Toronto: Public reaction across Canada continues to escalate following a series of undercover videos showing that late-term abortions may be far more accessible than previously believed even without medical justification. The controversy began after The Catholic Register published an investigative report on Nov. 19 detailing the experiences of pro-life advocate Alissa Golob, who posed as a pregnant woman seeking late-term abortion options at clinics in four major cities.
Golob, co-founder of the advocacy group RightNow, conducted her undercover visits in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary while she herself was 22 weeks pregnant in 2023. During her visits, multiple clinic staff and physicians indicated she could be referred to hospitals for late-term procedures in some cases reportedly “up to 32 weeks” without needing to cite health risks or fetal anomalies. Staff members also described the induction method as similar to a “mini stillbirth,” and suggested that even reasons such as already having children or simply “not wanting to be pregnant” were sufficient for referral.
Three of Golob’s recordings have been made public, directly contradicting political narratives that late-term abortions in Canada are rare and strictly medically necessary. The videos have sparked widespread shock, revealing a growing divide between public assumptions and clinical practices.
In comments to The B.C. Catholic, Golob said she has been struck by the intensity of the national reaction. “Most Canadians are genuinely horrified. Many told me they didn’t even think late-term abortions were possible here,” she said. Even self-described pro-choice Canadians reached out expressing alarm over the level of access shown in the videos, saying such procedures without restrictions “shouldn’t be allowed.”
Abortion-rights advocates, meanwhile, have offered mixed responses some disputing the accuracy of the videos, others claiming such procedures do not occur despite the footage. Golob described their reaction as “confused and contradictory.”
A new twist emerged in the aftermath of the investigation: Golob revealed that she cannot legally release her fourth video, recorded in Calgary. Alberta’s “bubble-zone” laws, which restrict filming around abortion facilities, impose heavy penalties for distributing such footage. “Alberta has the most extreme bubble-zone laws in the country,” she said. “Sharing the Calgary video could mean fines or even jail time.” As a result, the final recording will remain withheld unless provincial legislation changes.
The controversy has also drawn attention within medical circles. Some physicians in private forums initially denied the existence of late-term abortions, Golob said, until others shared her undercover clips. None of the clinics involved have issued public responses, a silence Golob interprets as strategic. “They know the evidence is there,” she said. “There’s nothing they can say to undo it.”
Abortion-rights groups like Action Canada have accused Golob of taking conversations out of context. She rejects this, noting that although the videos were edited for length, the core exchanges are intact and have been verified by journalists who reviewed the full footage. “If anything were manipulated, the clinics could sue and they’d win easily,” she said.
Several Conservative MPs including Leslyn Lewis, Rosemarie Falk, and Garnett Genuis have circulated the videos online, while People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier also shared them. Liberal MP Doug Eyolfson denounced the recordings, but Golob says his criticism drew unexpected backlash from Canadians across political lines.
Golob argues the investigation exposes deeper issues, particularly in how Canada tracks abortion data. Clinic staff reportedly told her that any pregnancy ending after 20 weeks is classified as a stillbirth, regardless of whether it was a natural loss or an induced termination. Coupled with provinces voluntarily reporting statistics, she believes Canadians are left in the dark about how many late-term abortions actually take place. “We should be demanding accurate numbers and explanations,” she said.
Golob currently has no plans to release additional videos unless Alberta’s laws change. But she believes the revelations have already shifted the national conversation. “People are realizing they were told for years that late-term abortions don’t happen here,” she said. “Now they’re seeing evidence and they want answers.”