Around Town: Unplanned, Women & Families Centre, Baptist Housing . . .

Why isn’t the movie Unplanned being shown in Canada? More than 200,000 people have signed a CitizenGO online petition demanding that Cineplex “Bring Unplanned to Canada and the World.”

The petition, sponsored by National Campus Life Network in partnership with Kelowna Right to Life Society, LifeCanada and Respect Life Ministry, Victoria, states:

“Unplanned” is a powerful new blockbuster film that chronicles the life of Abby Johnson, a former abortion clinic director whose life and career were turned upside-down by what she saw one day in her clinic.

This is a powerful and eye-opening film that has been piercing through the abortion narrative in the United States. “Unplanned” has actively moved individuals to the pro-life perspective.

Most notably, in the first two weeks of the movie release, 94 Planned Parenthood workers have contacted Abby Johnson’s organization, And Then There Were None. Also, “Unplanned” brought in over $6 million US in its opening weekend [now over $18 million], far exceeding Hollywood expectations.

“Unplanned” was released in the US on March 29th, 2019. However, if you live in Canada, you will not be able to view this new film. It appears that the “controversial” nature of this film is impacting its release. There are no public screenings scheduled anywhere across the nation.

A story posted on The B.C. Catholic News site described the roadblocks to showing the film in Canada:

Canadian movie distributors have de facto censored the movie Unplanned from screening in theatres here says the movie’s producers.

“We have been effectively blocked from distributing the film in Canada,” said producer Lisa Wheeler at an Ottawa news conference May 8. . . .

“What we’re seeing is that the film industry in Canada mirrors the film industry here in the United States, in terms of being more politically progressive, left leaning and pro-choice than the population at large,” said Chuck Konzelman, the film’s writer/producer/director in an email interview. “So our project is essentially anathema to them, and they see excluding us from Canada as ‘positive good’ . . . effectively enacting de facto censorship, without right of appeal.” . . .

The two largest distributors in Canada cited ‘content’ as the issue, “not lack of consumer demand,” Konzelman said.

Cineplex Canada is attracting lots of negative comment on its Facebook page from potential viewers about the fact that it is not showing the film. A question by John Crane asked “why Unplanned is not scheduled to be shown in Canadian Cineplex Theatres.”

Their response:

Hello John, when and where a film is shown depends on contractual agreements we have with the film studios. At this time we don’t have any info on their plans to release Unplanned in Canada.

According to The B.C. Catholic, representatives of the two big motion picture exhibitors in Canada – Cineplex and Landmark – say they have not reached agreements with any distributors.

When I called Cineplex May 22, that was basically what their customer service person said as well. Noting that they have had lots of calls about Unplanned, he said: “There is no Canadian distributor that has bought the rights to the movie . . . the makers of the movie haven’t contacted distributors in Canada . . . we don’t have the rights.”

The producers of Unplanned have not given up on Canada though. The main page of the Unplanned website makes this statement May 14, in a bright red bar across the page:

Unplanned is not coming to Canada. Theaters have refused to allow the movie to be seen. WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE?

That statement links to a Canadian Inquiry Form, which encourages interested groups to bring in the film for a special showing. So for now, the best bet for seeing the movie will be at a private showing (as 3,000 people did in Edmonton), but if supporters of the petition (and the website Canada Wants Unplanned) achieve their aim it may end up in movie theatres after all.

Canada is a democracy, with open access to a wide range of media. Yet there are limits to tolerance, apparently, when it comes to the issue of abortion.

I wrote recently about Mary Wagner, who has spent five years in jail for peacefully demonstrating outside abortion clinics. The Liberal Party of Canada won’t allow you to run under their banner if you’re a pro-lifer, and they prevented groups which wouldn’t sign on the dotted line from receiving Canada Summer Jobs grants, until forced back by public opinion. Responding to restrictive new abortion laws in the southern States, Tyee writer Dorothy Woodend wrote a strongly worded article, helping to create an atmosphere which makes it difficult to discuss the issues. She concluded, “But it’s no longer a struggle. Now it’s a war.”

None of these reactions offer any recognition that Canada has no protection whatever for human life until birth. Asking for a fair hearing will not get any easier, but my thanks go out to those who continue to seek justice, peaceably and creatively.

UGM’s Women & Families Centre

MPs (Hedy Fry, Jenny Kwan), MLAs (Selina Robinson, Melanie Mark) and Mayor Kennedy Stewart were among the dignitaries helping out with UGM’s ground-breaking ceremony.

BC Housing focused on Union Gospel Mission’s planned Women and Families Centre in its May 22 press release titled ‘More than 20,000 new homes underway for people throughout BC’:

Partnerships with organizations like the Union Gospel Mission, which is breaking ground [May 22] on new housing for women and children, are behind the success of the more than 20,000 new homes complete or underway in nearly 80 communities throughout the province.

“Our government has acted quickly to address the urgent need for housing that people can afford,” said Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “It is not just about increasing the number of homes. It is about working with our partners to build the right kind of homes to make life better for people at all ages, stages and income-levels.”

Artistic rendering of Union Gospel Mission’s new Women and Family Recovery and Housing Centre. (NSDA Architects / UGM)

The province is contributing $14.5 million to help build the Union Gospel Mission’s (UGM) new and expanded Women and Families Centre. The seven-storey building will provide 36 affordable rental homes, a new 28-space child care centre and 27 addiction recovery beds for women and children in the Downtown Eastside.

“This new building will not only save lives, but change the trajectory of entire families for generations,” said Bill Mollard, president, UGM. “It means fewer children in poverty, fewer women on the street and a future for families struggling to find housing.”

Women needing addictions support will have access to an on-site, long-term addiction recovery program – the only program of its kind in the Downtown Eastside. Other supports and services offered in the building will include counselling, life skills and career development.

“When I was homeless, it was horrible, but my life was transformed at UGM and I know this new building will help others like me,” said Emily Surrette, former UGM guest and single mother who was homeless for more than two years. “I’m really excited about the new building because it’s essentially a one-stop shop for child care, treatment, housing – all of these things. It’s really crucial for recovery.”

Located at 616 East Cordova Street, the new building is expected to open in mid-2021.

Go here for the full press release.

Evergreen joins Baptist Housing

Evergreen Baptist Campus of Care is now one of 18 Baptist Housing communities.

I am always surprised at how sizeable some of the Christian housing groups are. One of the oldest and largest is Baptist Housing, which oversees 18 housing communities around the province. It has just added one more, in White Rock.

A May 8 press release stated:

We are pleased to announce that Evergreen Baptist Campus of Care is now part of Baptist Housing.

Evergreen Baptist Campus of Care in White Rock has a long history of caring for seniors. The care campus includes long-term care, assisted living and affordable housing.

The campus was founded in 1959 by members of the North American Baptist Conference Association of BC Churches. As their board looked to the future and considered how best to secure the long-term ministry of their campus, a decision was made that resulted in Baptist Housing assuming transfer of the campus.

As a non-profit faith-based organization, Baptist Housing [which is affiliated with the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in BC] has an equally rich history of serving seniors in BC, establishing its first residence in Vancouver in 1964. Today, the organization has 18 senior living communities in the Lower Mainland, Victoria and Kelowna that are home to over 2,500 seniors.

These are the communities which are part of Baptist Housing:

May 2019

Long & McQuade Presents Rashid Williams – May 23, 2019 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Multiply: Let's Celebrate Together – May 23, 2019 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Jazz & Spirituality: Digging into Worshiping in Jazz – May 23, 2019 - May 25, 2019 at 7:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Tom Reynolds in Concert – May 23, 2019 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
BC Home Learning Conference – May 24, 2019 at 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Historymaker 2019 – May 24, 2019 - May 26, 2019 at 6:00 pm - 12:30 pm
The Sojourners – May 24, 2019 at 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
From the Old World to the New: Concert with Cathedral Organist Denis Bédard – May 24, 2019 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Revitalize: Your Church and You – May 25, 2019 at 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Walk for Life – May 25, 2019 at 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
WMI Spring Conference – May 25, 2019 at 9:30 am - 6:30 pm
A Toolkit for Spiritual Survival Retreat with Fr. Rolheiser & Dr. Higgins – May 25, 2019 at 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir: The Return of Soul Gospel – May 25, 2019 at 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Ember – May 25, 2019 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Worship Invasion – May 25, 2019 at 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir: The Return of Soul Gospel – May 25, 2019 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Jazz Vespers in the Valley: Seven Women in Jazz – May 26, 2019 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Jazz Vespers – Sunday, May 26 at 4 pm – May 26, 2019 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
African Children's Choir: Just as I Am Tour – May 26, 2019 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Duncan Africa Fundraiser – May 26, 2019 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Religion & Violence: Inter-Religious Studies Conference – May 26, 2019 - May 28, 2019 at 7:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Focus on Life 21st Annual Gala Dinner – May 27, 2019 at 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
The Role of the Laity in the Reform of the Church: A Modest but Urgent Proposal – May 27, 2019 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Wesley Hill: Retrieving Asceticism – how contemporary Christians are retrieving an ancient theme – May 27, 2019 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
12th Annual NightShift Charity Golf Classic – May 28, 2019 at 9:30 am - 7:00 pm
Jesuit Scotch Tasting Reception – May 28, 2019 at 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Maxine Hancock: Costly Grace & Severe Mercy – theological resonance in Louise Penney's 'Three Pines' mystery novels – May 29, 2019 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Thy Kingdom Come – May 30, 2019 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The Cake – May 30, 2019 - June 8, 2019 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Walk in the Spirit of Reconciliation – May 31, 2019 - June 2, 2019 at All Day
Hillsong United Tour 2019 – May 31, 2019 at 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm

Jun 2019

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