October 2017 Events (BC-wide, Online)

Bookmark this post! It will be updated as more events are announced. You can also get frequent updates via our Twitter. Have a suggestion? Email us.

  • October 2017: Personal Planning Month: Getting your affairs in order gives you peace of mind and takes the burden off family and friends. It’s easy when you know the steps to take. Attend a free presentation, find out about Nidus’ free forms to make your own Representation Agreement. Nidus is an independent, non-profit, charitable organization that was set up by seniors and disability groups. Nidus is the Centre for Excellence on Representation Agreements and personal planning.
    • Provincial Interactive Webinars with Q&APublic libraries across BC are hosting Nidus presentations. Locations include: Castlegar, Duncan, Okanagan (Enderby, Armstrong, Salmon Arm, Vernon, Summerland), Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Trail, Thompson-Nicola, Victoria, Prince Rupert, Williams Lake.
    • Metro-Vancouver in-person presentationsWith the generous support of local seniors centres, neighbourhood houses and public libraries, Nidus-trained volunteers and staff are able to offer some in-person presentations in the Metro-Van area.
    • Webinars for ProfessionalsProfessionals need information and resources geared to their workplace role. Nidus is offering presentations for the following settings.

      Interested professionals should email info@nidus.ca for details.

Engaging Older Women in your Community is a promising practices tool developed as an outcome of the Older Women’s Dialogue Project (OWDP), a collaborative project between the West Coast Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (West Coast LEAF) and the Canadian Centre for Elder Law (CCEL). The publication is intended to support your agency to anticipate and address structural barriers to the participation of older women in community initiatives aimed at legal and policy change.

The tool includes key questions to explore, tips for enhancing organizational capacity to include older women, and examples from our experience throughout the OWDP. All of the ideas contained in this resource reflect what CCEL and West Coast LEAF learned through working with older women in Vancouver, BC.

There are more than 27,000 non-profit societies in BC, providing services and programs that touch virtually every citizen. All pre-existing BC societies need to transition to the new BC Societies Act. The Act includes many significant changes. There is a two-year transition period by which time all societies in BC will have to have filed a transition application. This workshop will provide your society with the information it needs on whether to make any bylaw or policy changes necessary for your society to transition to effectively function under the new Act.

The Fee is $50, but if you are a registered non-profit society delivering community social services within the geographical boundaries of the City of Vancouver, you may be eligible to receive a bursary to assist you with all or part of the workshop registration fee. See registration link for details.

  • October 16-24 (Various Dates): People’s Law School presents several classes on the following topics in Surrey and Vancouver:
    • Monday, October 16 (7-8pm) Probating a Will – Surrey Libraries Ocean Park Branch
    • Tuesday, October 17 (7-8:30pm) Wills and Estates – Surrey Libraries Guildford Branch
    • Wednesday, October 18 (7-8:30pm) Residential Tenancy for Landlords – Surrey Libraries Newton Branch
    • Thursday, October 19 (7-8:30pm) Strata Law – Surrey Libraries City Centre Branch
    • Tuesday, October 24 (6:30-8pm) Immigration Law – What TPRs Need to Know – Dunbar Community Centre
    • Tuesday, October 24 (12-1pm) Your Tenancy Rights – People’s Law School

This year, PovNet celebrates twenty years of building an online community of advocates, social justice lawyers and other passionate front-line workers and supporters who are committed to supporting those living in poverty, while battling the systemic issues that drive people there. We would be so happy if you could join us to celebrate this milestone. We would also like to invite you to help spread the word about this event. We are so excited to be celebrating the work of PovNetters from all over BC and indeed right across Canada. The celebration will be held at the Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport, and will start with a short Annual General Meeting, followed by a few speakers and stories. We will have finger food and refreshments and there will be a cash bar. The location is within 1 block of the Aberdeen Canadaline station. We look forward to sharing this evening with you!

  • Tuesday, October 24 (12:30-1:30 PM): Litigating for Access: Suing the Government Over the Crisis in Legal Aid at Room 122, Allard Hall, 1822 East Mall, UBC, Vancouver.

Part of the Centre for Feminist Legal Studies’ Fall 2017 lecture series. Featuring West Coast LEAF’s Executive Director Kasari Govender and Litigation Director Raji Mangat.

Get your tickets now and spend an evening with your friends from CLAS and other familiar faces from the social justice community. Tickets are $20, plus service fee, online and $25 at the door. Space is limited so buy early. A full dinner menu will be available so stay for a drink or two and maybe even dinner. Either way, we want you to join us for a fun night. Thanks for supporting our organization as we work towards advancing dignity, equality and justice for all across BC. Tickets can be purchased here. Please direct any questions about the event to Dianne Bankay at dbankay@clasbc.net.

Stay informed:

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2017 Bi-Monthly Update Series: March/April

To keep you informed, here are some highlights of changes and updates made to Clicklaw in March and April:

Jan-Feb | Mar-Apr | May-Jun | Jul-Aug | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec


Cerebral Palsy Association of British Columbia

  • Navigator for Youth Transitioning to Adult Services
    Youth with disabilities in BC face challenges when transitioning from childhood to adult services. This program helps youth aged 14 to 25, their parents and members of their Transition Support Teams, connect with the services they need, such as disability benefits, health services, or school supports.

Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS)

Disability Alliance BC

The following help sheets are now available in 5 languages: Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Persian, Punjabi, Spanish.

Legal Services Society

Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre and Registry

People’s Law School

Each of the following publications now has a fresh new look, new content, and more practical guidance. Both are available in multiple media formats: wikibook, EPUB (for reading on a tablet or e-reader), PDF (print version), and printed booklet (order via Crown Publications).

  • Essentials of Consumer Law
    Explains consumer rights for common purchases and contracts. Now includes a new section on making a contract.
  • Scams to Avoid
    Covers 15 of the most common scams. Now includes new sections on romance scams, charity scams, and expanded coverage of online and computer scams.

Provincial Court of British Columbia

  • Guidelines for Using a Support Person in Provincial Court
    Many self-represented litigants find that having a trusted friend or family member with them to provide emotional support, take notes, and organize documents can be a big help. The BC Provincial Court recognizes this, and has adopted guidelines to make it easier to bring a support person to court.

Common Question – Provincial Court Resources for Everyone: Small Claims Court

On June 1, 2017, the limit for small claims will increase to $35,000 from $25,000. This page has been updated to include this information and a link to the New Small Claims Procedures from the Provincial Court of BC. Note: The Provincial Court Resources pages will be updated for May 2017.

Canadian Centre for Elder Law (CCEL)

  • Older Women’s Dialogue Project
    This project looks at law and social policy issues that affect older woman and explores what can be done to address barriers to their quality of life.
  • Older Women’s Legal Education Project
    A collaboration with West Coast LEAF, this project tries to enhance the capacity of seniors-serving professionals to support older women fleeing violence occurring in the family and to inform older women of their rights in situations of abuse.

Stay informed:

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