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Community Advocacy & Legal Centre
15
Year History - 1980-1995
Legal Clinics in Ontario
Legal clinics specializing in poverty law came into existence in Ontario
in 1971. Law students in Toronto's Parkdale area began offering legal
services to the poor that year in areas of law not covered by the
Ontario Legal Aid Plan when it was created in 1966. The clinic system
has grown over the years from that first clinic to the present 72
clinics in 1995. In addition to several specialty clinics serving the
elderly, the disabled, youth, injured workers and others, clinics exist
in many (but not all) Ontario communities.
A
Legal Clinic in Belleville
Hastings and Prince Edward Legal Services was funded as a community
legal clinic in October, 1980. The clinic had its roots in the local
community and was seen as the successor to the Quinte Information and
Assistance Centre which had closed that same year due to a lack of
funding. The Centre had functioned as a Landlord and Tenant Bureau and
had offered advocacy in unemployment insurance, social assistance and
consumer matters. Bill Hockley, an original volunteer and employee with
the centre became one of the legal clinic's first employees.
Official Opening of Hastings and
Prince Edward Legal Services. From left to right: Jack
Bradford, board member; Hugh O'Neil, MPP Quinte; James Taylor, MPP
Prince Edward-Lennox; Lyle Langabeer, city alderman and Grant Bowers,
director. The office is located at 194 Front Street.
When
the clinic was finally incorporated as a non-profit organization in
April, 1981, its objects included:
·
operate a full service law office;
·
establish legal education programs;
·
publish legal education literature;
·
organize people or groups for test case or law reform purposes
As a
non-profit community legal clinic, representing low income people, the
involvement of the Board of Directors has been crucial to the
functioning of the clinic. A representative Board can ensure community
issues are addressed.
Founding board members were: Peter Coultas, Gerry O'Connor, Olive Amos,
Lynn Chalmers, Terry Barratt, Rick Bough, Jack Bradford, Cathy Brandsma,
Rod Follwell, Bert Gerling, Herb Koplowitz, Paul Russell and George
Wilson.
In
the early days, under the direction of Grant Bowers, Executive Director,
clinic staff offered information, advice and representation in many
areas of the law including more minor criminal matters, provincial
offences, adoptions and name changes. In 1981, at the request of our
funders – Clinic Funding Committee of the Ontario Legal Aid Plan – the
clinic’s Board of Directors reviewed the mandate, and developed new
policies that favoured poverty law advocacy. Legal services, community
development and law reform activity became more focused on tenants’
rights, welfare and disability pensions, unemployment, workers’
compensation and consumer issues.
From
a small, dark storefront office at 194 Front Street in Belleville,
lawyer Grant Bowers; community legal workers Bill Hockley and Linda Law;
and Evelyn Kerr, legal secretary, operated on a shoestring budget
offering advocacy to people living on a low income.
Expanding Services Into Rural Areas
Funding for satellite offices in Picton and Madoc was granted in 1985.
By then, Karen McCullough had joined the clinic as Executive Director
when Grant Bowers left in the clinic in 1984 for new challenges.
Michele Leering was hired to staff and promote the two satellite offices
in Prince Edward County and Centre Hastings. She replaced Karen
McCullough as Executive Director when Karen took a new position with
Downsview Community Legal Services. A Bancroft satellite office was
funded in 1987.
A Brief Survey of Special Highlights Over the Years
This
brief review of some of our special activities and accomplishments is by
no means comprehensive. We have simply tried to give a sense of the
variety and complexity of some of the clinic’s work. Understated in
what follows is the importance of the legal casework we do daily on
behalf of clinic clients. In addition to the many special projects we
do, clinic staff represent 300-350 new clinic clients annually, and give
referrals, information and legal advice to another 3,000-4,000 people
per year.
Our
daily work satisfies critical needs for our clients, i.e. maintaining a
roof over their heads and food on their tables. Many of our clients are
in difficult financial or personal circumstances.
We
simply could not accomplish what we do with what we have without the
enthusiasm and commitment of the many Board and staff members who shared
of their gifts and talents so fully over the past 15 years.
(Year
by Year Highlights - continued on
page 2)
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This site provides general information only,
specific to Ontario, Canada. It is
NOT legal advice. 
