What is the March for Life?
The National March for Life, long the largest annual protest on Parliament Hill, takes place in May to mark the Day of Infamy, when the 1969 omnibus bill opened up the floodgates to abortion. Pro-lifers rally in front of Parliament and march through downtown Ottawa, demanding that elected representatives fight for the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death.
The National March for Life is organized by Campaign Life Coalition, the leading pro-life and pro-family organization in Canada. CLC established the March in 1998. Though the event has grown considerably since initial attendance of 700, it remains a grassroots movement today, bringing together pro-lifers of all ages from coast to coast.
It has become the most prominent forum for Canadians to demand justice for the 100,000 children who are killed in their mothers’ wombs each year. Currently, Canada is the only Western nation with zero legal protection for the preborn, meaning abortion is permitted for any reason or no reason whatsoever, up till the moment of birth.
Since the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide in 2016, the March has also sounded the alarm over the steadily increasing number of vulnerable citizens killed by medical professionals under the euphemism “MAiD” or “medical assistance in dying.”
Each year, several speakers, including pro-life parliamentarians, religious leaders, and activists, call our government to account, and inspire rally attendees to take action.
Afterwards, thousands of pro-life Canadians march through the streets of Ottawa. They are led by police and volunteer marshals, who keep the route safe and clear.
Marchers then re-assemble on the lawn of Parliament Hill for moving testimonies from the post-abortive men and women of the Silent No More Awareness campaign, followed by a prayer service.
Due to COVID-19, the 2020 march was entirely virtual. While subsequent marches have all been in-person, they are now accompanied by extensive online programming, including the Life on Film series, available on the March for Life Canada YouTube channel.
This year’s march will mark its 28th anniversary. We invite all Canadians to join us for a week’s worth of dynamic events, including Masses and prayer services, the Songs for Life Coffee House, Candlelight Vigil, Rally on the Hill, March for Life, Rose Dinner Gala, Youth Summit, and first-ever leaders summit for adults. If you can’t make it, you can follow along by watching the live broadcast of the National March for Life on EWTN.
See you in Ottawa on May 8, 2025 for the experience of a lifetime!
