Once again, the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) is probing allegations regarding a self-described “childbirth activist” hailing from Vancouver Island.
On Tuesday, RCMP and the BC College of Nurses and Midwives officials searched Gloria Lemay’s home in Duncan following reports of potentially unlawful midwifery services.
One day later, the college issued a public advisory stating Lemay is not, and has never been, a registrant of BCCNM and is not entitled to practice midwifery in British Columbia.
“The BCCNM will review the evidence seized and determine the next steps to be taken against Ms. Lemay,” said the organization in a statement.
On Lemay’s website, Wise Woman Way of Birth, Lemay presents herself as a childbirth activist, birth attendant, and educator in midwifery.
According to a report by CBC, Lemay has a lengthy record of flouting court orders regarding the unlawful practice of midwifery, leading to jail time for contempt of court. She’s also faced scrutiny over incidents involving the deaths of a newborn and a fetus under her care.
Lemay faced charges of criminal negligence causing death following a fetus’s death during delivery in 1985. Although initially found guilty in BC Supreme Court, she was later acquitted upon appeal.
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled she couldn’t be convicted due to the legal status of a fetus.
BCCNM encourages the public to verify the registration status for any individual who holds themselves out as a midwife via the midwife verification on the BCCNM website or by directing an inquiry to the BCCNM Registration department (midwives and nurses).
