An abortion rally held last Thursday in Whitehorse drew more than 50 Yukoners on both sides of the topic.

The pro-choice group pointed out it is very much not a debate, while the pro-life supporters cautioned it’s a human rights issue.

Among those on hand for the Walk for Life event was Denise Mountenay, who delivered a passionate speech about her first-hand experience over the years.

A one-time abortion patient herself, she explained she was encouraged by her mother after she was raped and became pregnant at 16.

“I thought, ‘oh, it’s OK with my mom, it’s OK with the doctors, it’s OK with the government – so it must be OK,’ and I had that first abortion at 16 in a hospital,” she told the Star in an interview last Thursday.

Mountenay became pregnant again at 26. It was then that it hit her, she said: the little being inside her was just that.

“When I got the revelation on the truth about the humanity of the child in utero, I was like, ‘oh my gosh, these are my children,’” she added.

That second abortion was very traumatic, and was followed by health complications like depression and suicidal behaviour. Mountenay believes her story is not only typical of a lot of women, but isn’t as widely told around the world.

“I basically wanted to die, I didn’t care about myself and went into some kind of shock,” she said of her second procedure.

“It actually felt like I was being raped again; that’s how abortion felt to me.”

Complications from the act can eventually affect parenting, sex life and the level of guilt experienced by women for the rest of their lives, she added.

Mountenay’s remarks came with an acknowledgment that not every woman’s story is the same.

She suggested there has been a “cover up” about the negative impacts on women after such procedures.

Meanwhile, for NDP MLA Liz Hanson, walking with those in support of abortion meant simply supporting reproductive rights.

“It’s really in my view about choice and respecting that choice,” Hanson told the Star last Thursday. “You should have a right to have an abortion.”

The MLA has seen a number of rallies throughout the years in Whitehorse. This year, she felt, the tone was a bit different in that it was more silent and respectful.

“Morally, the two groups don’t engage because by doing that you can pull in and have people say things in anger or (from) an emotional base – that’s not what this has got to be about,” Hanson said.

Pointing out the laws have been changed in support of abortion options, the MLA recalled it’s taken years to get here.

(The Yukon government announced as recently as October 2018 that it would fully cover Mifegymiso, a medication used in abortions.)

“I’m from a generation that remembers that whole agonizing debate and subsequent pitting people against each other as though one side is villainous and the other side is not – I don’t think we can do that,” Hanson said.

Plus, it’s clear where the country and territory stand on that, as the Yukon sees upwards of 110 abortions per year – showing a clear need.

While she respected Mountenay’s story, Hanson echoed her point that it wasn’t indicative of every woman’s experience with the practice.

“We can’t afford that; this is an issue that has been put to rest,” Hanson said.

“What we need to do is make sure the law is enforced correctly, services are provided in a good way and there is good support.”

The MLA respectfully countered with her own point, adding that it was also about the risk of rolling back reproductive rights of women.

“And what’s not often told is the story of difficulty women of all ages, of all economic strata, of all races ... in this country in accessing safe, timely abortions,” Hanson said.

“When we talk about statistics, we have no idea of those stories – and nor do we have a right to know.”

For Mountenay, she’s well aware of some of the “rhetoric” around the topic.

“When they say my body, my choice – that’s not scientific,” she said.

“It should be our bodies, my choice, because when a woman gets pregnant she doesn’t grow herself an extra pair of arms and legs.

“To me, you can choose what to wear, what to eat, who to have sex with but once that conception takes place, there is now all the DNA there proving this is another little human being with a beating heart.”

She likened the process to “barbaric” and a human rights violation.

“My main focus is abortion hurt me, it hurts women and took the lives of my children.”

Mountenay, who was born in Toronto, has lived in Alberta for more than two decades, during which she’s seen a number of attitudes to the topic.

“My recommendation when I speak to young people is we are not animals and we need to exercise self-control,” she said.

“I believe once conception takes place, it’s a human being with potential.”

Mountenay gave a talk at the Whitehorse Public Library later Thursday. It was to focus on her experiences with addiction, abortion and abuse, and its overlap with her human rights advocacy.