DIY Home Improvements: What’s the law?
Reading Time: 5 minutes Doing your own home renovations means understanding the legal requirements, such as permits, and the consequences of doing poor work. You own your own home and decide to do some renovations. You get a couple of quotes from local contractors and are in shock over what it all adds up to. You think to yourself: […]
Neighbour Disputes: Encroaching people, trees, and smoke
Reading Time: 4 minutes Sharing a property line with someone else can lead to disputes. Here’s a few common neighbour disputes and what you can do about them. Neighbours are an inevitable part of life. Unless you’ve managed to escape somewhere far off the grid! Sometimes, neighbours become great friends. Other times, the relationship ends in neighbour disputes. A […]
Rights Within Your Property: Did you know?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Your property rights when it comes it property boundaries, fences, airspace, peaceful enjoyment, and encroachments. Ever wonder whether your fence defines property boundaries and whether there are laws about fences? Do you know what you own and control on your property? How about neighborhood noises … are there laws that deal with disturbances such as […]
Drinking in City Parks: Changes to Alberta’s liquor laws
Reading Time: 5 minutes In 2021, pilot programs in Edmonton and Calgary allowed public drinking in certain parks. What did we learn and how has drinking culture changed? To help Albertans endure the pandemic, the Government of Alberta passed the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Amendment Act 2020, which allowed Albertans to drink in certain parks. In this article, we summarize […]
Defending Your Workplace Rights in Alberta Can Be More Difficult Than It Should Be
Reading Time: 4 minutes The Workers’ Resource Centre sees common scenarios where workers do not understand their rights and options, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. For someone experiencing legal issues in the workplace for the first time, navigating the system for information and help can be a dauting task. Legal firms may charge several hundred dollars for a consultation, […]
Assisting the Client Living with the Effects of Serious Mental Illness
Reading Time: 7 minutes What are the challenges involved when working with clients living with psychotic illnesses, and what is some practical advice for their lawyers and advocates? I was asked to write an article on the challenges that those experiencing mental illnesses face when engaging with the legal system. What follows are my observations on providing legal services […]
Working with Clients Who Have Experienced Family Violence: Being client-centered and trauma-informed
Reading Time: 5 minutes Calgary Legal Guidance’s Domestic Violence Family Law program is constantly learning and growing to better hear, understand and serve its clients. Calgary Legal Guidance (CLG) is a non-profit organization offering a range of legal services to those who cannot easily access Legal Aid or other paid legal services. The Domestic Violence Family Law program (DVFL) […]
Sorrowful Soliloquies: I Am Ariel Sharon (Part 1)
Reading Time: 5 minutes I Am Ariel Sharon by Yara El-Ghadban is a timely novel that sheds light on the ongoing tragedy of the Palestinian people. Part 1 of this article describes how Canadian politics, institutions and media have responded to the Israel-Palestine conflict, providing context for my review of I Am Ariel Sharon in Part 2. The Impact […]
