Email Zap Legal Aid Ontario!

Parkdale Community Legal Services (PCLS) is under threat, again. Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) still refuses to sign the lease for the clinic’s new location in Parkdale. There’s every reason to believe that LAO is now preparing to cut Parkdale Legal’s budget. LAO believes there is less need for legal clinic services in Parkdale compared to other areas of the GTA (based on Low Income Measure). LAO does not support the advocacy and community organizing work of PCLS.

What to do:Use the form below to send an email to Derry Millar and Jayne Mallin of Legal Aid Ontario demanding they stop the cuts to Parkdale Legal.
What to say: Write your own message or copy the text below and paste it into the “Your Message” box.
Subject line: Use “No Cuts to Parkdale Legal! Sign the Lease Now!” (or similar).

Derry Millar is a Legal Aid Ontario Board member and liaison on the Community Legal Clinics file (dmillar@weirfoulds.com / 416-947-5021)
Jayne Mallin is Vice President, Clinic Law Services at Legal Aid Ontario (416-979-2352 / mallinj@lao.on.ca)

– – – Copy this message and paste it below – – –

As a member of the Parkdale community, I am writing to express my support for Parkdale Community Legal Services (PCLS) and to urge you to sign the lease for the clinic's new location now.

PCLS is being evicted from its location of 20 years on Queen St. West. PCLS made arrangements to relocate to a new space in Parkdale with an agreement in principle from LAO to fund a five-year lease. LAO has since broken its commitment to PCLS and the Parkdale community. By only guaranteeing one year of funding at the new location, LAO has put PCLS in an impossible situation.

At a time when its services are more important than ever, LAO denies the need for fully funded community legal clinic services in Parkdale. By relying solely on Low Income Measure, LAO fails to take into account the reality of the situation on the ground for of the vast majority of Parkdale's residents.

Parkdale tenants are under immense pressure from the rental market. Financialized landlords seek to push low-income tenants out of their homes and raise rents. Parkdale is home to a disproportionate number of community members living with disability and those who rely on government assistance. Parkdale has a large number of residents who are new to Canada and many whose employment is precarious.

Legal Aid Ontario refuses to acknowledge the real impact of the advocacy and community organizing work of PCLS. On the rights of low-income tenants, workers, immigrants and refugees, and social assistance recipients, PCLS is at the forefront of making change. Its work in support of Parkdale tenants in particular has helped prevent the eviction and displacement of hundreds of community members.