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| Equality Day | |  Audrey M. Johnson, Leaf Executive Director and Beth Atcheson, award recipient Equality Day, 2010, also marked the 25th Anniversary of LEAF and the 25th Anniversary of Section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees equality rights for women and other disenfranchised groups. LEAF showcased the accomplishments of Canadian women lawyers who have excelled in the mostly male dominated legal profession.
On Tuesday April 27, 2010, women lawyers who have made a difference for women and girls in Canada stepped into the spotlight to be recognized as part of LEAF's Equality Day: A Celebration of Women, held in Toronto. Thank you to our sponsors and everyone involved.
Women Lawyers Who Have Made A Difference: Founders of LEAF: Beth Atcheson, Mary Eberts, Marilou McPhedran, Yvonne Peters, Eloize Spitzer, Beth Symes, and Susan Tanner
Equality Day- Section 15 Honourees: Deborah M. Alexander, Jennifer Babe, Mary Louise Dickson, barbara findlay, Elizabeth McIntyre, Sheila McIntrye, Sharon McIvor, Mary Jane Mossman, Helena Orton (posthumously), Kim Pate, Laurie Pawlitza, Linda Silver Dranoff, Elizabeth Shilton, Latha Sukumar, and Lisa Vogt.
Section 15 Sponsors: EFTP, Green & Chercover, McCarthy T�trault, Miller Thomson LLP, Scotiabank Group |
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LEAF Halifax Welcomes Dean Kim Brooks | |  LEAF Halifax endeavours to provide LEAF members, supporters and donors with a forum to both discuss and learn about current equality issues and meet like-minded individuals. The branch also seeks to provide members with avenues to learn about, become involved in, and contribute to the work of LEAF, including our education and events committees, and our branch executive. On June 15th, LEAF Halifax hosted an event to welcome Dean Kim Brooks. Dean Kim Brooks Among her numerous achievements and accolades, Professor Brooks served as President of the Canadian Association of Law Teachers, managing Editor/Secretary of the Canadian Journal of Women and the law, Co-chair of the National Steering Committee of the National Association of Women and the Law, Editor of Women and Gender Law Abstracts, and was Chair of the Board of Directors of the LEAF's National Legal Committee. With an inexhaustible energy and passion for the law, she has significant experience with curriculum reform, strategic planning and advancement. She is deeply committed to seizing the opportunity before the Schulich School of Law to take the lead in curriculum reform, to increase its scholarly impact, to cultivate the professional legal community and to encourage students to work in the public interest.
At the event, LEAF Halifax also presented its past chair Amy Moen with the LEAF Volunteer Contribution Award 2010. |
| In Gratitude | |  A Mother's Day Concert Saturday May 8th, a very successful benefit concert was held in Vancouver to support LEAF National. The concert which was put on by Emily MacKinnon and Anna W�rje, was very well received, and helped increase awareness about LEAF's work. |
| LEAF's Annual Monthly Donor Draw | |  Ingrid Lundchen Wins
Every year LEAF encourages donors to become monthly donors through a national draw for a trip. You can win by becoming a monthly donor, increasing your donation and/or making a holiday gift as a monthly donor. The lucky winner of our annual Monthly Donor Draw 2009/10 was Ingrid Ludchen of Ottawa who took her trip to Antigua in  April.
Ingrid commented on her experience, "I was happy to donate to LEAF with no reward, but I certainly appreciate having won the trip, and having had the wonderful experience of visiting Antigua. The resort was lovely, and the beach is one of the best in Antigua. Thank you for this opportunity. |
| LEAF Youth Commission | |  Taking the Pulse of Canada's Youth For 25 years, LEAF has stood behind women and girls by advocating for equality and social justice. To celebrate this milestone anniversary, LEAF launched a Youth Commission to engage Canada's future leaders in a national dialogue on social justice and equality issues! You can get involved and keep your finger on the pulse of what LEAF and its youth commissioners are doing in a number of ways: To visit the LEAF Youth Commission Blog, click on Or to view our calendar of events visit EDMONTON: Justice and Housing When: Saturday, July 24, 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Where: Stanley Milner Library Description: Partnering with a local youth emergency shelter and youth restorative action program to bring diverse youth to discuss issues of Justice and Housing. Through the use of facilitators and creative artists like a drum circle we will have break-out sessions which will focus on bringing to light youth perspectives of Justice and Housing in the city.
TORONTO: Audism and the Toronto Police Service When: Saturday, August 7, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Where: 252 Bloor Street West. St. George Station OISE - U of T, Room 2212 Description: Recently, stories have been reported about the Toronto Police Services denying interpreters, accusing deaf people of "faking", interpreting attempts to communicate as violence, misunderstanding facial expressions that are a part of our grammar as anger, and countless other acts of audism, discrimination, and violence. We will share our stories and experiences in a public forum to promote healing, equality and change, to help begin the long process of achieving change within the Toronto Police Services policy, training, and sensitivity to diverse communities. |
| LEAF Speakers Bureau | | |
As part of our 25th Anniversary, LEAF is engaging new audiences through our National Speakers Bureau. LEAF will deliver presentations that focus on LEAF's impact on equality, the relevance of section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms today and specific theme issues. The Speakers Bureau will provide you with a speaker that will deliver a presentation adapted to suit the needs of your audience.
Interested organizations, groups, high schools, community centres or law firms should complete the online request form for a speaker to address their community by visiting www.leaf.ca/speakers.
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| Equality Rights Central | |  The Equality Rights Central (ERC) website is progressing and aiming for its official launch this coming September. The ERC will highlight interesting and important changes in equality jurisprudence, especially at the lower court and tribunal level. In preparation for the launch, we have been researching, writing and posting material on the site on such topics as authority figures and sexual assault; equality rights for the poor; the Charter equality test in human rights cases; and legislative reform of pay equity and immigration. We have also been consulting with equality rights advocates about how the site will be most useful to them. LEAF is sponsoring ERC, with funding from the LEAF Foundation, as well as the B.C., Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick law foundations. If you would like to receive notice of when the ERC is online and available, please visit our temporary site http://www.equalityrightscentral.com/ and provide us with your email address. |
 MARCH AMUN | |  On its continuing work to stimulate thought and discussion, and to monitor and advance the development of equality law in Canada, LEAF supported MARCH AMUN ("big gathering") and Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC), in June on their march to Parliament to protest the Bill C-3 in its current form which denies status to a very large group of aboriginal women and their children. Michele Audette who led the march is a new LEAF Board Member from Quebec. Bill C-3 is now awaiting the Fall session of Parliament for a decision.
Pictured above (L-R): R. Vivane Michele, Danielle Guay, Sharon McIvor, and Michèle Audette with her son Yocoisse Sioui. |
| N.S. v. R. (Ontario C.A.) | |
LEAF intervened in the Niqab case at the beginning of June at the Ontario Court of Appeal. Lead Counsel, Susan Chapman, did an amazing job in representing LEAF's argument to the court. The decision is expected this summer. For more details on this case visit http://leaf.ca/legal/briefs/2010-ns.html#target. |
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Her Majesty the Queen v. L.B. |
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LEAF has filed for leave to intervene in the case of her Majesty the Queen v. L.B., which considers the infanticide provisions of the Criminal Code. LEAF's interest in the appeal is that there is a trend of charging women, who under extreme psychological and other circumstances kill their newly born children, with murder rather than the mitigated offence of infanticide. Given that most women in Canada who commit this offence are young, socially isolated or otherwise marginalized, and often poor and/or without social or other supports, the trend of charging murder (with a mandatory life sentence and parole ineligibility) is troubling. Infanticide carries a maximum prison term of five years. |
 LEAF Manitoba's 25th
Anniversary Celebration | | 
His and Her Honourable Phillip S. Lee, Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba hosted a 25th Anniversary celebration for Section 15 and LEAF. His honour greets a guest for the reception. |
| LEAF Branches Celebrate 25 Years | |  Leaf Edmonton |
| 2010 Persons Day Breakfast Toronto | | 
Deena Ladd, an advocate and activist for immigrant women is the guest speaker at the Persons Day Breakfast Toronto 2010. Toronto's population is now more than 50% immigrants (born outside the country) and reflects an important aspect of LEAF's work. We are receiving more calls from this community about rights violations etc., and it is also a priority within the corporate community and emerging diversity trends.
Winner of the prestigious Constance E. Hamilton Award on the Status of Women; community activist and advocate Deena Ladd has worked tirelessly to improve working conditions for low-wage earners and immigrant women, mobilizing workers to challenge employers that engage in inequitable practices, and partnering across diverse communities to achieve legislative change. Captivating and compelling, join us as Deena Ladd sheds light on the work still to be done.
When: Friday, Oct. 29, 2010
Where: Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen St. West, Toronto.
For tickets and more information, please contact Audia Johnson, Development Coordinator, Women's Legal Education and Action Fund(LEAF)Inc., 60 St. Clair Ave. East, Ste. 703, Toronto, ON M4T 1N5, Tel: 416.595.7170 Ext 224, Fax: 416.595.7191, or email: [email protected] |
| 2010 LEAF Manitoba Persons Day Breakfast | | |
LEAF Manitoba will celebrate its 20th Persons Day Breakfast, with Dr. Constance Blackhouse and Tantoo Cardinal, addressing the topic "Manitoba Homecoming 2010: Bringing Equality Home". These two women's life stories exemplify dedication to equality and justice.
Constance Backhouse C.M., O.Ont, B.A. (Manitoba), LL.B. (Osgoode Hall), LL.M. (Harvard), LL.D. (Law Society), F.R.S.C., is a respected lawyer, author and educator, recognized for her unwavering dedication to human rights in Canada and around the world.
Tantoo Cardinal C.M., a Metis/Cree from northern Alberta, mother, actor and writer's personal commitment to ending violence against women became a mobilizing voice in Canada.
When: Friday, October 15th, 2010, 7:15 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Where: Winnipeg Convention Centre
For more information on this event, or to purchase a ticket, please contact LEAF Manitoba at: [email protected] or (204) 453-1379 |
| LEAF Board of Directors 2010/2011 | | |
On June 21st LEAF held its Annual General Meeting. At the meeting we acknowledged outgoing Board Members - Doris Buss, Chair and Beverly Burns, Vice-Chair for their work on behalf of LEAF. At the subsequent meeting new members and new positions were elected. The slate of Board Members for 2010/2011 is:
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MICHELE AUDETTE (Wendake, Quebec)
Director
former Deputy Minister for Status of Women Quebec | |
CLETA BROWN (Vancouver, BC)
Vice Chair
Barrister & Solicitor | |
CARISSIMA MATHEN (Fredericton, NB)
Director
Chair, Law Program Committee
Professor, Faculty of Law, University of New Brunswick | |
ROBIN REINERTSEN (Vancouver, BC)
Director
Chair, Governance Committee
Lawyer, Blake, Cassels and Graydon | |
MARILYN ROYCROFT (Toronto, ON)
Director
Chair, Nominating Committee & Fund Development Committee
Retired Educator | |
JENNIFER TOMASZEWSKI (Sherwood Park, AB)
Chair
Lawyer - Non practicing | |
ELIZABETH ADJIN-TETTEY (Victoria, B.C.)
Director
Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Victoria | |
LESLYN LEWIS (Toronto, ON)
Director
Lawyer - Lewis Law | |
HEATHER MCGEORGE (Toronto, ON)
Treasurer
CA and Tax Lawyer | |
ROBERTA ROBB (Burlington, ON)
Director
Economics Professor, Retired | |
LISA TAYLOR (Toronto, ON)
Director
Lawyer and Journalist- consultant | |
BEVIN WORTON (Ottawa, ON)
Director
Lawyer - Government of Canada | |
AUDREY M. JOHNSON (Toronto)
Executive Director, LEAF |
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| Order of Manitoba Recipieint | | 
Betty Hopkins LEAF Chair in Manitoba, who has devoted her life to promoting social justice, received the Order of Manitoba on Thursday, July 15, at a ceremony at the Manitoba Legislative Building. The ceremony honoured 12 past and present residents. The Order of Manitoba was established in 1999, and is the highest honour the province can bestow on an individual.
Betty Hopkins is pictured in the front row, far left, along with others honoured at the ceremony with Lt.-Gov. Philip Lee, his wife Anita (front row, fourth and third from right) and Premier Greg Selinger (fourth from right, rear). |
| JOIN US | |
It is with much gratitude and excitement that we ask you to join us in the celebration. Without you, LEAF's work would not be possible. For more on our celebrations, all that is planned for this year, and how you can get involved, please visit our website at www.leaf.ca. |
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