December 10, 2019: Reversal of funding cut welcome news for legal aid clinic
Pleased that this motion may have played a part in the decision:
October 17, 2019 ~~ Council Meeting
14. MOTIONS
14.1 Proposed Provincial Cuts to Legal Aid Ontario Budget
Moved by Councillor Ip
Seconded by Councillor RedekopWHEREAS the Niagara Community Legal Clinic is a not-for-profit agency providing access to justice and vital service to low-income Niagara citizens in civil law matters, including landlord-tenant disputes, Ontario Disability Support Payment (ODSP) appeals, pension appeals, workplace injury/WSIB compensation, consumer law protection, refugee assistance, migrant worker support, human rights law, power of attorney matters, and wills and estates for low-income seniors;
WHEREAS the Niagara Community Legal Clinic is funded by Legal Aid Ontario, an arm’s-length agency of the Ministry of the Attorney General for Ontario, which (in addition to funding the province’s legal clinics) provides much-needed support to low-income people in matters of family law, refugee law, and criminal law;
WHEREAS the two historic Niagara legal clinics – Justice Niagara, founded in 1978, and Niagara North Community Legal Assistance, founded in 1982 – merged on January 1, 2019, to form the Niagara Community Legal Clinic;
WHEREAS Legal Aid funding saves money in the overall justice system budget, in light of the evidence that the cases of self-represented parties (i.e., parties without Legal Aid support) consume significantly greater amounts of expensive court time and/or tribunal time; and
WHEREAS the Province cut approximately $70 million from the Legal Aid Ontario budget in 2019, with approximately $14.5 million of that being cut from the legal clinic system, and has indicated an intention to cut an additional $17.3 million from the LAO budget in 2020:
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
1. That Regional Chair Jim Bradley BE DIRECTED to send a letter to Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey, on behalf of Regional Council, reading as follows:“The Region of Niagara is grateful for the work of the Niagara Community Legal Clinic, whose professionals provide meaningful access to justice for low-income people in Niagara. In light of the deep challenges Niagara faces in terms of poverty and lack of sufficient affordable housing, the services that the Niagara Community Legal Clinic provides are truly vital to our community.
It has come to our attention that the Province has proposed additional cuts to the budget of Legal Aid Ontario (LAO), the Niagara clinic’s funder, to be implemented in 2020. Because our Council deeply values the work of our
Niagara Community Legal Clinic, and the supports that LAO provides to citizens facing challenges in family law, criminal law, and refugee law, we request that you not implement any additional cuts to the LAO budget. We also ask that you re-invest in the Legal Aid and clinic systems, so as to address the many barriers to access to justice that our citizens face.Thank you for your consideration.”
2. That this motion and the Chair’s letter BE CIRCULATED to municipalities throughout Ontario and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
December 9, 2019: Time to step forward for Niagara’s women’s advisory committee
December 6, 2019: A Shining Example of a Niagara Regional Council Standing Up for the Greater Good
December 5, 2019: Region approves 5.85% tax hike: Councillors, staff struggle to contain costs while facing increasing demands
December 1, 2019: Niagara residents are looking for justice and closure
December 1, 2019: Interview with Matt Holmes Re: Ombudsman’s Report
November 29, 2019: ‘Reliving a bad nightmare’
St. Catharines Coun. Laura Ip said the public looks to council to do more than just accept the recommendations, which she said are standard human resource practices in many cases.
She said councillors must determine how far they want to go with the report, including looking into possible punitive measures.
“I don’t know what else we can do, that’s a conversation that we’ll have to have with a number of experts. But I think the public is going to be looking for us to do more than just say ‘Good job Ombudsman’ and we’ll do all this,” she said.
November 18, 2019: Misogyny in Council
November 17, 2019: Misogynistic remarks a ‘teachable moment’ for regional council
November 16, 2019: Indigenous rights conference at Brock
November 15, 2019: Men to be allowed on Niagara Region’s women’s advisory committee: Advocacy for gender-based issues gets green light from council
November 6, 2019: Committee recommends new method for council pay increases
November 5, 2019: Three decades since Morgentaler, stigma still restricts access to abortion
October 26, 2019: Speaking with 610CKTB’s Matt Holmes about the province’s decision re: governance review
October 21, 2019: Niagara supports fight for legal clinic funding
October 15, 2019: Cuts will hurt people relying on legal aid: Niagara Community Legal Clinic
October 9, 2019: Niagara development charges complaints to be topic of special meetings
October 8, 2019: Niagara must be ‘disruptive’ to advance affordable housing
September 20, 2019: Niagara region joins anti-racism coalition
September 20, 2019: Region joins inclusive municipalities coalition
July 2, 2019: Young mothers of Niagara accept diplomas thanks to LEAP
June 25, 2019: 610CKTB Noon30 with Tom McConnell. Tom and Laura discuss the increase to Councillor remuneration
June 20, 2019: Regional council being bullied out of pay raise: Villella: Councillors set to debate 20% raise in their own salaries tonight
June 18, 2019: Pay hike another unforced error for Niagara Region council
June 13, 2019: Regional Council to discuss giving themselves a raise
June 12, 2019: Niagara’s regional councillor pay could spike by more than 20%
May 23, 2019: Hamilton protests public health merger, but the province doesn’t have to listen
May 18: 2019: Handmaid protesters confront MPP Sam Oosterhoff over reproductive rights
*Note: I was neither present at nor an organizer of this event. As my name is mentioned in the article, because of my involvement with the issue on Twitter, I’m posting it here.
May 18, 2019: Handmaids voice outrage at Oosterhoff event in Grimsby: Protest sparked by MPP’s comments at anti-abortion rally
*Note: I was neither present at nor an organizer of this event. As my name is mentioned in the article, because of my involvement with the issue on Twitter, I’m posting it here.
May 12, 2019: Respect, integrity among regional council’s priorities: Regional politicians hold strategic planning session on weekend
May 10, 2019: My Unthinkable Abortion: St. Catharines Reg. Councillor Goes Public and Sends Letter to Oosterhoff
May 9, 2019: (De)constructing Barriers
May 7, 2019: Editorial: Niagara Folk Arts Festival a much-needed celebration of diversity
May 7, 2019: Anti-racism discussion to be part of Niagara Region’s strategic plan process
May 1, 2019: Shocking femicide stats worry Gillian’s Place
April 26, 2019: Niagara Region council decides to build Burgoyne Bridge barriers: Authorizes spending $4-million to end suicide contagion on downtown bridge
April 23, 2019: Bridge barrier at the centre of discussion about mental health in Niagara Region
April 16, 2019: Public works committee votes for Burgoyne Bridge barriers: Measures will keep people from harming themselves
April 11, 2019: Regional council divided on Burgoyne Bridge barriers: Council set to debate installation of safety measures at Burgoyne span
March 4, 2019: NPCA ‘SWAT team’ will continue until June: Region extends interim board appointments for three months
February 28, 2019: Regional council reverses decision on pay cut while approving budget
February 18, 2019: Region’s 6% tax hike deferred
February 15, 2019: Region defers budgets for both police and NPCA
However, councillors voted 13-11 against a second amendment, introduced by Ip, stating that “any approvals related to the NPCA levy not be given and no payments be made to the NPCA until such time as we have received answers we consider to be satisfactory.”
“I’m disappointed that, that failed,” Ip said in an interview following the meeting.
“My intent was not to suggest that we fight the NPCA until we receive answers to our very reasonable questions. You bring an $8-million budget forward and there’s a $2.5-million hole in your presentation, I kind of want to know what’s going on with that $2.5 million.”
“I’m disappointed that so many of them (regional councillors) that are on the board voted that motion down because it has not been demonstrated by NPCA staff that they’re going to give the answers,” she added.
February 1, 2019: Region defers NPCA funding: Councillors want more details on NPCA budget before paying the bill
January 31, 2019: Councillor to press NPCA on budget “hole”
January 9, 2019: Region to review expense policy, code of conduct
January 9, 2019: Niagara overdose prevention site saving lives
November 13, 2018: Editorial: Next regional chair must be an elected politician
November 5, 2018: New regional councillors mulling over next chair
November 1, 2018: Niagara regional council is 75% new – and the public is watching
October 26, 2018: Niagara’s controversial CAO is set to jet off to Shanghai in the name of trade (video)
October 23, 2018: Region sheds ‘toxic environment’
October 23, 2018: Vote brings sweeping change to regional council
October 19, 2018: Meet the candidates for St. Catharines regional council
October 15, 2018: Meet the St. Catharines Region candidates
October 12, 2018: Integrity topic issue at Niagara Region council
June 28, 2018: Sweet partnership with Beechwood Doughnuts pays off for YWCA Niagara
May 12, 2018: Punching Above My Weight: An Interview with Laura Ip
May 10, 2018: No candidates yet for regional chair
April 4, 2018: Letters
April 1, 2018: We can fix municipal government by voting
March 7, 2018: Project aims to empower youth mentally, physically and emotionally Underdogs Boxing Club coaches Laura Hughes (left) and Laura Ip are gearing up to launch The Empowerment Project, a workshop series for 12- to 17-year-old girls and non-binary youth that explores emotional as well as physical empowerment. – Melinda Cheevers/Metroland
March 1, 2018: Rooting for the Underdog Underdogs Boxing Club is shaking up the image of who can be a boxer. – Kerry Duncan/The Sound
January 16, 2018: Niagara Women March On this Saturday
December 1, 2018: Civil debate seems to have been lost
October 27, 2017: Grade 10 students from across Niagara celebrate Power of Being a Girl
October 11, 2017: Boxing to heal
October 6, 2017: New boxing program aims to empower women in Niagara who’ve experienced violence Founder and president of Underdogs Boxing Club Laura Ip has teamed up with YWCA Niagara to bring the Shape Your Life program to St. Catharines. – Melinda Cheevers/Metroland
September 11, 2017: Shape Your Life program coming to St. Catharines – Laura Ip explains
September 10, 2017: Boxing fitness program for victims of violence
September 1, 2017: Shape Your Life boxing program for women who’ve experienced violence launches in St. Catharines Laura Ip is launching a second version of Shape Your Life boxing program at her new gym, Underdogs Boxing Club, in St. Catharines, Ont., in October. (Laura Ip)
August 26, 2017: Not first choice for self defence
June 2, 2017: Body-shaming a problem that begins at birth
April 19, 2017: Quick Update: Falling through the cracks
April 17, 2017: UPDATE 2: Falling through the cracks
April 15, 2017: UPDATE: Falling through the cracks
April 14, 2017: Falling through the cracks
March 24, 2017: Niagara podcasters holding ‘Local Media Matters’ fundraiser Laura Ip and Ruth Unrau will host The Practical Feminist live at Mahtay Cafe Saturday afternoon, one of several live shows taking place as part of the Local Media Matters fundraiser in support of the Niagara Podcasters Network. – Courtesy Photo
March 17, 2017: Gender gap must close in the workplace
January 25, 2017: EDWARDS: A spark of hope in the era of anger and division
January 21, 2017: Niagara women march in solidarity
January 18, 2017: Niagara women ready to march this Saturday Laura Ip from YWCA Niagara is ready to hit the streets downtown for the Niagara edition of the Women’s March on Washington, taking place Jan. 21. The event will start at City Hall at 10 a.m. and walkers will make their way to St. Catharines MP Chris Bittle’s office on Geneva Street. – Melinda Cheevers/Metroland
January 6, 2017: Canadian politics needs more women
November 22, 2016: We must raise the bar
November 21, 2016: “You have a right to be here”
October 19, 2016: Cheechoo hopes to inspire at annual leadership summit
October 11, 2016: It’s about celebrating, inspiring women
August 5, 2016: We’re rich…in illness and inequality
July 29, 2016: We’re all close to being homeless
July 28, 2016: Imagine what a living wage could do
June 3, 2016: Two enormous resounding yeses
May 13, 2016: There are benefits to paying a living wage
April 23, 2016: YWCA -presentation by Laura IP (sic) Resource Development Offficer (sic)
November 20, 2015: Search Engine: Highway structure for the birds
September 15, 2016: The obstacle-ridden road to recovery
March 10, 2016: Women in boxing
February 22, 2015: Chatting with former councillor Laura Ip about open data
January 9, 2015: Search Engine: The smartie pants edition
November 27, 2014: Weekend events shine spotlight on Niagara’s diversity
November 20, 2014: An emotional farewell for St. Catharines councillors
November 17, 2014: “Transformational” Mayor, Council say goodbyes
October 22, 2014: Arts group grades the candidates
September 25, 2014: On the campaign trail
September 25, 2014: Council debate between mayoral candidates turns heated
September 22, 2014: Mayoral candidates square off over budgeting
September 19, 2014: Search Engine: The mystery of the Grantham plaque
September 18, 2014: St. Catharines municipal election candidates
September 12, 2014: St. Catharines City Council seats up for grabs
September 9, 2014: Living Wage idea to be explored
July 14, 2014: Paying tribute to a community leader Denis Cahill and Patricia Cahill Waters hold up the street sign paying tribute to their father Lou Cahill. The sign will be erected in downtown St. Catharines, at a portion of Garden Park north of King Street in recognition of Lou’s contributions to the community. Thursday marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Lou, who died in 2008 at the age of 94.
June 2, 2014: Councillor Laura Ip – Community Care Hungry Vegan Drive
May 19, 2014: Vegan food bank diet was difficult
May 9, 2014: HEROD: Council talk, and a little election scuttlebutt
March 18, 2014: Working to make Niagara better
February 26, 2014: Arenas’ lifespan extended
February 14, 2014: Looming decision on arenas
February 11, 2014: City to crack down on shovel fairness
January 30, 2014: Council fills the void
January 27, 2014: Laura Ip appointed to St. Catharines council Laura Ip watches St. Catharines city council debate from the council gallery. – Julie Jocsak
January 20, 2014: City still considering holding byelection
January 16, 2014: Council holds off filling vacancy
January 9, 2014: HEROD: Laura Ip isn’t shoe-in for council seat
January 9, 2014: Monday council meeting to deal with vacant seat
March 8, 2011: Academy alternatives discussed Event organizer Laura Ip watches as Kaneka Watkins, of Success Beyond Limits, outlines some of that program’s achievements during a community meeting examining alternatives to the DSBN Academy on Thursday.
October 7, 2010: Back to basics in Ward 3
September 15, 2010: Young blood vying for your vote
May 20, 2009: How to Be a Socially Just Citizen
August 11, 2009: Forced health coverage unfair
November 1, 2006: Grantham candidates speak out
