Last Thursday, 19-year-old Sam Oosterhoff won an Ontario byelection to become the youngest Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in Ontario history. Oosterhoff, who took a year off from his studies at Brock University to run, now represents Niagara West-Glanbrook as a Progressive Conservative.
Oosterhoff ran on a Pro-Life platform, describing himself as “100 per cent pro life.” The homeschool graduate was viciously attacked by political elites for his Pro-Life values, but nonetheless succeeded in ousting political establishment candidate Rick Dykstra for the Progressive Conservative nomination last month and winning the byelection. Last week’s win proved even more surprising with Oosterhoff winning 54 percent of the vote.
In a video interview, Oosterhoff described the reaction by constituents to his Pro-Life platform as “overwhelmingly positive.” His campaigning focused on funding and infrastructure, but Oosterhoff was confident that his constituency respected his deeply held Pro-Life convictions.
The election of a passionately Pro-Life politician is particularly surprising in Canada. The Canadian Pro-Choice Action Network, an anti-Life organization, boasts that “Canada is one of very few countries in the world that has NO criminal law restricting abortion at all.” In other words, killing a preborn child is possible through all nine months of pregnancy, for any reason, up to the moment of birth. Additionally, last year Canada legalized assisted suicide, which has led to rampant abuses like those seen in Belgium. The new Canadian laws put vulnerable citizens, such as the elderly and depressed individuals, at risk for coercion and manipulation.
Under the current Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, Pro-Life Canadians have been stifled more than ever. Trudeau supports abortion without any restrictions and demanded that all politicians in Canada’s Liberal Party adhere to his personal anti-Life views.
With the election of the youngest MPP, there’s a glimmer of hope for the Pro-Lifers among our neighbors to the north. One doesn’t have to search for examples of the enthusiasm Oosterhoff’s victory inspired. For example, the top comment on a news story about Oosterhoff read: “Sam Oosterhoff. Get used to his name. He will be our Prime Minister in the near future.” For the sake of preborn Canadians, we hope so!