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Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan Update
October 29, 20202020 has brought unexpected changes to the normal ways of life in Saskatchewan, Canada and at Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan (PBLS). PBLS was created in 2008 to help address the gap for people who could not get Legal Aid or hire a private lawyer for their legal issues. PBLS operates free legal clinics across Saskatchewan. We use volunteer lawyers to provide up to an hour of free legal advice to help people deal with their legal issues. We offer services in all areas of law. We income test clients to ensure they qualify for our services.
At the beginning of 2020, PBLS provided free legal assistance through 14 Free Legal Clinics across Saskatchewan. We have Free Legal Clinics in Regina, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Yorkton, Prince Albert, Meadow Lake, La Ronge, Estevan, Weyburn, Swift Current and Lloydminster. We offered appointments in person, on the phone and via video conference. However, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, PBLS has had to stop all in person appointments.
The good news is that we continue to provide the same amount of appointments and services as before COVID-19. All appointments are now done by telephone. Our volunteer lawyers continue to be committed to providing quality, accessible and free legal services to help those who would otherwise not have access to a lawyer and legal advice. Our volunteer lawyers can provide free legal advice to people anywhere in the province via telephone.
If you have a legal problem, are not eligible for Legal Aid and cannot afford a lawyer, please call our office at 1-855-833-7257 or 306-569-3098 (local Regina). You can check out our website to find out more about our organization at www.pblsask.ca.
I found out yesterday that Yorkton City Council has plans to sell the library building and move the library to a much smaller space upstairs in the Gallagher Centre. This basically makes the library inaccessible to anyone with mobility issues ( as well as anyone with small children) because of the parking distance AND the distances within the Gallagher centre to get to the elevators to the second floor. I am measuring the distances later today but believe even the very closest of the handicapped spaces to the front door is much further at the Gallagher than it is to get into the library at the present location, and then the Gallagher front door is very very far away from the elevators to get to the second floor. and beyond that I have no idea how far from the elevators on the second floor it may be to the proposed room. For anyone who is disabled this is an extreme challenge as many of us not only have issues getting anywhere in the first place, but the longer we have to struggle the more pain we are in.
I was under the impression reasonable access for disabled persons is guarranteed by law. This is decidedly not reasonable access. The loction is even a problem as the present location is within reasonable distance of the downtown core, thus more or less accessible to everyone whereas the Gallagher Center is in the extreme west of Yorkton.
The accessability issue is further exacerbated by the events put on in the centre which could potentially mean that anyone wishing to visit the library could be forced to park as much as a block away from the building, again a major problem for anyone with a disability OR for anyone with small children.
It would also mean an abrupt end to all the peripheral services the library offers beyond simply lending out of books. Computer access is increasingly important and many in Sask do not have computer access or find it difficult to navigate, the library is a huge resource from helping people with issues from income tax returns to applying for jobs. That’s only one example of many of the services which would be abruptly and completely forcefully evicted from the library as a result of this move.
Bottom line is, is there a legal basis on the requirement to provide reasonable access for the disabled? Scuttlebutt says Council wants to sell the building but absolutely doesn’t want their plans known… the public hearing mandated by law was published in miniscule type in the local weekly, and was missed by most people. The council meeting is next Monday at 5 PM. so some urgency to know the answer.
I understand that matters of public interest and broad community concerns which might otherwise not be pursued are within the purview of pro bono law.
Any help will be very much apprecited.
Hi Pamela,
Thanks for reaching out. We will follow up by email shortly.
Regards,
Alan
Alan Kilpatrick, CD, BA, MLIS | (he/him)
Co-Director & Librarian, Legal Resources
Law Society of Saskatchewan | 2425 Victoria Ave, Regina, SK S4P 4W6
Email: alan.kilpatrick@lawsociety.sk.ca | Phone: (306) 569-8020 | Fax: (306) 569-0155 | Website: http://www.lawsociety.sk.ca
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The Law Society regulates lawyers and the practice of law in the public interest in Saskatchewan, which includes the shared lands of Treaties 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and the Homeland of the Métis/Michif Nation.
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