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OTTAWA — Groups across the country are facing a cash crisis after they were initially rejected for a Canada Summer Jobs grant for refusing to sign a controversial attestation to respect abortion rights.

Millions of dollars are at stake, and some organizations are preparing urgent fundraising campaigns. The federal grants are discretionary, but many groups have received the funding every year for a decade or more. In effect, they feel they’re being defunded for refusing to sign the attestation that says their “core mandate” must respect abortion rights, along with other rights around sexuality and gender.

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Service Canada has told the groups they can resubmit with the full attestation, and some are making a second try by requesting accommodation for their religion and conscience. But unless the government backs down, their applications will be rejected again.

For the Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto alone, the impact on their nearly 30 parishes and charities is $1.1 million in grant applications. “We’re kind of in limbo right now, but obviously making contingency plans,” said spokesman Neil MacCarthy.