“My people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back.”- Louis Riel The above quote from Metis leader Louis Riel has been resonating with me, as I reflect on the incredible richness of the Indigenous arts scene across Turtle Island (North America) and … Read more A mixtape to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day
One of the ways that West Coast LEAF uses the law as a tool for social change is through public legal education. Our public legal education program encourages people to think critically about the law and society, and to understand and exercise their legal rights. For the last 20 years, part of the way we conduct our … Read more Celebrating 20 Years of Youth-to-Youth Legal Education
VANCOUVER – Tomorrow, the BC Court of Appeal is hearing an appeal about the ability of public interest organizations to challenge laws that may violate the constitutional rights of marginalized groups, when these groups are not in a position to bring forward their own legal challenges. This case, called Council of Canadians with Disabilities v British … Read more Release: BC Court of Appeal to hear case about who can challenge laws under the Charter
On May 13, 2019, 25 organizations and individuals sent an open letter to Canadian government urging swift action to end sex discrimination in the Indian Act, as called for in a statement issued by the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls before the release of its final report. West Coast LEAF was … Read more Open letter on ending sex discrimination in the Indian Act
In BC, most applications for family law legal aid are denied outright or the legal support…
This case is about the ability of public interest organizations to challenge unconstitutional laws on behalf of community…
This morning, West Coast LEAF is at the BC Supreme Court to defend our case against the Province of BC (“The Province”) and the Legal Services Society (“LSS”) for their failure to provide adequate family law legal aid for women fleeing violent relationships. West Coast LEAF brought the case on behalf of the Centre for Family Equity (CFE), … Read more Release: Advocacy group: Government is wrong to stand in the way of legal aid challenge
VICTORIA – Today, the provincial government released Budget 2019. The budget takes important steps towards addressing poverty in the province. The budget also leaves disappointing gaps in services that will disproportionately impact women and other people impacted by gender-based discrimination. “This budget indicates political will to address poverty and implements some important measures to address … Read more Release: Budget 2019 brings welcome improvements in benefits but falls short on legal aid
In February 2019, West Coast LEAF re-affirmed our support for Jeremy Matson’s petition under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) regarding sex discrimination in the way status is transmitted under the Indian Act. West Coast LEAF argued that proposed amendments to the Indian Act will not fully … Read more Letter of support for Jeremy Matson’s petition to the CEDAW Committee regarding discrimination in the Indian Act
Read our 2018 Annual Report. to learn about West Coast LEAF’s work for gender justice in the 2017/2018 fiscal year. Publications