Tax officials have revoked the registration of a so-called crisis pregnancy centre in B.C., but not because of the federal government’s once-promised crackdown on the anti-abortion facilities.

The Crisis Pregnancy Centre of Vancouver Society lost its charitable status on Oct. 17 after being inactive for a total of eight years, despite previous warnings, according to a notice from the Canada Revenue Agency.

The last time the society reported any revenue or expenses was in 2017, according to the IJF’s database of charity tax returns.

“The [Income Tax] Act requires a registered charity to be active in order to meet the requirements for continued charitable registration, including operating in furtherance of charitable purposes,” the letter reads.

The charity’s mission is “to provide compassionate help and resources to women experiencing unintended pregnancies, post abortion grief, domestic abuse and sexual assault,” according to a document attached to the CRA notice.

It’s one of hundreds of predominantly Christian crisis pregnancy centres across the country. These facilities, also known as unregulated pregnancy centres, advertise counselling for those dealing with unexpected pregnancies.

In October 2024, Justin Trudeau’s federal government unveiled plans for amendments to the Income Tax Act that it said would prevent “abuse of charitable status” by centres that hide their pro-life stances and spread misinformation about abortion. The proposed amendments would have required charities operating these centres to prominently disclose if they don’t provide abortions, birth control or contact information for providers.

But as the IJF reported earlier this fall, the federal Liberals under Prime Minister Mark Carney have no plans to follow through on that promise.

In the case of the Crisis Pregnancy Centre of Vancouver Society, the organization told the CRA it was inactive because it had merged its assets and activities with another charity, the Christian Advocacy Society of Greater Vancouver (CASGV), in 2017. The society made the same argument when it was warned about the consequences of inactivity in 2022.

In January of this year, it asked the CRA for a one-year extension to allow it to develop a new charitable purpose and get back into action, according to the revocation notice.

“The organization explained that its intention is to take on the international education activities currently carried out by CASGV, a separate registered charity that is governed by the same board of directors,” the notice reads.

“However, the organization did not provide any solid or meaningful plans regarding its possible resumption of charitable activity.”

Charities have the right to challenge revocations in court. Representatives of the revoked society did not respond to a request for comment.

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