Saskatchewan’s Official Opposition would like to see better access to safe abortion services. Planned Parenthood Regina, Abortion is Healthcare, Saskatoon Sexual Health, Regina Abortion Support Network and abortion providers took to the front steps of the Legislature on Wednesday to draw attention to government-imposed barriers restricting access to safe abortion services.

The provincial NDP is calling on the government to fix what Status of Women Critic Jennifer Bowes calls an uneven patchwork of abortion service by introducing a province-wide intake system, and establishing surgical abortion centres in Saskatoon and Prince Albert. Bowes says women in rural and remote communities often have to undergo two-day trips for safe abortions, and like those in the larger centres, have to navigate disjointed and uneven access. Saskatoon and Prince Albert don’t have surgical abortion centres similar to what is available in Regina, and without a central intake system, Bowes explains that women outside self-referral zones like Regina have fewer options for discreet medical advice.