Awards
The ACLCO gives out two awards that recognize contributions to our client communities and to the community legal clinic system: The Stephen Little Award is awarded periodically to recognize extraordinary efforts to champion the work of community legal clinics. The Community Champion Award is awarded annually.
The Stephen Little Award is given to recognize the extraordinary commitment to the community legal clinic system, marked by leadership, dedication to helping others, working tirelessly with good humour and compassion as a unifying force.
The award is named for Stephen Little who was co-chair of the ACLCO and chair of the Board at Waterloo Regional Community Legal Services. Stephen dedicated his life to helping others and many in the clinic system knew him. His volunteer spirit was unrivalled. Stephen was a tremendous leader and unifying force. He worked tirelessly and with good humor on clinic issues and committees and did volunteer work for other organizations as well. Stephen passed away in May 2003.
The following have been recipients of the Stephen Little Award:
- The Honourable Sydney B. Linden (2005)
- The Honourable R. Roy McMurtry (2007)
- Friends of the Clinics Committee (Hon. R.R. McMurtry; G. Thomson, R. Anand, R. Ellis, D. Ewart, E. Goldberg, T. Herman, P. Hughes, MJ. Mossman) (2019)
The Community Champion Award is given annually by the ACLCO to a community partner who champions the cause of the clients and communities that legal clinics serve. The Award celebrates those who stand up for the most marginalized and disadvantaged in our communities. The Community Champion Award is given out at the ACLCO’s Annual General Meeting & Conference and the recipient is chosen from those individuals or groups nominated by Community Legal Clinics.
Community Champion Award recipients:
- 2024, Build a Better Fairview – a community group aiming to secure affordable housing, economic opportunities for local residents, adequate green space, and quality public spaces. Nominated by: Willowdale Community Legal Services
- 2023, Yvonne Kelly, an advocate for the right to housing and encampment advocacy in York Region. Nominated by: Community Legal Clinic of York Region
- 2021, Omar Khan, a leader and advocate for youth, refugees, newcomers, seniors and many facing homeless situations in Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park in Toronto. Nominated by: Don Valley Community Legal Services
- 2019, Linking Hands, an initiative created to reduce poverty in Dundas County. Nominated by: Clinique juridique Roy McMurty (SDG) Legal Clinic
- 2018, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, a collective voice for immigrant serving agencies, and coordinating responses to shared needs and concerns. Nominated by: South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario
- 2017, Susie Neves, a Parent Support Worker working hard for equal access to resources for students in the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood in Toronto. Nominated by: Downsview Community Legal Services
- 2016, ODSP Action Coalition , a coalition of community legal clinics, disability service providers and people with lived experience exploring systemic ways to address the problems being experienced by people on ODSP. Nominated by: ARCH Disabilty Law Centre & Income Security Advocacy Centre
- 2015, Steve Mantis, an injured worker advocate in Thunder Bay. Nominated by: Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic
- 2014, Colour of Poverty/Colour of Change, a group of community organizations concerned about the growing racial disparities in Ontario in order to raise public awareness around issues concerning and affecting racialized communities, including but not limited to the issue of racialization of poverty. Nominated by: Metro-Toronto Chinese Legal Clinic (Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic)
- 2013, Ethno-Racial People with Disabilities Coalition of Ontario, a grassroots community agency, addresses these issues of inter-sectionality both for individuals, as well as on a structural level. Nominated by: ARCH Disability Law Centre
- 2012, Aline Akeson, a tenant and ant-poverty activist in Ottawa. Nominated by: West End Legal Services (now part of Community Legal Services of Ottawa)
- 2011, Justicia for Migrant Workers (J4MW), a community group championing the rights of migrant workers, including migrant farm workers in the SAWP and TFWP programs, committed to fighting for spaces where migrant workers themselves can articulate their concerns without fear of loss of work or deportation. Nominated by: IAVGO Community Legal Clinic
- 2010, The Dream Team, a group working on behalf of Ontarians with mental health issues to provide public education and advocacy. Nominated by: Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario
- 2009 (two recipients):
- Kerry Lee from Safe ‘n Sound’s Homeless Initiative advocating for emergency shelter in the Grey-Bruce region. Nominated by: Grey-Bruce Legal Clinic
- Fred Franklin from Toronto Refugee Affairs Council, an umbrella organization of community based agencies providing assistance to refugees. Nominated by: North Peel & Dufferin Community Legal Services
- 2008, Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups, a provincial network of injured worker groups that aims to share information, learn new skills, and to advance a common agenda for reform of the workers’ compensation system. Nominated by: IAVGO Community Legal Clinic & Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic
(Please note that although the ACLCO intends to award this annually, the award was not given in 2020 and 2022 as we held abbreviated virtual AGMs during those years.)