9 8 8 . ▁ ▁History ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁V ancouver ▁Women ' s ▁C au cus ▁( V W C ) ▁( 1 9 6 8 – 1 9 7 1 ) ▁gathered ▁to ▁begin ▁planning ▁the ▁Ab ort ion ▁Car avan , ▁Canada ' s ▁first ▁national ▁femin ist ▁protest . ▁Many ▁members ▁of ▁V W C ▁were ▁part ▁of ▁New ▁Left ▁organizations ▁and ▁were ▁either ▁students ▁or ▁worked ▁on ▁university ▁camp uses . ▁ ▁The ▁Ab ort ion ▁Car avan ▁was ▁an ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁am end ments ▁to ▁section ▁ 2 5 1 ▁of ▁the ▁C riminal ▁Code , ▁which ▁legal ized ▁abort ion ▁only ▁in ▁cases ▁where ▁pre gn ancy ▁threatened ▁the ▁health ▁of ▁the ▁mother . ▁Under ▁the ▁am end ment , ▁abort ions ▁could ▁only ▁be ▁performed ▁by ▁a ▁lic ensed ▁phys ician ▁in ▁an ▁acc red ited ▁hospital , ▁and ▁only ▁after ▁being ▁approved ▁by ▁a ▁th era pe ut ic ▁abort ion ▁committee ▁( T . A . C .) ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁three - member ▁panel ▁of ▁do ctors . ▁All ▁other ▁abort ions , ▁performed ▁without ▁the ▁appro val ▁of ▁a ▁T . A . C . ▁or ▁in ▁free - standing ▁clin ics , ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁illegal ▁and ▁subject ▁to ▁criminal ▁code ▁san ctions . ▁The ▁T . A . C . ▁system ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁in access ible ▁to ▁most ▁women . ▁More ▁specifically , ▁organizations