I also have a reply to an oral question asked by Mr. Gargan on June 18 regarding the number of abortions performed in the Northwest Territories. In response to this question by Mr. Gargan on March 30, 1992, 1 gave the following return on April 2, 1992: The former Minister of Health was asked the number of abortions performed per year in the NWT and whether the NWT abortion rate is the highest in Canada.
The number of abortions reported for NWT women during 1990 was 335; 255 of these procedures were performed in the NWT, all of them at Stanton Yellowknife Hospital.
The most current available data for other Canadian jurisdictions are for the calendar year 1989. During 1989, 261 abortions were performed for NWT women. This represents 17.6 per cent of the number of NWT live births during 1989. The comparable figure for Canada as a whole is 18 per cent. Rates higher than those in the NWT were: Yukon, 28.3 per cent; British Columbia 25.4 per cent; Ontario 21.8 per cent Thank you.