WRCLS expands access to justice with rural mobile legal clinics

Better access to legal support will continue for local residents this year with monthly legal clinics held at the Wilmot and Wellesley Resource Centre. Contributed photo

By Amanda Nelson

Waterloo Region Community Legal Services (WRCLS) is once again offering rural mobile legal clinics to support residents in Wellesley and Wilmot townships.

The free clinics will be held monthly at the Wilmot and Wellesley Resource Centre, located at 175 Waterloo St., Unit 1, in New Hamburg, from 9 a.m. to noon. WRCLS provides the rural mobile legal clinics as part of its ongoing commitment to improving access to justice for residents living in rural areas of Waterloo Region who may face barriers in accessing legal help.

“We aim to offer support to everyone living in the Region of Waterloo, and we just weren’t reaching folks in the rural areas,” said Angie Pham, community development worker at WRCLS. “This initiative allows us to cover communities that were previously missing.”

The 2026 clinic schedule has now been finalized, and community members can book free and confidential 30-minute appointments with a legal professional.

The clinics provide free legal information and summary advice, assistance navigating legal systems and processes, and referrals to appropriate legal and community resources. Services are intended for individuals with low incomes who have difficulty accessing legal advice outside of their rural communities.

“Generally, we support people with issues related to tenancies, employment, immigration, citizenship and social assistance,” said Pham. “While we don’t typically handle family law matters, we can help point people in the right direction.”

Issues that can be discussed during appointments include tenancy concerns; Indigenous justice (Gladue); Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) questions, appeals and overpayments; Canada Pension Plan (CPP) disability concerns; employment law and employment insurance (EI); immigration and citizenship matters; workplace sexual harassment; name and gender marker changes; and notarization and commissioning services.

Upcoming clinic dates are Jan. 26, Feb. 23, March 23, April 27, May 25 and June 22.

To book an appointment, call 519-662-2731 or email info@wilmotwellesleyrc.ca, and for more information, visit wrcls.ca/rural-mobile.