March 2018 Events (BC-wide, Online)

Events, The broader context

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.

Join us for a book launch of Robyn Maynard’s Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present. The book is a comprehensive account of nearly four hundred years of state-sanctioned surveillance, criminalization, and punishment of Black life in Canada. Get more information here. BC Civil Liberties Association is a sponsor of the event.

  • March 1-12 (various dates): Plan Institute presents information sessions and workshops by phone and in Vancouver:
    • Thursday, March 1 (7:00 – 9:00 pm) OR Thursday, March 15 (10:00 am – 12:00 pm) Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning Workshop – Plan Institute Office, Suite 260 – 3665 Kingsway, Vancouver. Cost: $65.00 per person or $90.00 for two. Register online here.
    • Tuesday, March 6 (7:00 – 9:00 pm) Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) – teleseminar by phone/computer. Cost: free. Register online here.
    • Monday, March 12 (7:00 – 9:00 pm) Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) – Plan Institute Office, Suite 260 – 3665 Kingsway, Vancouver. Cost: free. Register online here.
  • Friday, March 2 (12:00 – 1:30 pm): Disability Alliance BC presents Snack & Chat at #204 – 456 West Broadway, Vancouver.

On PWD or interested in PWD? Come learn about disability benefits and meet new people! Please call Val at 604-875-0188 to register or email feedback@disabilityalliancebc.org. Registration required. Find more information here.

  • March 2-9 (various dates): Courthouse Libraries BC and LSS present free webinars on various topics.
    • Friday, March 2 (12:00 – 1:30 pm) Interjurisdictional Support Services: What’s New in ISO? – will outline recent changes to the BC Interjurisdictional Support Services, the IJSS website and the ISO forms. Register online here.
    • Tuesday, March 6 (12:30 – 1:30 pm) Refugee Law Basics – for lawyers and advocates who have minimal or no experience in refugee law. Register online here.
    • Friday, March 9 (12:30 – 1:30 pm) Gladue Submissions: A Guide to Preparing Gladue Sentencing – for criminal defence lawyers and front line workers who may be assisting a client in preparing for criminal court. Register online here.
  • March 2-29 (various dates): MOSAIC presents 2-day workshops on Canadian Citizenship Preparation in Burnaby, Vancouver, and Surrey.

Join us for a 2-day workshop to prepare for Canadian citizenship! The session will be facilitated by MOSAIC staff. We will talk about topics such as Canada’s history, symbols, government and geography, as well as the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Register online here.

  • March 3-29 (various dates): the BC government is hosting community meetings across the province to help inform its Poverty Reduction Strategy.
    • Saturday, March 3 ( 9:30 am – 12:00 pm) 221 West Esplanade, North Vancouver
    • Saturday, March 10 (10:30 am – 1:00 pm) Ray-Cam Co-operative Centre, Vancouver
    • Saturday, March 17 (10:30 am – 1:00 pm) Best Western Plus Coquitlam Inn Convention Centre, Coquitlam
    • Tuesday, March 20 (6:00 – 8:30 pm) Heritage Hall, Vancouver
    • Thursday, March 22 (5:30 pm – 8:30 pm) Fort Nelson Aboriginal Friendship Society, Fort Nelson
    • Friday, March 23 (1:30 pm – 4 pm) North Peace Cultural Centre, Fort St. John
    • Monday, March 26 (2:30 pm – 5 pm) Maple Ridge Seniors Activity Centre, Maple Ridge
    • Tuesday, March 27 (6:00 pm – 8:30 pm) Langley Senior Resource Society, Langley
    • Wednesday, March 28 (6:00 pm – 8:30 pm) Garden Park Towers, Abbotsford
    • Thursday, March 29 (6:00 pm – 8:30 pm) Coast Hotel, Chilliwack
  • March 6-20 (various dates): Centre for Feminist Legal Studies presents lectures and a symposium at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
    • Tuesday, March 6 (12:30-1:30pm) – Shauna Labman, Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba – 24 Years Later: A Comparative Analysis of the Immigration and Refugee Board’s Gender Guidelines (1993) and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Guidelines (2017) – Room 122 in Allard Hall, UBC Vancouver. Open to everyone.
    • Friday, March 9 (1:30–6:00 pm) – A symposium in honour of Professor Judith Mosoff and launch of a special issue of the Canadian Journal of Family Law – Terrace Lounge, 4th Floor, Allard Hall, UBC Vancouver. RSVP to eventassistant@allard.ubc.ca.
    • Tuesday, March 20 (12:30-1:30pm) – Sarah Hunt, Geography/First Nations and Indigenous Studies, UBC – Decolonizing Access to Justice for Indigenous Women: Reflections on an Inquiry in Process – Room 122 in Allard Hall, UBC Vancouver. Open to everyone.

Join us for this special event with Jonathan Wilkinson, Member of Parliament for North Vancouver and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. This event is part of the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs’ new Policy in Practice series. Register online here or email tina.liu@ubc.ca.

Two of UVic’s leading Indigenous scholars, John Borrows and Val Napoleon, will discuss the sacred in Indigenous law and reconciliation. They are key figures in UVic’s proposed dual-degree program in Canadian law and Indigenous law. In this conversation, they will explore the nature of Indigenous law and pose important – and challenging – questions about the role of the sacred. This is a free event, and everyone is welcome. Registration is required.

  • March 8-9 (various dates): Seniors First BC presents a couple of workshops for seniors in Burnaby.
    • Thursday, March 8 (4:00 – 5:30 pm) Government Benefits for Older Adults Workshop – Burnaby Public Library – Tommy Douglas branch
    • Friday, March 9 (10:00 – 11:30 am) Powers of Attorney, Joint Bank Accounts and Representation Agreements Workshop (delivered in Mandarin) – CCM – Crystal Mall, Burnaby

Celebrate West Coast LEAF and International Women’s Day all in one fantastic morning! Keynote speaker: Roberta A. Kaplan, history-making litigator and champion of the marriage equality fight at the US Supreme Court. Emcee: Gloria Macarenko, CBC News host. Buy ticket here.

  • March 9-24 (various dates): People’s Law School presents several classes for the public on the following topics in Burnaby, West Vancouver, and Vancouver:
    • Friday, March 9 (7:00 – 8:30 pm) The Societies Act: Information for Not-For-Profits – Burnaby Public Library – McGill Branch
    • Tuesday, March 20 (6:30 – 8:00 pm) Writing Your Will – Dunbar Community Centre, Vancouver
    • Thursday, March 22 (7:00 – 8:30 pm) Strata Homeowner Survival Guide—Tips for Avoiding Problems with Your Strata Corporation – West Vancouver Memorial Library
    • Saturday, March 24 (2:00 – 3:30 pm) Employment Law – Burnaby Public Library – Tommy Douglas Branch

What if someone is not capable to make a Will? This might be a senior with advanced dementia; or an adult with a disability from birth or childhood that affects their capability to understand the nature and effect of making a Will. Who has legal authority for burial or cremation if there is no Will? How must the estate (what the deceased owns) be distributed? Find out what you can and cannot do according to BC law. You will also learn about Personal Planning and how it is different from Estate Planning. Click date to register:

With environmental pressures mounting in Canada and worldwide, the need for strong environmental laws has never been more important. As a respected lawyer and Leader of the Green Party of Canada, Elizabeth May will share her unique perspective on the legal profession and the evolving legal landscape in Canada. Free admission.

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. City of Vancouver Bursaries available. Get more information and register online here.

We offer social support and share legal resources in a confidential setting. This group is run by Self Represented Litigants for Self Represented Litigants. We have a great group with lots of experience to share! We meet monthly. Spaces are limited – RSVP by email: NSSN.vancouver@gmail.com.

  • March 23-29 (various dates): Courthouse Libraries BC and the Pro Bono Students Canada Family Law Project present free public education sessions for self-represented litigants in Vancouver and online.
    • Friday, March 23 (10:30 am – 12:00 pm) Family Law Financial Disclosure in BC – Vancouver Courthouse Library & also available as a webinar. For self-represented litigants who are applying or responding to an application for child support, spousal support, or property division and will need to complete financial disclosure. Get more information and register online here, or email familylawproject.pbsc@gmail.com.
    • Thursday, March 29 (10:30 am – 12:00 pm) Family Violence – Vancouver Courthouse Library & also available as a webinar. self-represented litigants who are experiencing family violence. Get more information and register online here, or email familylawproject.pbsc@gmail.com.

Stay informed:

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Top 7 Pages on Clicklaw Wikibooks

Get help using Clicklaw, Spreading the word about Clicklaw

While we would prefer a world in which no British Columbian needs online help for their legal troubles, the pageview count for our Clicklaw Wikibooks website confirms that is not the world we live in. In reality, hundreds of thousands of British Columbians seek out timely legal information in the course of an average year. For many, this is their only line of support.

In 2017, Clicklaw Wikibooks — which uses the same software that runs Wikipedia — served nearly 940,000 pageviews to over 550,000 individual users. Each year we see these figures growing.

Whereas Clicklaw is a comprehensive legal information website centralizing reliable resources and services from numerous contributor organizations in a variety of formats and languages, Clicklaw Wikibooks is more like a publishing platform. It offers a bookshelf of select legal titles from organizations and independent authors or teams of contributors. These books are for the public and can be read online, downloaded as PDF or EPUB, or ordered by print-on-demand.

The most popular way for visitors to consume the 26 or so titles currently on Clicklaw Wikibooks is to read them online. Usually when we report traffic statistics, we think about the book as a whole. For example, JP Boyd on Family Law is easily the most read title in the collection accounting for about 40% of traffic. But today we look a little deeper to see what the 7 most popular content pages were on Clicklaw Wikibooks for January 2018, give a shoutout to those responsible for their review, and see what insights this data allows.

Surprisingly, for instance, while the overall traffic to JP Boyd on Family Law hints that relationship breakdown as the major legal concern, individual page stats reveal the most popular page from that title is on how to get married in the first place. Looking at the top performing pages can give us clues and help us question assumptions about the types of legal information people need.

Top 7 Pages on Clicklaw Wikibooks by Pageviews

Here is a list of the top seven pages on Clicklaw Wikibooks, the people responsible for their upkeep, plus some thoughts on what this might mean. The list reflects statistics from January 2018, plus relevant changes in a page’s position from January 2017. Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts in the comments section below, or by sharing them with us on Twitter @Clicklaw.

#1 – If You Receive an Appearance Notice or Summons (Script_210)

This page from the popular Dial-A-Law collection by CBA BC attracted 5.18% of total site traffic, up from second position and 2.83% the previous January. That is an incredible figure for a site with over 1,500 pages of legal information. Many people first come into contact with the criminal justice system when they are served with an appearance or summons, so we can well imagine finding this page is a first step for many in addressing their problem. Knowing the significance of that step, what else could the page do or point to?

Kudos to lawyers Jordan Allingham and Paul Briggs for writing the page, plus Annie Chen of the CBA BC for the wiki version of this much valued resource.

#2 – How Do I Get Married in British Columbia?

As noted, JP Boyd on Family Law’s most popular page in January had nothing to do with getting divorced. Quite the opposite in fact… 2.82% of visitors came to learn about how marriage is brought to be, rather than how it decays. The page is up from #4 position in January 2017.

Thanks to lawyer Thomas Wallwork for maintaining this page, and of course to JP Boyd himself for his original work on it.

#3 – I Need to Take Someone to Court — What’s the Process?

A significant percentage of first time exposure to the legal system is when someone needs to start a lawsuit. The page attracted 2.43% of traffic, up from #6 position in January 2017, a rise quite possibly related to the Civil Resolution Tribunal’s introduction in 2017.

Long time Clicklaw Wikibooks editor and experienced lawyer John Bilawich deserves credit for this popular page from Legal Help for British Columbians that introduces the basics of starting a civil claim. So does the founding author Cliff Thorstenson. 

#4 – JP Boyd on Family Law

While the book has over 140 pages and accounts for 40% of site traffic, historically the main entry page for JP Boyd on Family Law has not been among top site pages (in January 2017 it was #13). This year, there appears to be more traffic from direct links to the book’s main page from websites run by LSS, the BC Provincial Court, private law firms, etc. Although overall the percentage of traffic coming from Google to the whole site has not changed over this period, a disproportionate amount of traffic to this main page now comes from referral sources. This speaks to the overall value of the title and the work of its many reviewing lawyers that make it a destination resource for others in the justice sector.

#5 – Immediately After Someone Dies

This page from People’s Law School’s title, A Death in Your Family, accounted for 1.81% of all site traffic last month. The equivalent page in January 2017 held #12 position at 1.59%.

Thanks to Helen Low, QC and Nicco Bautista for their skill abbreviating the legal and practical steps to take upon the death of a family member.

#6 – My Husband Sponsored Me and We Have Now Separated

For years, this page from Legal Help for British Columbians was the top destination page on Clicklaw Wikibooks with 2.86% of traffic. In 2017 it dropped to #3 and 2.65%. Today it’s settled at #6 position with 1.81% of traffic. Nearly 90% of this traffic comes from Google searches.

Thanks to Rochelle Appleby for reviewing this page over the years, and to its original author Cliff Thorstenson.

#7 – How Do I Prepare an Affidavit?

Up from #8 position in January 2017, this page from JP Boyd on Family Law accounted for 1.54% of traffic in January 2018. It continues to demonstrate the demand for practical, hands-on tips, and the fact that it derives a substantial greater proportion of its traffic from people who link to the page directly (34% versus the site average of 10% for pages) hints that this is a valuable bookmark for people.

Thanks again to Thomas Wallwork for reviewing the page over the years, and to JP Boyd for the original content and practical examples of how to write an affidavit.

Editor’s Note: Though these were the most viewed pages/titles on the Wikibooks over the past year, our other pages and titles also received an incredible amount of views. Thank you to all of our contributors and volunteers, whose work makes this initiative possible.

Stay informed:

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