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2003
annual
report
educate inform empower
300 - 201 21st Street East Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7K 0B8 Tel (306) 653-1868 Fax (306) 653-1869 plea@plea.org www.plea.org
what is plea?
The Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan (PLEA) is a non-profit, non-government,
charitable organization which exists to educate, inform, and empower through law-related
Table of
education. Contents
PLEA provides general information on the law rather than legal advice for specific problems.
Knowledge of the law (our rights and responsibilities) is a form of responsible citizenship. Public
what is plea? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
awareness of, and involvement in, legal issues can increase the effectiveness of our legal system. To this
president’s message . . . . . . . . . . 2
end, PLEA offers a number of services and materials.
highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
PLEA offers presentations on various areas of the law through Free Legal Information Sessions at d
co-director’s message . . . . . . 5
public libraries and regional colleges throughout the province, and through our Speakers Bureau our staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
service. Lectures are given by volunteer lawyers, government personnel, and other professionals.
supporters & funders . . . . . . 5
PLEA produces publications on many areas of the law and makes these available to the public at no board of directors . . . . . . . . 6
charge. PLEA also writes a newspaper article series, run weekly in many Saskatchewan newspapers. financial summary . . . . . . . . . . 6
PLEA’s Youth and Schools Program strives to promote the integration of law-related education into
the schools. We develop classroom resources and teacher education programs on teaching about the
law.
PLEA receives funding from the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan and the Department of Justice (Canada). PLEA also enjoys the support of the
Law Society of Saskatchewan, the Canadian Bar Association (Saskatchewan Branch), the College of Law, the Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission,
Saskatchewan Learning, Saskatchewan Justice, the Saskatoon Public Library, and libraries and regional colleges throughout the province.
educate inform empower
president’s message
2003 was a year for building partnerships at PLEA. Under the leadership of co-directors Joel
Janow and Doug Surtees, PLEA entered into a number of successful collaborations. A project
with the Office of the Status of Women resulted in the completion for publication of the 188
page book A Guide to the Law for Saskatchewan Women. Partnerships with the Federal and
Saskatchewan departments of justice resulted in PLEA taking an active role in helping teachers
and young people to understand the new Youth Criminal Justice Act. A collaboration with the City
of Saskatoon Race Relations Committee saw "Purple Bear, Yellow Bear", a wonderful illustrated story by Saskatoon
high school student Carlene Deutscher, reach thousands of school children throughout Saskatchewan. There were
several others, some of which started in 2003 and promise to bear fruit in the coming year.
These partnerships with other public bodies
demonstrate that public legal education is
important to the public and that PLEA provides
an effective and valued means of delivering that
service. Public legal education helps improve
access to justice and helps to empower the
disadvantaged and voiceless. PLEA is committed
to improving public understanding of the law, and
it has a proven ability to get the job done in a
creative and effective way. The credit goes to the
wonderful staff of PLEA and its co-directors.
And you can expect even greater things next year.
Andrew Mason,
President, PLEA Board of Directors
Front and back covers of the “Purple Bear, Yellow Bear” colouring book by Carlene Deutscher.
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2003 Highlights
G UIDE TO THE L AW FOR S ASKATCHEWAN W OMEN
Through PLEA's direct contact with Saskatchewan women, as well as through our other services offered to the
Saskatchewan public, we have repeatedly encountered women with specific legal information needs who are unable to access
available information because of their personal circumstances. We have found that many women, particularly those living in
small or rural communities, are reluctant to be in possession of material that specifically deals with
areas of the law that, rightly or wrongly, have social stigmas associated with them. Women dealing with
domestic violence, relationship breakdown, workplace harassment, or financial difficulties often have
privacy or safety concerns for themselves and their families. Accessing legal information on these
specific topics can place such women in danger of being victimized all over again. This means that
women who encounter such problems are often not getting the legal information that they need.
With support from the Status of Women's Office, Saskatchewan Labour, PLEA has produced a new
publication, A Guide to the Law for Saskatchewan Women. The guide is an all-inclusive resource covering
a broad range of legal topics, particularly sensitive issues such as domestic violence, separation and
divorce, child custody, parental rights and responsibilities, health, and money matters. These topics are
included alongside other areas of the law as diverse as women in conflict with the law, women at work,
protected rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and relevant human rights legislation. A key
component of the guide is the chapter by chapter resource sections on where to find help.
Y OUTH J USTICE P ROJECTS
PLEA partnered with the Youth Justice Renewal Initiative (YJRI) of the Department of Justice Canada on a variety of
projects to inform the people of Saskatchewan about the YJRI and the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA).
YCJA Publications and Other Resources
This project involved updating PLEA's existing youth justice resources and developing new YCJA resources for
Saskatchewan. The new resources resulting from this project included:
• a Youth Justice Intermediary Training Guide to inform persons working with youth, and in
particular, those working with youth-at-risk, of issues, information and resources related to the
YCJA and the legal system as a whole.
• a YCJA Educator Overview CD, a Power Point presentation to inform educators
and other members of school communities about youth justice and the Youth Criminal
Justice Act.
• a series of twelve newspaper articles on the YCJA, focusing on various aspects of
the new legislation, including extrajudicial and judicial measures, sentencing, and
victim's issues. The articles ran in newspapers and venues of other information
providers subscribing to our weekly A Look at the Law newspaper article service.
• an outline and speaker's notes for our volunteer speakers to use for Free Legal
Information Sessions and Speakers Bureau presentations on the YCJA.
YCJA Principles Project
This project involved working with youth and educators to provide a framework to implement the basic principles of the YCJA
within school communities. More than sixty presentations were delivered to various stakeholders in school communities across
the province. In addition, we provided resources and consultation to assist schools and youth to connect to existing resources
in the community, and enhance communication among schools and between schools, and their broader communities, on youth
justice issues.
YCJA One Year Later Project
This project is on-going and involves the development of supplemental materials for the youth justice publications
previously produced by PLEA (and others), to address and account for on-going developments in the interpretation and
application of the Act. The general tone and direction of this supplementary material will be retrospective in nature, taking
a "one-year later" approach. The provision of information regarding the practical application of the law - in essence, how
the letter of the law, or the policy behind it, is being fleshed out in the lives of people affected - is essential to the public's
general understanding of the youth justice system. The primary resource being developed for this purpose is a stand-alone,
master document (The YCJA: One Year Later), which will have national appeal, as it draws on case law, challenges, etc. from
across the country. This resource will be complete in the spring of 2004, and be available in English and French.
continued on next page
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2003 highlights
continued
F AMILY V IOLENCE
In an on-going project, PLEA is partnering with the Family Violence Initiative of the Department of
Justice Canada to develop, field-test, and publish a Family Violence Intermediary Training Guide for
Saskatchewan. The purpose of the Guide is to inform and educate persons working with victims of
family violence of issues, information, and resources related to domestic abuse, such as accessing help
from the community, accessing the criminal and civil court systems, The Victims of Domestic Violence
Act, as well as the legal system as a whole. In Phase I of the project, a draft of the Guide was
completed. Phase II of the project involved the targeted promotion of the draft Guide to individual
intermediaries for voluntary review and to intermediary organizations, who were invited to request a
piloting workshop for their organization. This workshop facilitated intermediaries' use of the Guide
and provided the opportunity for one-on-one evaluation of the Guide over the course of several
months. In the spring of 2004, a finalized copy of the Family Violence Intermediary Training Guide will
be printed, and offered free of charge to intermediaries across the province.
PLEA A NNUAL L AW W EEK L UNCHEON
PLEA's Fifth Annual Law Week Luncheon was held on April 15, 2003 in Saskatoon. Our guest speaker
was The Honourable Allan Blakeney, former Premier of Saskatchewan, who delivered the keynote
address entitled: Reflections by an Itinerant Peddler of Constitutional Ideas.
This annual event celebrates Law Week and promotes the work of PLEA. Volunteers, board members
past and present, lawyers and judiciary, and funding support from the Law Foundation of
Saskatchewan and others, all contribute to PLEA's success in leading the way in building partnerships,
developing new programs, and meeting the need for public education in the law. This event also
enables us to publicly acknowledge and thank these supporters for their assistance during the past year.
We gratefully acknowledge the kind contributions toward this event from the following participants:
the Sheraton Cavalier; Flowers by Murray/Stems Party & Design; Houghton Boston; the College of
Law; the Children's Advocate Office; the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission; and the Canadian
Bar Association (Saskatchewan Branch). The Honourable Allan
Blakeney
C ONSERVATION E ASEMENTS
PLEA entered into discussions with a consortium of government and non-government organizations about partnering to
produce a series of PLEA's A Look at the Law newspaper articles on the topic of conservation easements. The consortium was
made up of the Canadian Wildlife Service/Environment Canada; the Nature Conservancy of Canada; Saskatchewan
Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization Lands Branch; Ducks Unlimited Canada; and Saskatchewan Environment. These
articles will be run in newspapers across the province in early 2004.
I NTERNATIONAL T RADE L AW
PLEA is revising this very valuable website and accompanying teachers' resource books.
Preliminary consultations with the University of Saskatchewan Centre for Studies in
Agriculture, Law and the Environment and Saskatchewan Learning have gone very well. The
new edition of this material will be ready to go in 2004.
S CHOOL L AW
Saskatchewan teachers told us that they would like a way to more easily invite Saskatchewan
lawyers and judges into their classrooms. PLEA entered into a partnership with the Law Society
of Saskatchewan, the Canadian Bar Association, and the Courts Education Program to make
this happen. We have spent time learning what topics teachers and students would be interested
in hearing. We have also located volunteer lawyers and judges. In 2004, our new School Law
program will be ready to test.
educate inform empower
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Co-Director’s report
Challenges, Changes and Partnerships. These three concepts largely sum up
PLEA’s year in 2003. The challenges help keep us resourceful. The changes
help keep us fresh. And the partnerships help keep us strong and connected
to Saskatchewan communities. The highlights and goals set out in this
report particularly illustrate our exciting challenges and partnerships - past,
present and future.
We are proud and honoured to be presented with such opportunities and
Joel Janow, Co-Director know, that with our excellent staff (both new and not-so-new) and their Doug Surtees, Co-Director
Adult Program Coordinator commitment to our organization and our mission, PLEA will continue to Youth & Schools Coordinator
enjoy its prominent position in Saskatchewan in the field of providing
public legal education and information for all citizens.
Of course, little of our work would be possible without the strong support of the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan,
whose members have always believed in the importance of our mission and the high value of a legally informed citizenry.
We are extremely grateful for their support.
As we look forward to 2004, we also look forward to new challenges, we expect new changes, and we will work toward
new partnerships. At the invitation of the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan, we look forward to working with more
Saskatchewan organizations as they try to meet the law-related education needs of the people they serve.
2003 our staff
adult program activities
• 81 free legal information sessions, speakers
bureau presentations and media
presentations were delivered
Joel Janow Co-Director
• 795 requests for legal information 2003 Doug Surtees Co-Director
• 79 volunteers presented programs youth & schools activities Shelly Simons Admin. Coordinator
throughout the province or edited • 455 instruction guides distributed
publications Carol Colville Financial Admin.
• 7 in-service presentations conducted
• 395 contribution-in-kind professional Allyson Gagne Legal Writer
hours were committed to by volunteers • 5,348 copies of The PLEA distributed
(4 issues) Lee Cutforth Legal Writer
• 186,626 publications were distributed
• 27,334 publications were accessed online • 940 copies of Peace Talks distributed Ferne Hebig Program Assistant
(1 issue)
• 2 PLEA displays at events Peggy Welter Program Assistant
• 10,044 homepage “hits” at www.plea.org • 2 League of Peaceful Schools presentations,
workshops, and recognition events held Deb McLachlan 2003 Project Staff
• 9 Youth and Schools displays at events Jocelyn Gagne 2003 Project Staff
• 2,328 homepage hits at the Youth &
Schools website Janet Drysdale 2003 Project Staff
Sponsors and SUpporters
The Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan is funded by:
• The Law Foundation of Saskatchewan
With grants and assistance from:
• Department of Justice Canada • Saskatchewan Justice • The Law Society of Saskatchewan
We gratefully acknowledge the following sponsors:
Fifth Annual PLEA Law Week Luncheon
• Houghton Boston Printers & Lithographers • College of Law, University of Saskatchewan
• Sheraton Cavalier Hotel • Children’s Advocate Office • Canadian Bar Association
• Flowers by Murray/Stems Party & Design • Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission
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board of directors
PLEA is extremely grateful for the time and effort our Board Members put into directing and supporting the important and valuable work the
organization does for the people of Saskatchewan. Their advisory role with respect to our programming and administrative concerns, when they have
been called upon, has been invaluable for the good of PLEA and, ultimately, the Saskatchewan public. Their work as Board Members often goes above
and beyond the ordinary call of duty.
2003/2004 2002/2003
Andrew Mason, B.A., LL.B. President Andrew Mason, B.A., LL.B. President
Member at Large Member at Large
Taras Udod, B.A., B.Th., M.Div. Vice President Taras Udod, B.A., B.Th., M.Div. Vice President
Member at Large Member at Large
Norma Sim, Q.C., B.A.(Hons.), LL.B. Vice President Randy Danyliw, B.A., B.Ed. Treasurer
Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission Representative Member at Large
Lyle Markowski, B.A., B.Ed., P.G.D. Secretary Lyle Markowski, B.A., B.Ed., P.G.D. Secretary
Saskatchewan Education Representative Saskatchewan Education Representative
Randy Danyliw, B.A., B.Ed. Treasurer Joan Brownridge, B.A.
Member at Large Member at Large
Rhonda Hueser, B.Ed. Rhonda Hueser, B.Ed.
Saskatchewan Justice Representative Saskatchewan Justice Representative
Bill Holliday, B.A., LL.B. Bill Holliday, B.A., LL.B.
Member at Large Member at Large
Ken Norman, B.A., LL.B, B.C.L. (OXON) Ken Norman, B.A., LL.B, B.C.L. (OXON)
College of Law, University of Saskatchewan Representative College of Law, University of Saskatchewan Representative
Chris Sarich, B.A., B.Ed., P.G.D. Chris Sarich, B.A., B.Ed., P.G.D.
Member at Large Member at Large
Peggy Sarjeant, B.A., M.L.A. Peggy Sarjeant, B.A., M.L.A.
Saskatoon Public Library Representative Saskatoon Public Library Representative
Donna Scott, Q.C., B.A., LL.B. Donna Scott, B.A., LL.B.
Member at Large Member at Large
Glenda Cooney, B.A. (Hons.) Norma Sim, Q.C., B.A.(Hons.), LL.B.
Member at Large Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission Representative
Kevin Tunney, B.Ed., M.Ed.
Member at Large
educate inform empower
financial summary
revenue
Revenue 2003 2002 Government of
Saskatchewan
Department of Other Income
4%
Donations - Regular $ 105 $ 145 Justice Canada 1%
31%
Donations - In-kind - 31,350
Grants 708,565 697,691
Interest 2,248 1,334
Luncheon Income 2,725 4,475
Memberships 515 2,220
Miscellaneous 4,229 6,894 Law Foundation Grant
64%
Portfolios 1,700 1,850
Publications 1,691 2,620
721,778 748,579 expenses
Management & General
Expenses 719,828 747,458 Administration
22%
Excess of Revenue Over Expenses 1,950 1,121
Net Assets, Beginning of Year 49,358 48,237
Net Assets, End of Year $ 51,308 $ 49,358
Programs
78%
To obtain a complete Financial Statement, please contact PLEA.
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