News & Events
Welcome to our News & Events page. Don Valley Community Legal Services actively participates in a variety of community activities, public legal education workshops, and community networking tables. One key component that allows members to be self-empowered is knowledge of what is happening around them. This page will allow us to share what is happening in the communities we serve.
Here we will share legal information articles, local law reform campaigns, news stories, community events and details for our Annual General Meeting.
For community events, workshops, public legal education (PLE) information or membership, please contact our Community Development Worker at 416-441-1764 ext. 22.
Legal Info Articles & News
ODSP and OW Overpayments
My friend told me that she has been assessed with an overpayment from the Ontario Works office. What is this and how can I avoid it? If you receive social assistance, an overpayment occurs when you receive money from the Ontario Works (OW) office or the Ontario Disability (ODSP) office that you are not entitled to and you are expected to pay it back.
Read moreEverything You Need to Know about Submitting an E.I. Reconsideration Request
By: Soheila Azimi, DVCLS Employment Team’s Student Intern, Queen’s Law ’24. Being terminated from a job is difficult for everyone. Luckily, the Government of Canada has resources like Employment Insurance Benefits to provide you with financial assistance until you secure a new job. You can apply for Employment Insurance (E.I.) immediately after being fired from your job by filling out the application on the Service Canada website and providing all of the required information with your application.
Read moreNew Policies to Speed Up Reunification for Spouses, Common-Law Partners and Dependent Children in Family Class Sponsorship Applications
Important: If you are considering filing an application, it is important to first consult with a lawyer regarding your and your family’s particular circumstances. This article contains very general information about options, rules and criteria, but may not apply in every situation. There may be exceptions to rules or exemptions available for missed requirements.
Read moreAm I able to work while collecting OW or ODSP?
If you are able to work while being on Ontario Works (OW) or the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), you should be aware of the employment earning exemption rules for both support programs. Earnings exemptions are the rules that let you earn some money without OW or ODSP reducing your assistance by the full amount that you earn.
Read moreSmall Wins and Missed Opportunities with Bill 97
Renovictions are a growing concern for the communities we serve. Since 2021, our clinic has seen a 30% increase in the number of tenants seeking assistance because their landlord wants to either demolish or undertake significant repairs or renovations to the residential complex or to their unit. The tenants we help are fearful of their landlords abusing this type of eviction to capitalize on a loophole in rent control known as vacancy decontrol: this is the ability of the landlord to raise the rent of a vacant unit by any amount they want,
Read moreYour First Employment Law Negotiation: What You Need to Know
By: Richa Sandill, Staff Lawyer and Team Lead, Don Valley Community Legal Services/TEEILS Thanks to courtroom dramas and movies, many people envisage the legal process as a dramatic series of events that culminates in a day in court. And while this is true for some cases, the reality, especially in employment law cases,
Read moreThe One Year Window Program for Family Members
The One Year Window (OYW) Program allows for the reunification of family members for those who entered Canada as settlement refugees under the government assisted stream or the privately sponsored refugee stream. It applies to all parts of Canada except for Quebec who has its own system. The permanent resident in Canada who came as a settlement refugee must submit the One Year Window (OYW) application package for their family members within the first year that they arrive in Canada.
Read moreThese Toronto lawyers want South Asian newcomers to know their employment rights
CBC News interviewed our Staff Lawyer Richa Sandill and Anchal Bhatia, a Staff Lawyer from the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario, about the Tareekh Pe Tareekh: Know Your Employment Rights campaign. The campaign breaks down the ins and outs of workers’ rights through informational videos in South Asian languages.
Read moreSpeaking at the Standing Committee on Bill 97
On May 10, 2023, Bhavin Bilimoria, Director of Legal Services and head of our Housing Team, and Karly Wilson, Staff Lawyer on our Housing Team, spoke at the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy about Bill 97, Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023. You can watch their presentation here: https://www.donvalleylegal.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Video-of-Bhavin-and-Karlys-Submission-on-Bill-97-May-10-2023.mp4
Read moreCERB and CRB Overpayments
Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government introduced several temporary measures to provide income support to individuals who were out of work, or had reductions in their incomes due to COVID-19. Between March 15, 2020 and September 26, 2020, the government issued the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). CERB provided a $500.00 weekly benefit for individuals who met eligibility criteria,
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