We read with interest your recent story (“Toronto legal clinic in jeopardy,” Feb. 4) about the disappointing decision by Legal Aid Ontario to cease funding West Toronto Community Legal Services. The story rightly notes that LAO’s decision will have a significant impact on the housing help services that our clinic provides. However, these are not the only services affected. LAO is also proposing to close our legal clinic and instead serve west Toronto residents primarily out of its corporate headquarters far from the community. This model ignores the many distinct and powerful advantages of our current community-based, community-run poverty law clinic. Those advantages will be lost if LAO’s plan to defund our clinic is confirmed next month.
Kier Munn,
Board chairman,
West Toronto Community Legal Services