Our newest Access to Justice All-Star is Anne Fletcher of the Bella Coola Legal Advocacy Program in British Columbia. Anne is an Advocate, funded by the Law Foundation of BC, and a Community Partner of the Legal Services Society (LSS). She helps hundreds of people a year access justice in the BC communities of Bella Coola, Bella Bella, and Klemtu, which have a high proportion of Indigenous clients. These are remote and isolated parts of the province where resources to help self-represented litigants are scarce. Anne takes many private and confidential appointments with people needing legal help, as well as helping people over the phone. In addition, she also runs the Bella Coola Legal Advocacy Program Facebook page, which features relevant legal news, announcements of events, workshops and site visits, and alerts to local legal concerns that should be addressed on a wider level.
Anne was nominated by Alex Peel, Community Engagement Coordinator of the Legal Services Society. Alex had this to say of Anne’s work and dedication:
“The Legal Services Society (LSS) has had the privilege of working in partnership with Anne Fletcher and the Bella Coola Legal Advocacy Program for many years. Anne supports low-income British Columbians access legal services in some of the most remote and hard to reach parts of BC. She is creative, passionate and a lifeline to many people who might otherwise have no one to help them. Anne is a great asset to our program, and to her community.”
Congratulations Anne!
I am very honoured. Thank you so much. I want also to acknowledge that the photo is of me flying out over Bella Bella after delivery of the Mid-Coast Indigenous Law Project, as generously funded by the Law Foundation of Ontario.