Branch President's Message

Simcoe County Housing and Health Symposium
March 20, 2024 at Liberty North, Barrie

 

A sign of an inclusive and prosperous community is where people of all ages and abilities can participate fully in society, including having many housing options such as modifying the home, co-housing, NORC's (Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities), etc.  Over the past several months Leo Brooks, Vice President / Advocacy Director for Huronia Branch has been fortunate to be a charter member of a local group called Seniors Housing Alliance - Simcoe County.

One of the charter members is also the President of Caregiver Omnimedia, a recognized authority on Aging in Place and Modifying the Home.  Don's team in co-operation with Superior Home Health and March of Dimes Canada are presenting a FREE afternoon symposium on Housing and Health in Simcoe County Wednesday, March 20 from 1-4 p.m. at the Liberty North In Barrie. I invite you to attend.

To review and register for this FREE event go to www.homemods.ca and click on Consumer registration.

Thank you and see you there,

 


International Women’s History Month

A quick history of women in Canadian law

For several countries, including the U.S., the U.K., and Australia, the month of March each year marks a celebration. Women’s History Month. Although Canada actually commemorates this worthy milestone in October, there can never be too-frequent recognition for the achievements of women around the world – be those achievements cultural, social, political, legal, and economic.  Consequently, this article will focus on the rise, and current role, of women in Canadian law.
 

Canada’s first woman lawyer

The legal pioneer for women was Clara Brett Martin: the first female lawyer in Canada. She began her long journey towards becoming a lawyer in the late 1800s. At the time, the Canadian government barred women from being lawyers and prohibited from voting.

But Clara helped pave the way to change.  Born in 1874, Toronto’s Trinity College accepted Clara in 1888. She applied for student membership with the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1891. She required this before she could embark on her mandatory articling that would entitle her to practice in law.
 

Initial rejection

After a long debate, the Law Society rejected her petition.  Only “persons” were eligible to be admitted to the practice of law under the legislation that established the Law Society. This referred only to men.  An amending Bill, passed in 1892, finally redefined the word “person”. It then included both women and men, which open the door for Clara’s acceptance. Clara commenced her articles with a Toronto law firm in 1983. Her fellow articling students and legal secretaries that she switched firms. She went to a prominent Toronto law firm, one that was the predecessor to Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP.  Clara was duly called to the Ontario bar and received her LL.B. in 1899. Clara died at the age of 49, having spearheaded a great shift in the legal landscape. One that opened the door for generations of women to come. In the modern day, just under 40 percent of all practicing lawyers in Canada are women.
 

Other notable women in Canadian law

Clara Brett Martin took some of the first pioneering steps for women in the legal field. There have been many other noteworthy Canadian women who have followed her. Historically those lawyers have served, and continue to serve, many different roles in the legal profession.  These include lawyers, Crown counsel, judges, law professors and legal scholars, and the deans of Canadian law schools.  Although there are far too many to choose from, here are just some of the standouts in the profession:
 

Beth Symes

Beth Symes is a Canadian lawyer who took on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on the issue of the deductibility of the childcare expenses. Although in the end she did not prevail in changing the law.  On her personal income tax return, she had tried to deduct “personal business expenses”. Those wages she paid to a nanny over a three-year period. She argued that the decision to hire the nanny had allowed her to focus on her career and become a partner in her law firm.  The CRA disallowed this, which position was upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada.
 

Beverly McLachlin

Until she stepped down in 2017, Beverley McLachlin was the 17th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, and the longest-serving Chief Justice in Canadian history.  She also served as Deputy of the Governor General of Canada at various times, as well as the role of Administrator of Canada.  In that latter role, she gave Royal Assent to the federal Civil Marriage Act, which effectively legalized same-sex marriage in Canada.
 

Louise Arbour

Louise Arbour is a former Justice of both the Supreme Court of Canada, and the Ontario Court of Appeal.  She then went on to become the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and was also the former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia, and for Rwanda.  In that role, she made history in at least two respects:  1) by being the first to prosecute sexual assault under the Articles of Crimes Against Humanity; and 2) by criminally indicting a sitting head of state, Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milosevic.
 

Kim Campbell

While her tenure was brief – lasting only a few months in 1993 – lawyer Kim Campbell served as the 19th Prime Minster of Canada. She has been the only woman to hold that post to date.