TABER, ALTA.—A southern Alberta woman says she is angry about anti-abortion benches that have been placed in the cemetery where her parents’ ashes rest.

Sheila Lord was born and raised in Taber and travels from her home in Okotoks regularly to visit the niche that holds her mother and father’s cremated remains.

She says she was disturbed on a recent trip to Taber Memorial Gardens when she saw the benches that say “Taber Pro-Life” in big, black letters on the front.

A Taber bylaw bans ads on cemetery property, but a spokesperson for Taber Pro-Life says the group donated the benches as a community service.

Mayor Andrew Prokop says it’s not the first time someone has complained.

Prokop told CTV that concerns were raised three years ago, but town council voted in favour of leaving the benches in place.

Read more:

Halifax pro-choice protesters hold counter rally beside anti-abortion event

B.C. court orders Vancouver’s TransLink to rethink rejection of anti-abortion bus ads

Expert weighs in on abortion access concerns as controversial comments reignite debate in Alberta

“To me, it’s solicitation,” Lord said. “I want to go see my mom and dad. I don’t want to be thinking about abortion when I’m sitting there visiting them.”

Sarina Tamminga of Taber Pro-Life said the group deserves to have its benches at the cemetery.

“We’re part of the community and we care about this community,” she said.

A pro-choice group considers the benches inappropriate, hurtful and cruel.

“People are going there to grieve,” said Kathy Dawson of the Alberta Pro-Choice Coalition. “There are people going there who have had miscarriages, stillbirths. They have lost wanted pregnancies due to fetal abnormalities.

“You have people at the cemetery who are in vulnerable situations that are grieving for somebody.”

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Lord said her father, who was Taber’s mayor in the 1960s, would never have allowed benches with messages in the cemetery.

“He was the most loving, accepting, non-judgmental, kind person you’d ever want to meet. He would have been appalled.”

Read more about: