice your concerns, discuss issues that matter to you, or offer encouragement. See our Contact your Local Representative page for further details and tips.

Visit your local representative

Few people take the time to visit their local representative in person, so visits make a real impact! You can find tips for making your visit productive here.

Support your local pregnancy care centre

We’ve reached out to pregnancy care centres to find out their most common needs. You can build and print a shopping list of these items, or have them emailed to you for the next time you’re out shopping. We encourage you to call your local pregnancy care centre as well to see if they have any additional current needs you may be able to fill. Giving to local pregnancy care centres is a great way to support families in your community facing unplanned pregnancy and looking for support.