Abortions in Canada

Nationally, abortion is legal through all nine months (40 weeks) of pregnancy, nevertheless no providers in Canada offer care beyond 23 weeks and 6 days.

May 5, 2022 — — The Trudeau government wants it known that Canada is open to any Americans who may need to travel north to access an abortion. 

Abortions are a common medical procedure in Canada, yet those living outside of large urban areas have trouble receiving the care they need.

Ontario has this posted on their immigration web site. “Abortion is legal throughout Canada and can be accessed by anyone over the age of 12. Abortion ends a pregnancy by taking medicine or having a surgical procedure. Abortions are available in every province and territory; however not every city has equal access.“

Accessibility by province and territory

Region	Gestational limits[7]	# of providers[7]	Notes
Alberta	20 weeks	5	The province has abortion services accessible in Edmonton and Calgary.[75] All abortion services are offered.[76]
British Columbia	23 weeks and 6 days	24	The province is governed by the Access to Abortion Services Act, which limits political demonstrations outside abortion-providing facilities, doctor’s offices, and doctor’s homes to set distances. BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre can provide late-term abortions in Vancouver up until the 25th week of pregnancy (its CARE Program).[77] There are six abortion clinics throughout the province that can be accessed without a doctor referral and upwards of 30 hospitals that are required to perform abortions with a doctor’s referral.[78][79]
Manitoba	19 weeks and 6 days	4	The province has limited access for the those in rural communities. Aspiration or surgical procedures are available up to 19 weeks, 6 days. Medical abortions up to 9 weeks.[80]
New Brunswick	16 weeks	5	New Brunswick does not use public funding to pay for abortion services outside of hospital settings. This means that abortions provided in clinics are not funded by the government.[81]
Newfoundland and Labrador	15 weeks	4	Planned Parenthood Newfoundland and Labrador is the only sexual health clinic in the province.[82][69] Full spectrum doula services.[68]
Northwest Territories	19 weeks and 6 days	1	Northern Options for Women (abbreviated as NOW) provides both medical and surgical abortion services in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.[83]
Nova Scotia	16 weeks	11	In Nova Scotia, there is an abortion clinic in Halifax or someone needing an abortion can call the abortion helpline for other options throughout the province that may be closer to them.[84]
Nunavut	12 weeks	2	All abortions must be performed in a hospital.[85]
Ontario	23 weeks and 6 days	38	Intimidation of and interference with patients or providers are illegal in “safe access zones” around abortion-providing clinics and other requesting health care facilities; the offices (on request) of providing doctors, nurses, pharmacists and some other providers; and providers’ homes under the Safe Access to Abortion Services Act, 2017.[86] There are nine regions in Ontario where abortion is available with full spectrum doula services.[68][69]
Prince Edward Island	12 weeks and 6 days	1	Prince Edward Island offers in province abortions up until 12 weeks and 6 days pregnant. After that limit, an out of province surgical abortion would have to be performed. A referral must be obtained through a PEI physician prior to any surgical procedure.[87]
Quebec	23 weeks and 6 days	49	The province has a multitude of options for abortion access.[88] Historically, late term abortions (beyond 30 weeks) had to be performed in the US with all expenses paid by the Quebec government. This changed in 2020 because of Covid travel restrictions.[89]
Saskatchewan	18 weeks and 6 days	3	Few resources available to those in rural areas.[90]
Yukon	12 weeks and 6 days	1	Whitehorse General Hospital is the only location in the Yukon available for both medical and early aspiration abortions.[68][69]