Shielding Access, Not Silencing Voices
In Ontario, the right to access essential health services — without intimidation or harassment — is protected by law. Since 2017, abortion clinics have benefitted from “bubble zone” legislation designed to safeguard patients and healthcare providers from targeted protests and interference. These protections were introduced through the Safe Access to Abortion Services Act, setting a clear precedent for how legal buffer zones can strike a balance between public protest and private access to healthcare.
As communities across Canada grapple with a rise in targeted harassment and demonstrations outside places of worship, schools, libraries, cultural institutions, and hospitals, Ontario’s abortion clinic bubble zones serve as a vital example of how legislation can shield vulnerable people and infrastructure — without undermining fundamental freedoms.
What Is a Bubble Zone?
A “bubble zone” is a legally defined perimeter around a building, facility, or service within which certain protest activities are restricted. The goal isn’t to ban free expression — it’s to prevent the obstruction, intimidation, or harassment of individuals seeking services or working within these protected spaces.
The Safe Access to Abortion Services Act of Ontario creates automatic zones of 50 to 150 meters around abortion clinics and allows for court-ordered zones around other facilities or homes of healthcare professionals. Within these zones, it’s illegal to:
- Protest or inform against abortion services
- Intimidate or harass individuals
- Physically obstruct access to the clinic
- Record or photograph people entering or exiting
The law was upheld without controversy, largely because it was carefully crafted to align with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It doesn’t suppress speech — it channels it away from vulnerable targets.
Why This Matters Beyond Abortion Clinics
The success of Ontario’s abortion clinic bubble zones raises an important question: Why should this protection stop there? If we as a society agree that patients have a right to access healthcare without being shouted at, followed, or filmed, shouldn’t that same logic apply to people entering houses of worship, children’s schools, senior care facilities, or community centers?
The infrastructure that serves our communities — including minority and marginalized groups — is increasingly under threat from protests that veer into harassment, violence and hate. While peaceful protest is a cornerstone of democracy, targeted interference at vulnerable sites is not free speech — it’s a public safety issue.
Lessons from the Safe Access Zones Act
Ontario’s Safe Access Zones show that bubble zone legislation:
- Works in practice. Since its passage, incidents of targeted harassment outside clinics have sharply decreased.
- Holds up in court. The legislation is built on robust legal grounding, carefully tailored to limit restrictions only where absolutely necessary.
- Preserves public discourse. Protesters remain free to voice opposition — just not directly outside the doors of a health facility.
This precedent gives lawmakers and communities a blueprint for expanding similar protections to other types of infrastructure facing targeted disruption.
A Model for Modern Times
In a world where protest tactics are increasingly weaponized to intimidate and disrupt vulnerable populations, we must evolve our public policies accordingly. Bubble zones are not about silencing voices — they are about ensuring that access to essential services, safety, and dignity are preserved.
We can — and must — protect both the right to speak and the right to be safe from targeted harassment. Ontario’s approach to abortion clinic access shows us how.
✅ Take Action: Help Expand Bubble Zone Protections in Your Community
If you believe that people deserve to access community services, healthcare, and places of worship without being targeted or harassed, it’s time to act.
Write your Mayor and Members of Provincial Parliament and Visit BubbleZones.ca to learn more about how bubble zone bylaws work, how they align with Canadian law, and what you can do to advocate for protections in your city.
Together, we can ensure that safety, dignity, and democratic freedoms coexist — in every corner of our communities.
