Bonnie Beckwoman

I’ve been asked to give a brief summary of my experience on the “Abortion Caravan” of 1970.
How I came to be on that escapade is a story in itself.

I was 24 years old, had hitchhiked 1/2 way round the world myself – starting at 17 when I dropped out of school (today I’d be labelled with an acronym), but then it was just I couldn’t learn and saw no reason to torture myself in the alien atmosphere of a school anymore.

Starting out in the poorest of poor families, I found simple jobs, saved as much as I could (never more than $400) and started flying away to parts unknown. Surviving alone with no mishaps. Becoming politically aware along the way.

Whenever I would return to Vancouver I’d became involved in the activism of the time. Fight for civil rights, stop the Vietnam war, house men dodging the U.S. draft etc. Take over Stanley Park for a week end and move onto a lot on Georgia to stop the development of a high rise, keeping it out of the hands of the developers for years.

Anyway back to us. My impression of the times were: We the girls and women would stand around as boys and men were discussing how to ‘fix’ things. Not totally true, but it is an image I have as we brought them coffee and they sat at a round table in one of our funky hippie houses.

At some point I heard about women meeting to discuss women’s’ rights – that sounded like a logical next step .. so I showed up. They had a plan …(ps we’re still planning)
1) total legal reproductive rights
2) equal $ for equal work.
3) affordable 24 hr daycare.

Discussion started with the idea of caravanning across Canada to delegate a few of us to chain our legs to the parliament gallery chairs and chant “repeal all laws regarding abortion”. Then carry a symbolic black coffin overhead to (father) Trudeau’s front door. Amazing but true. Meeting with him later.
And that’s what we did. Wow!!

Stay tuned for more fun facts. Our amazing Canadian women’s spunk.
Was asked to keep this short so I’ll write more in future issues.
Peace and good vibrators!

Bonnie’s “folk-art” store Beckwoman’s was a Commercial Drive institution until it burned down in 2015: