Nova Scotia Legal Aid services expand to Spryfield

A new initiative beginning today will make it easier for kids outside of the city core to get legal advice.

Nova Scotia Legal Aid has partnered with Chebucto Connections — a community centre in Spryfield — to offer a “youth social justice drop-in” to help kids in the area with issues ranging from school and housing to licensing and the Property Protection Act.

Megan Longley, Nova Scotia Legal Aid’s managing lawyer for youth services, said it’s “less traditional law, and more advocacy and on-the-ground-work.” She means that she’ll be helping kids deal with whatever problems they may be facing in life.

She said many of them just need someone to go to bat for them.

“A lot of them do not know how to advocate for themselves, or maybe don’t have an adult that for whatever reason is able to advocate for them effectively,” she said.

Bonnie Ste-Croix at Chebucto Connections said it won’t be hard to get kids in the door; they’re already there participating in initiatives like Pathways to Education, a program that helps kids stay in school and plan for university.

“It will be fairly easy to get the word out there that these services are available to any youth that might be interested in just asking questions,” said Ste-Croix.  “It doesn’t have to be that they’re in any serious trouble at all, it’s a great opportunity for them to learn their rights and responsibilities as well.”

She hopes the kids will take advantage, but based on the community’s acceptance of similar programs for adults, she thinks it will be successful.

For Longley, it’s all about access. She said it’s hard for people outside of the downtown core to get there to see her, so she’s coming to them.

She said a similar initiative is planned for Preston.