Legal information and news from across Ontario

Our monthly newsletter highlights legal information resources, news, and events from CLEO and across Ontario. Find more resources in the Your Legal Rights collection.

Resources from community organizations

Rooming houses and renters’ rights

The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights has:

Toronto’s rules for Multi-Tenant Houses (Rooming Houses), a resource for tenants and service providers. Rooming houses are often covered by municipal bylaws so Toronto’s rules may not apply in other places.
Know your rights: Rental Housing Basics, a series of fact sheets on Ontario housing law. Topics include human rights, preventing eviction, repairs and maintenance, and record keeping for tenants. All are in English, and some are also in French, simplified Chinese, Hindi, Persian, and Spanish.

Supporting Black and Indigenous people with lived experience of the criminal legal system

The John Howard Society of Ontario (JHSO) has released a report called Uneven Scales. The report examines the unique civil legal needs faced by Black and Indigenous people in Ontario who have been involved with the criminal legal system. These communities are disproportionately over-represented in the system and face collateral issues such as evictions, loss of income support, and loss of employment.

The JHSO also has new self-directed training modules on how to support Black and Indigenous clients who are involved in the legal system. JHSO designed the modules along with the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres and the Black Legal Action Centre.

Refugee claim process

FCJ Refugee Centre has a toolkit for front-line workers on the process for making a refugee claim. The toolkit has information on starting a claim at a port of entry and from inside Canada.

Get involved

Help improve legal services – Share your insights

Muslim Legal Support Centre (MSLC) has a survey for legal service providers, community workers, and community leaders who help people with legal issues. The survey results will help shape legal services that are more accessible, culturally competent, and responsive to the needs of diverse communities. The survey is open until June 30, 2025.

You can also email MLSC at info@muslimlegalcentre.ca to give your input through a focus group or one-on-one interview.

Upcoming Pow Wows and National Indigenous Peoples Day events

2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations 2-Spirit Powwow: June 7, Toronto
Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre 2-Spirit Pride Pow Wow: June 7, Thunder Bay
North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre 17th Annual Maamwi Kindaaswin Pow Wow: June 7 to 8, North Bay
Aundeck Omni Kaning Traditional Powwow: June 7 to 8, Manitoulin Island
Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival: June 19 to 22, Peterborough
Georgian Bay Native Friendship Centre Pow Wow: June 20 to 21, Midland
Soaring Spirit Festival and Pow Wow: June 20 to 22, Stoney Creek
N’Swakamok Indigenous Friendship Centre National Indigenous Peoples Day Pow Wow: June 21, Sudbury
Na-Me-Res Pow Wow: June 21, Toronto
City of Hamilton National Indigenous Peoples Day: June 21, Hamilton
Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival Competition Pow Wow: June 21 to 22, Ottawa

For a longer list of Pow Wows happening throughout the year, please visit the 2025 Ontario Pow Wow Calendar.

Injured Worker's Day

This year marks the first official Injured Workers’ Day in Ontario on June 1st. Learn more about events and ways you can get involved to support injured and ill workers.

What's happening at CLEO

Celebrating National Indigenous History Month and Pride Month

June is Indigenous History Month and Pride Month. To celebrate this, CLEO has highlighted organizations, legal information, and legal services that promote and advance the rights of these communities.