The Morgentaler clinic in Fredericton is the province's only private abortion clinic, but is announcing Thursday that it will close this summer.
The Morgentaler abortion clinic in Fredericton will close the end of July following a 20-year fight with the New Brunswick government over funding for the procedure.
The clinic is holding a news conference on Thursday morning to explain the decision. The province's Department of Health has always refused to cover abortions performed at the clinic.
"Regulation 84-20 remains on the books and New Brunswick women will now have no option to access abortions in the province except by meeting its discriminatory and medically unjustifiable requirements," according to a statement issued by the clinic.
In light of the Morgentaler clinic's closure announcement, what should the N.B. government do regarding access to abortion services in the province:
"Had the province provided funding for clinic abortions, or paid for abortions for women without ability to pay, the clinic would not be closing. To make matters worse, Regulation 84-20 makes it impossible for the majority of New Brunswick women to access an abortion in one of the two hospitals where the service is provided."
The Morgentaler clinic is the only private abortion facility in New Brunswick.
The province pays for abortions at two hospitals, but only if a woman gets approval from two doctors who certify the procedure is "medically necessary."
The Morgentaler clinic opened in June 1994 and has provided abortion services to more than 10,000 women.
The current fee for the procedure is $700 before 14 weeks of pregnancy, and $850 between 14 and 16 weeks.
The clinic says it has never been able to meet its expenses and financial shortfalls were covered by Dr. Henry Morgentaler, who died nearly a year ago.
"In the past 10 years, the clinic has contributed over $105,400 to subsidize abortions for women unable to pay the full amount," the clinic said.
There have been other financial headaches for the facility.
The clinic sustained more than $100,000 in flood damages in 2008. While other downtown Fredericton businesses were given financial compensation, the clinic did not receive any government cash because the building was owned by Morgentaler, who was not a New Brunswick citizen.
The clinic would have closed in 2008 if Morgentaler hadn't paid for the repairs himself, according to the statement.
Planned closing a 'sad and dark day'
Joyce Arthur, executive director of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, called the announcement a "very sad and dark day for New Brunswick women.
"The province created this crisis and showed callous disregard for women's health needs. As we've seen in P.E.I. where there's no access, some women will harm themselves in attempts to induce an abortion," Arthur said in a statement.
"If N.B. does not improve access quickly, women's health and safety is at risk, especially young women and disadvantaged women."
The Morgentaler clinic was also used by women from Prince Edward Island.
P.E.I. women whose abortions were covered by medicare generally travelled to Halifax. But if the procedures weren't being covered, they would often visit the Fredericton clinic.
Medicare has no reciprocal funding agreements on abortion with other provinces. So, an Ontario student at the University of New Brunswick would have to pay $1,800 at hospital or go to the Morgentaler clinic.
Morgentaler sued the N.B. government
Morgentaler opened his first abortion clinic in Montreal in 1969, when attempting to induce an abortion was a crime punishable by life imprisonment and the woman faced imprisonment of two years.
Anti-abortion activists targeted the clinics, and rallies, protests and many legal battles followed. On Jan. 28, 1988, the Supreme Court struck down Canada's abortion law as unconstitutional.
That did not end Morgentaler's legal battles.
He launched a lawsuit against the New Brunswick government in 2002, demanding the government pay for procedures at his clinic.
The lawsuit has been in limbo since the death of the abortion rights activist last May.
New Brunswick's Department of Health said little in a statement on Thursday morning to comment on the Morgentaler clinic's impending closure.
"Women will continue to have access to medically-necessary abortions in the province with the approval of two physicians," according to the statement.
"As this matter is still before the courts, the department has no further comment."
Sarah Leblanc, of the Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick, a Moncton-based group that supports abortion rights, says if there's any change in the service the Morgentaler clinic offers, the provincial government must improve access in hospitals, because abortions are legal.
"The bottom line is women have to be able to access that service of their own choice. It's the woman's decision. We have the right to decide what happens with our lives and our bodies," she said.
The Alward government has been content with the status quo of requiring two doctors to sign off on an abortion.
Liberal Leader Brian Gallant has called himself pro-choice, but has not said whether he would change the two-doctor policy.
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