Archives: Grants (page 8)

This two-year initiative by the Women’s Crisis Centre of Waterloo will integrate early legal intervention for survivors of domestic violence with prevention supports for men at risk of using violence. Through legal outreach clinics, counselling, workshops, and accountability circles, the project will strengthen access to justice, promotes early intervention, and creates replicable tools for broader use across Ontario.

The Hispanic Development Council (HDC) will partner with the Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples (CSSP) legal clinic to provide legal education, legal services, and other workshops and activities in Spanish for Spanish-speaking communities in the Greater Toronto Area. This project formalizes an ongoing partnership between HDC and CSSP and increases the capacity of both organizations by establishing coordinated intake, navigation, and referral processes. They will further support the Spanish-speaking communities by building community trust through co-hosted workshops and clinics.

The Sudbury Workers' Education and Advocacy Centre will continue to deliver a variety of legal education, legal navigation, outreach, and advocacy initiatives on workplace rights. These programs aim to increase legal capacity and literacy among marginalized workers in northern Ontario. Initiatives include multilingual Know Your Rights employment materials, monthly public legal education workshops, one-on-one navigation support, and community outreach.

Spinal Cord Injury Ontario (SCIO) and Canadian Spinal Research Organization (CSRO) will collaborate to add legal education specific to people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) to SCIO's existing online learning hub, CORETREE. The project will engage lawyers with lived expertise of spinal cord injuries, clients, caregivers, and service providers to develop tailored legal education on employment rights, housing rights and accessibility modifications, healthcare access and consent, and administrative tribunals. The project will empower people with SCIs and their caregivers to more easily navigate overlapping legal and social support systems and have their access needs met.

The Forgiveness Project (TFP) will collaborate with parole officers, youth on parole, and legal oversight to develop a digital Beyond the Breach guide that explains probation and parole conditions to young offenders through personal stories, quotes, practical advice, videos, graphics, podcast episodes, and blogs. The guide will be available online to inform youth of their rights and responsibilities and reduce unintentional breaches of probation and parole conditions. The guide will also be a resource used in wraparound programs that TFP hosts for young boys on parole reintegrating into communities.

Coopération intégration Canada Inc. (CICAN) will pilot a community legal clinic serving Francophone newcomers in Ottawa, providing legal information, limited legal assistance (immigration, housing, employment, some family law), and free notary services for individuals who face barriers to accessing traditional legal supports.

Black LGBTQ Justice Canada will develop and pilot a Black LGBTQ-affirming assessment framework and training program for legal and community practitioners. Over two years, the project will create curriculum and develop a registry of certified assessors to improve culturally responsive support for Black LGBTQ justice-impacted individuals.

Through an Ontario Region Advocate (ORA) position, the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies will deliver a Regional Advocacy Program that advances access to justice for federally sentenced women and gender-diverse people in Kitchener-Waterloo at Grand Valley Institution for Women by providing training, information, resources, and ongoing support about the legislative and policy framework regulating federal penitentiaries and federally sentenced people in Canada.

Through a coordinator role at the E Naaknind Anishinaabeg – Indigenous Peoples’ Court, the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre will increase services for urban Indigenous people in Peterborough and the surrounding area who are involved in the criminal justice system. The coordinator will facilitate court operations, support the involvement of Elders, and develop and deliver healing plans for the accused, all with the aim of considering alternatives to incarceration in appropriate cases and supporting reconciliation by increasing the participation of Indigenous communities in the administration of justice through restorative justice and other programs.

Through its Migrant Worker Pesticide Exposure project, Ecojustice Canada Society will gather information about Canadian farms’ compliance with pesticide labels and safety requirements by conducting a survey around migrant worker exposure to pesticides in Ontario. Ecojustice will disseminate research findings and work with partners to develop best practices. Ecojustice will also publish public legal information and deliver workshops in collaboration with their partners to ensure migrant agricultural workers are aware of pesticide risks, occupational hazards, as well as their rights and the legal protections available to them.