Over the past two years we have been busy building support among Members of Parliament for an International Standards Abortion Law. Such a law would end abortion after the first trimester, as well as ensure all women seeking an abortion receive independent counseling and have a 48-hour waiting period prior to an abortion.
We are grateful for the support this is receiving among Parliamentarians and are optimistic that such legislation can be introduced relatively soon.
In preparation for the introduction of such a bill, we have put together a Summer Billboard Campaign that we hope you will support.
What’s the plan?
Purchase advertising space on billboards, transit shelters, and bus benches in as many Canadian cities as possible and on major thoroughfares during the summer months of 2018.
Why?
To educate Canadians on the absence of abortion restrictions in Canada. One of the most common things we hear from people is, “Doesn’t Canada already have a law?” Polls show that nearly 80% of Canadians are unaware of the lack of abortion laws, and a majority support some regulations.
Billboards are a great way to reach a large number of Canadians who are in no way connected to our organization. Making people aware of the lack of abortion laws is an important step in laying the groundwork for the discussions we will have once the bill is introduced.
How much will it cost?
We have entered into negotiations with Pattison Outdoor Advertising and they are putting together a quote that would see these billboards in at least 10 areas throughout the country. We are anticipating that the cost will be between $70,000 and $90,000 for a combination of highway billboards, transit shelter, and bus bench ads.
That is a large amount. But it goes a long ways.
Thanks in part to making this a national initiative, the cost for one billboard that is up for a month in a major Canadian city will likely be less than $2,100. That is substantially less than the cost of a billboard that is not part of a national effort (which can be $5,000+). The cost of a bus bench is only about $100 for a month.
Perhaps you, your family, your business, or group of friends can work together to make one or more of these a reality.
Please note that because of the nature of this national campaign, we have to commit to a particular number of ads for each city we reach and will not be able to spread a smaller number of ads to many more cities. That also means that your support will impact the whole country and cannot be specific to a particular location.
With your help we would like to fundraise at least 50% of this total goal before July 1st.
How do I give?
Just click the button below and use our secure online donation form.
If you have any questions, please contact our director, Mike Schouten, at [email protected] or 778-321-2457.
Please note that We Need a Law is not a registered charity. We are a registered political lobby group, which excludes us from charitable status. We are very grateful for the sacrifice our donors make in giving despite our inability to issue tax receipts. Thank you!
