WRCLS – News Features

Date News Article
February 14, 2024Everything you need to know about tenant rights
June 2, 2023WRCLS: Providing Accessible Legal Aid to Low and Middle Income Residents
April 27, 2023Protesters gather after city looks to move Roos Island encampment members
February 13, 2023Region’s tent city ruling could reverberate across Canada’s shelter system
February 9, 2023CTV News: Court Ruling A Wakeup Call for Cities
February 8, 2023The Law Times: Kitchener Waterloo homeless encampment eviction stymied by section 7 argument
February 7, 2023CBC News: Homelessness researcher says court ruling could change Sudbury’s approach to encampments
February 4, 2023The New York Times: Some Homeless Encampments Can Stay, but the Underlying Issues Remain
February 2, 2023CBC News: Court ruling blocking Kitchener, Ont., encampment eviction could affect cases across Canada, say legal experts.
January, 31, 2023CBC News: Toronto ‘extremely vulnerable’ to legal challenge after homeless encampment ruling, experts say
January 31, 2023CTV News: An Ontario ruling defending those living in encampments is only a partial victory
January 31, 2023The Globe and Mail: Opinion: An Ontario ruling defending those living in encampments is only a partial victory
January 31, 2023CBC News: Court ruling blocking Kitchener, Ont., encampment eviction could affect cases across Canada, say legal experts
January 31, 2023Toronto Star: Clearing homeless tents is unconstitutional, says Ontario court. Is Toronto listening?
January 31, 2023Homeless encampment court ruling puts pressure on London to look at shelter system, says lawyer
January 30, 2023Ontario judge denies request to clear Kitchener encampment citing Charter violation
January 30, 2023A ‘precedent-setting’ decision rules encampment clearing would violate Charter rights
January 30, 2023Regional bylaw may need more than a rewrite to allow eviction of encampment residents
January 30, 2023Encampment ruling ripples through province
January 29, 2023‘It doesn’t fix the problem’
January 29, 2023Ontario court rules encampments can stay if there’s a shortage of shelter beds
January 29, 2023‘Precedent setting case’: Southwestern Ontario judge rules homeless encampment can stay in park
January 28, 2023Court rules Region of Waterloo can’t evict people from encampment due to lack of shelter space
January 28, 2023‘A really difficult case to win’: Southwestern Ont. judge rules encampment can stay in Kitchener
January 28, 2023‘I’m very happy about the decision’: Resident reacts to judge dismissing region’s bid for encampment injunction
January 28, 2023Ontario court rules Waterloo Region can’t evict homeless encampment due to lack of shelter space
January 27, 2023Judge rejects region’s request to evict Victoria Street encampment
January 27, 2023Region can’t evict tent city residents — for now
January 14, 2023Local legal clinic urges City of Kitchener to engage with encampment residents
January 6, 2023Region of Waterloo estimates 20 tents remain at Victoria Street encampment
December 30, 2022New tool kit to help Waterloo Region landlords choose ‘humanity over profits’
December 13, 2022After receiving money from his father, a disabled man lost his ODSP funding. Once the money stopped, ODSp kept cutting the funding.
November 18, 2022“You don’t want a repeat of what happened at Trinity-Bellwoods in Toronto”
November 17, 2022Lawyers request Waterloo region follow its encampment policy and provide beds
November 17, 2022Laurier’s SRAC: Know Your Rights When Leasing
November 16, 2022Court decision on Weber and Victoria encampment expected in December
November 16, 2022Lawyers for Victoria camp, region give court their requests on hearing outcome
November 16, 2022Landlord doubles rent for Syrian refugees using exemption that allows for unlimited increases
November 10, 2022Lawyers for 100 Victoria residents say eviction violates charter rights
November 9, 2022Waterloo Region doesn’t have shelter beds to accommodate residents if evicted, argues lawyer
November 9, 2022Injunction hearing for Weber and Victoria encampment resumes next week
November 8, 2022Lawyers representing encampment residents lay out case in Kitchener court
November 8, 2022“Problems aren’t happening every day” – Victoria camp lawyers dispute Waterloo Region’s arguments in second day of injunction hearing
November 8, 2022Charter rights of encampment residents aren’t breached if evicted, Waterloo Region’s lawyer argues
November 7, 2022Lawyers for region and homeless residents meet in Kitchener Superior Court
November 7, 2022Lawyers begin arguments in hearing to clear Kitchener camp
October 24, 2022Encampment ruling may set precedent
September 6, 2022‘It’s a heartbreaking thing to see’ — poverty in Waterloo’s low-income neighbourhoods
August 6, 2022A better approach to homelessness
July 20, 2022Court date to argue Region of Waterloo’s encampment eviction order set for November
July 20, 2022Updated: Decision on Region of Waterloo’s eviction order for Victoria encampment pushed to November
July 20, 2022November court date set as region applies to evict people from Kitchener encampment
July 14, 2022Legal aid organizes clinic for Kitchener encampment residents facing eviction
July 14, 2022Legal clinic offers to represent Kitchener encampment residents in eviction process
July 14, 2022Local clinic holding legal information session for Kitchener encampment residents
July 13, 2022Eviction of Victoria Street encampment now before the courts
July 13, 2022Region of Waterloo files court application over Kitchener encampment
July 13, 2022Region of Waterloo files court papers to evict Kitchener encampment
July 8, 2022Victoria & Weber encampment remains, Regional council turns to court for direction
June 30, 2022A brief timeline of the encampment at Weber and Victoria Streets in Kitchener
April 7, 2022The Exposure Project Relating Lived Realities of Homelessness in the Region
March 2, 2022Exposure Project Vol. II 
February 2, 2022Exposure Project Vol. I
Dec 18, 2021Virtual court hearings are criminalizing poverty as fail-to-appear charges spike in Waterloo area: lawyer

WRCLS – NEWS EVENTS

June 21, 2022 – Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day!

Our office will be closed on June 21, 2022 so that our staff can participate in National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations. We encourage folks in Waterloo Region, Guelph-Wellington Region and the City of Mississauga to take part in some of these events!

See the full list of events hereDownload

Our clinic is situated on the traditional lands of‎ the Anishnawbe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples and we thank them for allowing us to do our work on their traditional lands. Miigwetch!

June 21, 2021 is the national 26th Anniversary celebrating the heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples across Canada. Although these groups share many similarities, they each have their own distinct heritage, language, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs. We encourage everyone to join events as well!
In cooperation with Indigenous organizations, the Government of Canada chose June 21 (the summer solstice) to celebrate National Indigenous Day. For generations, many Indigenous peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on this day due to it being the longest day of the year. National Indigenous Peoples Day (originally called National Aboriginal Day) was announced in 1996 (the same year the last Residential School was closed.)

September 17, 2021 – Basic Income Now Lunch & Learn

WRCLS is pleased to offer a free introduction lunch & learn session on Restorative Justice. Restorative Justice incorporates approaches using a set of principles to respond to harm in a holistic way. This virtual session will briefly discuss formal restorative mediation processes while incorporating Indigenous values, beliefs and traditions.This lunch & learn session will be presented by Waterloo Region Community Legal Services’ Indigenous Justice Coordinator Luane Roberts and Restorative Justice Consultant Garth Bell.

For more information and registration: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/restorative-justice-lunch-learn-tickets-170443057774

September 16, 2021 – Basic Income Now Lunch & Learn

Thank you to those who attended our lunch & learn and thank you to the panelists for presenting!

Waterloo Region Community Legal Services & Basic Income Waterloo Region presented this lunch & learn session discussing what Basic Income is in preparation for the upcoming 2021 Canadian election. This lunch and learn session discussed the federal parties’ platforms for this program with panelists Kristen Thompson, Caterina Lindman, Andrea Kauppinen & Carol Stalker.

The video recording for this session can be found here on WRCLS’ Youtube page.
If you would like to download the Powerpoint slides, please find them here.

August 31, 2021

Federal Election 2021 Participation Guide by ISAC (Income Security Advocacy Centre)