​On September 30, Canada marked its fifth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the survivors of residential schools, remembers the children who never returned home, and asks Canadians to confront the ongoing impacts of colonialism. It is also Orange Shirt Day, inspired by Phyllis Webstad’s story of having her orange shirt taken away on her first day at St. Joseph Mission Residential School.
In Toronto, the Indigenous Legacy Gathering at Nathan Phillips Square brought people together for a sunrise ceremony, youth workshops, and cultural traditions such as throat singing and drumming. These moments highlighted both remembrance and resilience, underscoring the importance of Indigenous voices in shaping reconciliation today.
For me, the day also prompted personal reflection. As a law student working primarily in the area of social assistance, I considered how Indigenous legal principles can inform and strengthen our work. The Seven Grandfather Teachings, wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, and truth, offer a framework for ethical and compassionate practice. I hope to embody these teachings in my professional growth, particularly through:
• Respect: Honouring the land on which our legal clinic operates and recognizing how our clients’ stories are deeply connected to it.
• Humility: Acknowledging my inexperience as a student and striving to learn from both clients and colleagues.
• Honesty: Speaking openly about historical injustices and understanding how they contribute to the complex trauma many clients experience.
Reconciliation, in part, means recognizing and integrating Indigenous systems of law within Canada’s broader legal framework. By embracing the values expressed through the Seven Grandfather Teachings, I aspire to become a more grounded and whole future legal practitioner.

NLS joined almost 30 other community legal clinics in an open letter to municipal governments across Ontario, urging a human rights based approach to homeless encampments, particularly as winter is almost here. This includes consulting with people who are sleeping outside, who are rights-holders under law, to find solutions that meet their needs. You can find this letter here. 

Happy Pride Month, Happy Indigenous History Month! And Get out the Vote for Toronto's next Mayor today!

See our Summer 2023 newsletter out now, which includes a roundup of latest legal information, as well as a summary of the leading Mayoral candidates' platforms on (in our view) the key issues facing the Downtown East.

This morning, 19 public interest legal organizations sent this open letter to the Ontario Attorney General, putting the Ontario government on notice that the recent and sudden cuts to essential healthcare violates the Charter. Specifically, the rights to life & security of the person; the right against cruel and unusual treatment or punishment, and the right to equality are at issue. Together with NLS, these organizations urge the Ontario government to pause these healthcare cuts to assess their impact. 

Neighbourhood Legal Services and the Health Justice Program are profoundly disappointed that the Ontario Government plans to end a vital program that provides OHIP coverage to uninsured people living in Ontario. This program successfully improves health outcomes and reduces financial hardship for many people who need hospital-based services.

This cancellation announcement came without notice and is set to come into effect on March 31, 2023. Cancelling this program will harm the most marginalized Ontarians, disproportionately impacting Black, Indigenous, and other racialized communities, as well as people living with disabilities.

There are many reasons Ontarians may not have an OHIP card: they may be unhoused and lose their identification; leave a violent home with no belongings; struggle with addiction issues; or are elderly and unable to take care of themselves let alone renew their OHIP card. They may also be on temporary work or study permits, or without authorized immigration status, living and working in Ontario for years.
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People with severe health conditions should not have to wait until it is too late to seek care because they are afraid that they will be rejected, saddled with mounting debt, or stuck in costly red tape to replace their identification. As a team of legal and healthcare workers, we understand that nobody is served by imposing bureaucratic, legal and financial barriers to accessing necessary medical treatment. Cancelling this program will only push people’s health conditions downstream, requiring more intensive and expensive emergency care. Access to healthcare saves lives and prevents health complications and suffering.

The pandemic showed us what is possible when we prioritize the health needs of the entire population, and commit to not leaving anybody behind. Our communities were able to access necessary treatment without fear, allowing them to work, live and learn in comfort and dignity. We urge the provincial government to save lives by ensuring continued access to healthcare for uninsured people living in Ontario.

We also encourage members of the public to send a message to the Premier and to their MPP through Healthcare4All’s website here, and to read about the need to maintain this program and the devastating impact that cuts to this program will have.

NLS' housing team led by Brendan Jowett provided an important perspective to the Standing Committee on Justice looking at bail reform. Too often bail conditions include prohibition from attending at one's residence. This harsh condition creates homelessness and is cruel and disproportionate. See the submissions here.

First British Columbia, and then Nova Scotia, recently ended immigration detention in provincial jails. See this Human Rights Watch story for more details. 

If you were held in a prison for immigration-related purposes, you could be part of a class action lawsuit.

A proposed class action lawsuit has been started against the Government of Canada for people who were placed in prison by the Canada Border Services Agency ("CBSA"). You do not have to pay anything to join this class action. YOu also will not have to pay any money if the case is not successful. The lawyers will get paid only if the lawsuit is successful, and only at the end. See here for more information and who to contact. 

Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) has revised the Disability Determination Package (DDP) and Medical Review Package (MRP). The new forms have been made available to new ODSP applicants and existing clients undergoing a medical review starting Friday August 7.
 
Changes to the DDP include: 

• more examples and more blank space;
• reminders to attach medical and supporting information
• a new section for information on addictions and mental health, neurodevelopmental disorders and cognitive impairments;
• a new a warning about criminal offenses under the Criminal Code s.s.380 (1) and ODSP S. 59 in the Health Status Report and Activities of Daily Living. This is directed to the medical professionals completing the forms.
• a revised Intellectual and Emotional Wellness Scale; and
• a revised Self Report.

Samples of these new forms can be accessed here and here. 

Through our partnership with the St. Mike's Family Health Team (the Health Justice Program), we have observed that child support "payors" turning 65 find their old age income (OAS/CPP) garnished at 50%. This comes as quite a shock after years of being on social assistance, which was not garnished.

Resolving this issue requires lots of patience and paperwork; effectively payors have to return to court to get the earlier child support Order changed. We believe the legal regime - while set up to ensure children and their primary caregivers get the financial support they need - is punishing for dads with disabilities. Please see this slidedeck presentation (approx. 30 mins) in which we share what we have learned in helping folks navigate this issue.

​We hope this helps service providers working with older men to issue spot and connect their clients/neighbours to appropriate resources before turning 65, when this sudden income garnishment creates cascading crises. 

​Apart from the obvious benefits that are associated with Canadian citizenship – such as the ability to vote and run for political office, the travel benefits (a Canadian passport makes travel, obtaining visas and even re-entering the country significantly easier), and of course, benefits to your children in the form of automatic citizenship–there is a lesser-known, somewhat unnerving benefit that also comes with Canadian citizenship.