Abortion-rights group hopes to buy Morgentaler Clinic slated for closure

CTV Atlantic: Abortion group hopes to save clinic The Maritimes' last-remaining Morgentaler Clinic is set to close July 18, but an abortion rights group is now trying to buy the clinic.

The Maritimes’ last-remaining Morgentaler Clinic is set to close July 18, but an abortion-rights group is now trying to buy the clinic in order to save it from shutting down.

Clinic management announced the closure earlier this year, citing mounting costs and a lack of government funding.

Reproductive Justice New Brunswick wouldn’t speak with media on Wednesday, saying an announcement would be made Thursday. But a source close to the group tells CTV News they would attempt to expand operations beyond abortions, to a women’s health-care facility.

New Brunswick NDP Leader Dominic Cardy says his party would welcome the move.

“There’s been a cutback in services, especially for women’s health, over the last few years,” says Cardy. “Access to services for young women, for example, have been cut by the Conservative government, so I think this has the potential to be something quite positive.”

Peter Ryan of the New Brunswick Right to Life organization, which is located next door to the Fredericton clinic, says he wasn’t surprised to hear the group was trying to buy the facility.

“It’s not a surprising development. It’s one of those scenarios we thought might develop, that there would be some group come forward to keep it open,” says Ryan. “So, naturally, we do not wish them great success in that.”

It is not known how much the organization will need to buy the clinic, or how they plan to use it. Details of their plan will be released Thursday.