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City of Powell River responds to anti-abortion event at Willingdon Beach

Powell River Pro-Life Society to place 10,000 small flags at Loggers Memorial Bowl
Loggers Memorial Bowl
CONTENTIOUS EVENT: Powell River Pro-Life Society plans to place flags at Loggers Memorial Bowl during an event at the Willingdon Beach venue on Saturday, June 23. David Brindle photo

A controversial event planned for Loggers Memorial Bowl on Saturday, June 23, has caused City of Powell River and Powell River Logger Sports to correct some misconceptions about public use of the venue.

Powell River Pro-Life Society has received permission from the city’s parks, recreation and culture department to place 10,000 tiny flags in the bowl at Willingdon Beach Park.

In a media release, city parks, recreation and culture stated that it is a matter of free speech, but some on city council have concerns about the media release not being authorized.

“Council did not know there was a press release being drafted, nor did we have an opportunity to see it prior to it being sent to all media,” said councillor CaroleAnn Leishman. She added that she believed someone on city staff must have taken it upon themselves to write the statement due to pressure from Logger Sports organizers.

Logger Sports began receiving public feedback about the anti-abortion gathering and posted an announcement on its Facebook page on June 13.

“This is to inform everyone that Powell River Logger Sports does not own Loggers Memorial Bowl at Willingdon Beach,” stated Logger Sports director of promotions and marketing Sherri Wiebe in the post.

Wiebe said Logger Sports organizers determined it was necessary to make the statement because an executive member received a phone call from a sponsor.

“They didn't want to sponsor us if we were going to let them use our space, so we had to make it clear that it was not our space,” said Wiebe. “We didn't want anybody else to think we were affiliated with it and that it was our event that was happening at our logger sports bowl.”

According to a presentation made by pro-life society secretary Fraser Field at a committee of the whole meeting in April, the 10,000 flags each represent 10 per cent of the 100,000 abortions that take place in Canada every year.

Fraser said the event is intended “to bring to the attention of Powell River residents the fact that Canada has no law governing abortion.”

He added that nothing the group will be doing is wrong and freedoms of belief, conscience and speech are fundamental to democracy.

In the city statement, parks, recreation and culture director Ray Boogaards said the bowl site is a public park that the city owns and books and his department is neutral when it comes to community organizations.

“The city cannot stop taxpayers from using public facilities if requested and booked through the department,” stated Boogaards. “Free speech is an important principle of Canadian society.”

Loggers Memorial Bowl was built in 2016, the same year residents rallied to bring logger sports back to Powell River after an 11-year absence on the summer event calendar.

“We are not affiliated with anything that happens on those grounds in any way and we rent the grounds and pay to have Logger Sports events there,” said Wiebe. She added that other events held at the venue are out of the group’s control.

But Leishman said Powell River needs a public events policy to have more control over future events.

“Without a public events policy giving staff the authority to deny any events that are not in the public interest and/or potentially breach the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, any group, including hate speech groups, racially-biased groups and groups promoting to recriminalize abortion and restrict women's rights are able to rent any of the city’s facilities,” said  Leishman.

The pro-life demonstration will take place between 9 am and 1 pm and, according to Leishman, many residents she has spoken to are not happy.

“It is very upsetting for a lot of individuals who have contacted me,” said Leishman.

The event will happen on the same day one of the Hulks, YOGN-82, is submerged off Willingdon Beach, “which will see a lot of unaware residents having to walk past this awkward and contentious display,” said Leishman. “If there is any silver lining to this entire debacle, it has raised the awareness that currently women cannot obtain abortions in Powell River, which a lot of us didn't know, so hopefully we can change that and help women have more choice about what they do with their own bodies.”