Pro-life demonstration held in Barry’s Bay

Since 1998 supporters of the pro-life movement have demonstrated along the Opeongo Line in Barry’s Bay on the first Sunday of October for the annual LifeChain event. This year there were over 200 such demonstrations planned in Canada and more in the US, said organizer Helen Fritz, but it was different because of COVID-19. People arriving to join her group in front of St. Lawrence O’Toole Church were reminded to observe appropriate public health protocols, and she said that “most people know to wear masks and to social-distance.” Fritz said they were also directed to multiple overflow locations in an effort to keep each group of picketers to fewer than 25 people. She said she was in touch with the Renfrew County and District Health Unit and the Ontario Provincial Police, “I have spoken to the officer of public health last week and also to the OPP, so they’re OK with this.”

George Dienesch was the organizer in downtown Barry’s Bay where picketers stood on both sides of the Opeongo Line from Dunn Street to Bay Street.  Standing in front of the Post Office, Dienesch said, “I’ve been telling people to go to the other overflow locations but everybody seems to want to stick around here.” He said the demonstration usually involves about 200 participants.

There were five designated locations in Barry’s Bay on October 4th. In addition to the two mentioned above, students from Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College were directed to the Opeongo Line outside Northern Credit Union (NCU) and to John Street outside Madawaska Valley District High School (MVDHS). Should numbers require it, the newly-constructed Welk Electric building on Highway 60 east of the village was to be the fifth location. The Current counted 16 people at St. Lawrence O’Toole, approximately 60 in downtown Barry’s Bay, 25 at NCU and 21 at MVDHS. Many participants appeared to be unmasked although socially distanced.