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      Page'i4:
      ‘-Feetcary
      te.
      2008
      PROVING
      TAL
      NATIONAL
     
     
      Teen
      Pregnancy
      a
      new
      Trend
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      1997,
      abortion
      rose
      from
      43
      per
      cent
      in
      1995
      to
      48
      per
      cent,
      and
      Amber
      Keirstead
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Jennifer
      Michels
     
    
   
   
    
     
      At
      age
      19
      you
      have
      your
     
     
      whole
      life
      ahead
      of
      you.
     
    

    
     
      That’s
      how
      it
      was
      for
      Am-
     
     
      ber
      Kierstead.
      She
      was
      liv-
     
     
      ing
      in
      Hamilton,
      Ont.
      movy-
     
     
      ing
      there
      from
      Amherst,
      N.S.
     
     
      shortly
      after
      graduating
      from
     
     
      high
      school
      in
      2007.
     
    

    
     
      Kierstead
      planned
      to
      move
     
     
      back
      home
      in
      a
      year’s
      time
     
     
      to
      attend
      college.
      She
      had
     
     
      applied
      to
      schools
      and
      was
     
     
      enjoying
      her
      time
      in
      Hamil-
     
     
      ton
      working
      in
      retail.
     
    

    
     
      Then
      she
      discovered
      she
     
     
      was
      pregnant.
      She
      had
      only
     
     
      been
      with
      her
      boyfriend
      for
     
     
      a
      few
      months,
      but
      still
      ex-
     
     
      pected
      his
      support.
     
    

    
     
      By
      July
      2008,
      Kierstead
      had
     
     
      moved
      back
      to
      Amherst
      and
     
     
      was
      living
      with
      her
      mother,
     
     
      step-father
      and
      sister.
      Her
     
     
      boyfriend
      had
      planned
      to
     
     
      move
      to
      Amherst
      the
      follow-
     
     
      ing
      November.
     
    

    
     
      Plans
      changed
      when
      Ki-
     
     
      erstead
      found
      out
      the
      soon-
     
     
      to-be-father
      was
      no
      longer
     
     
      planning
      to
      move
      to
      Am-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      herst,
      instead
      he
      was
      staying
     
     
      in
      Hamilton
      with
      his
      family.
     
    

    
     
      By
      November
      2008,
      Kier-
     
     
      stead
      had
      moved
      out
      of
      her
     
     
      mother’s
      home
      and
      into
      her
     
     
      own
      apartment.
     
    

    
     
      She
      maintained
      contact
     
     
      with
      the
      father
      even
      though
     
     
      he
      was
      still
      not
      willing
      to
     
     
      support
      her
      and
      their
      unborn
     
     
      child.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      When
      Kierstead
      found
      out
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      she
      was
      having
      a
      boy
      she
     
     
      had
      a
      name
      ready,
      Jaden
      Al-
     
     
      exander
      Wayne.
     
    

    
     
      She
      has
      received
      financial
     
     
      support
      from
      the
      child’s
      fa-
     
     
      ther,
      allowing
      her
      to
      pur-
     
     
      chase
      a
      stroller
      and
      car
      seat
      .
     
    

    
     
      Currently.
      she
      is
      working
     
     
      as
      a
      telephone
      operator
      and
     
     
      is
      due
      to
      give
      birth
      in
      early
     
     
      March.
     
    

    
     
      Like
      many
      other
      young
     
     
      women
      her
      age,
      she
      is
      learn-
     
     
      ing
      how
      difficult
      it
      is
      going
     
     
      to
      be
      to
      raise
      a
      child
      on
      her
     
     
      own.
      :
     
    

    
     
      She
      is
      not
      alone.
     
    

    
     
      While
      teen
      pregnancy
      rates
     
     
      in
      Canada
      have
      gone
      down
     
     
      every
      year
      since
      1994,
      teen-
     
     
      age
      abortion
      rates
      are
      high-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      NDP
      candidate
      sees
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Taunya
      Murchison
     
    
   
   
    
     
      New
      Democratic
      Party
      can-
     
     
      didate
      Mike
      Avery,
      his
      wife
     
     
      Theresa
      and
      his
      son
      Jeremy,
     
     
      watched
      the
      election
      results
     
     
      on
      TV
      with
      optimism.
     
    

    
     
      Despite
      losing
      to
      Lawrence
     
     
      MacAulay
      in
      the
      most
      re-
     
     
      cent
      federal
      election,
      Avery
     
     
      was
      proud
      of
      the
      success
      his
     
     
      campaign
      had
      in
      Cardigan
     
     
      and
      the
      1,557
      votes
      he
      re-
     
     
      ceived.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      Island
      has
      always
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      been
      flagged
      as
      red
      and
      blue,
     
     
      So
      it’s
      nice
      to
      see
      NDP
      prov-
     
     
      ing
      to
      be
      a
      steady
      competitor.
     
     
      We’re
      coming
      a
      long
      way,”
     
     
      said
      Avery.
     
    

    
     
      Although
      Avery
      is
      a
      famil-
     
     
      iar
      face
      in
      provincial
      politics,
     
     
      this
      was
      his
      first
      time
      run-
     
     
      ning
      federally
      and
      he
      doesn’t
     
     
      expect
      it
      will
      be
      his
      last.
     
    

    
     
      “Tt
      was
      an
      easy
      decision.
     
     
      When
      I
      was
      asked
      to
      run
     
     
      for
      the
      NDP,
      and
      after
      get-
     
     
      ting
      the
      encouragement
      from
     
     
      my
      wife,
      I
      knew
      it
      was
      the
     
     
      right
      choice.
      I
      told
      myself
      if
     
    
   
   
    
     
      er.
     
    

    
     
      In
      1997,
      abortion
      rose
      from
     
     
      43
      per
      cent
      in
      1995
      to
      48
      per
     
     
      cent.
      Among
      girls
      aged
      15
      to
     
     
      17,
      some
      54
      per
      cent
      of
      preg-
     
     
      nancies
      ended
      in
      abortion.
     
    

    
     
      In
      Ontario
      and
      Alberta,
     
     
      96.5
      per
      cent
      of
      single
      preg-
     
     
      nant
      teenagers
      had
      an
      abor-:
     
     
      tion
      done
      in
      a
      hospital,
      while
     
     
      96.1
      per
      cent
      had
      an
      abortion
     
     
      done
      at
      a
      clinic.
     
    

    
     
      Until
      recently,
      women
      who
     
     
      got
      pregnant
      at
      a
      young
      age
     
     
      were
      removed
      from
      school
     
     
      and
      hidden
      from
      the
      public
     
     
      eye.
     
    

    
     
      Today
      pregnancy
      has
      be-
     
     
      come
      a
      common
      topic
      in
      the
     
     
      news.
      Stars
      like
      16-year-old
     
     
      Jamie-Lynn
      Spears
      are
      hav-
     
     
      ing
      children,
      giving
      young
     
     
      girls
      the
      idea
      it’s
      OK.
     
    

    
     
      Maclean’s
      magazine
      has
     
     
      said
      unplanned
      pregnancy
     
     
      has
      become
      a
      popular
      way
     
     
      to
      make
      money.
      Movies
     
     
      like
      Knocked
      Up,
      Juno
      and
     
     
      Waitress,
      along
      with
      celeb-
     
     
      rity
      moms,
      are
      part
      of
      a
      trend
     
     
      taking
      the
      world
      of
      teens
      by
     
     
      storm.
     
    

    
     
      Maggie’s
      Place,
      a
      well-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Amber
      Kierstead
      is
      due
      to
      give
      birth
      to
      a
      boy
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
      was
      among
      them
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "PANTHER
      POST
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      March
      in
      Amherst,
      N.S.
      Holland
      College
      photo
     
    
   
   
    
     
      known
      support
      group
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Amherst,
      N.S.,
      has
      weekly
     
    
   
   
    
     
      meetings
      for
      mothers
      and
      a
     
     
      library
      full
      of
      information.
     
    

    
     
      Prenatal
      program
      coordina-
     
     
      tor
      Donna
      Farrell
      said
      the
     
     
      programs
      offered
      at
      Mag-
     
     
      gie’s
      Place
      are
      available
      to
     
     
      all
      mothers
      or
      mothers-to-be.
     
     
      There
      is
      a
      group
      for
      young
     
     
      moms
      who
      need
      help
      from
     
    
   
   
    
     
      other
      mothers.
     
    

    
     
      She
      tries
      to
      keep
      the
      groups
     
     
      neutral,
      Farrell
      said.
      Teen-
     
     
      agers
      shouldn’t
      have
      to
      feel
     
     
      like
      their
      being
      put
      on
      the
      ©
     
     
      spot
      during
      the
      programs,
     
     
      she
      said.
     
    

    
     
      “I
      wouldn’t
      want
      to
      single
     
     
      anyone
      out.”
     
    

    
     
      Michels
      is
      a
      journalism
     
     
      student
      at
      Holland
      College
     
    
   
   
    
     
      campaign
      as
      a
      valuable
      experience
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      received
      about
      10
      per
      cent
     
     
      of
      the
      votes
      in
      the
      district,
     
     
      I
      would
      run
      again.
      So,
      only
     
     
      time
      will
      tell.”
     
    

    
     
      Avery,
      an
      employee
      of
      the
     
     
      Department
      of
      “Highways
     
     
      and
      a
      volunteer,
      said
      the
     
     
      highlight
      of
      his
      five
      weeks
      of
     
     
      campaigning
      was
      the
      lively
     
     
      debate.
      ;
     
    

    
     
      “We
      only
      had
      one
      town
      hall
     
     
      public
      forum
      and
      it
      was
      ex-
     
     
      citing.
      You
      never
      know
      what
     
     
      questions
      are
      going
      to
      be
     
     
      asked.
     
    

    
     
      Not
      only
      did
      Avery
      consid-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      er
      his
      campaign
      a
      learning
     
     
      experience
      but
      it
      was
      a
      step
     
     
      towards
      recruiting
      “new-age
     
     
      voters”
      to
      the
      NDP.
     
    

    
     
      Avery
      said
      one
      issue
      he
      and
     
     
      political
      leader,
      Jack
      Lay-
     
     
      ton
      focused
      on
      was
      P.E.I.’s
     
     
      struggling
      economy,
      particu-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      larly
      the
      farming
      and
      fishing
     
     
      industries.
      .
     
     
      “There’s
      no
      easy
      way
     
    
   
   
    
     
      around
      it,
      our
      Island
      indus-
     
     
      tries
      are
      in
      crisis.
      Regulated
     
     
      quota
      systems
      could
      be
      ben-
     
     
      eficial
      to
      farmers
      and
      fisher-
     
     
      men
      in
      the
      future.
      I
      believe
     
    
   
   
    
     
      strongly
      in
      this,”
      Avery
      said.
     
     
      In
      the
      21
      years
      he’s
      lived
     
     
      in
      Fort
      Augustus,
      Avery
     
     
      said
      not
      one
      federal
      politi-
     
     
      cian
      campaigned
      at
      his
      door,
     
     
      something
      he
      wanted
      to
     
     
      avoid
      in
      his
      campaign.
     
     
      “Fight-five
      to
      90
      per
      cent
      of
     
     
      the
      people
      I
      visited
      door-to-
     
     
      door
      said
      I
      was
      the
      only
      poli-
     
     
      tician
      to
      do
      so.
      A
      voter
      wants
     
     
      to
      be
      recognized
      not
      only
     
     
      as
      a
      person,
      but
      as
      a
      valued
      —
     
     
      voter.”
     
     
      Murchison
      is
      a
      journalism
     
     
      student
      at
      Holland
      College