I was absolutely thrilled to learn, on Twitter, on Friday May 17, 2024, that my long time cherished organizational client, the Empowerment Council, are this year’s winners of the Ontario Bar Association’s prestigious OBA Foundation Award.

The Winners of all the OBA 2024 Awards were announced by the Association on its website here:

https://www.oba.org/News-Media/Press-Releases/2024/Ontario-Bar-Association-Announces-Presidents-Awa

I was so excited to see The Empowerment Council’s name among the winners:

THE OBA FOUNDATION AWARD

According to the OBA’s Awards Website here:

https://www.oba.org/OBAFoundation/Our-Work/OBA-Foundation-Award

The OBA Foundation Award is presented to:

• a member of the Bar of Ontario who has practiced or has taught in an Ontario law school; 
• an articling student or a law student enrolled in an Ontario law school;
• a member of the judiciary in Ontario; or
• an organization in Ontario.

And

Previous OBA Foundation Award winners are:

• The Honourable Stephen Goudge, Q.C.;
• Omar Ha-Redeye;
• Luke’s Place; and
• The Honourable Todd Archibald.

THE EMPOWERMENT COUNCIL HAS DONE INCREDIBLE WORK AT CORONER’S INQUESTS IMPROVING THE WAY IN WHICH POLICE INTERACT WITH PERSONS IN CRISIS TO AVOID LETHAL OUTCOMES IN THOSE INTERACTIONS

THE EMPOWERMENT COUNCIL AS RECIPIENT OF THE OBA FOUNDATION AWARD

The Empowerment Council is a richly deserving recipient of this OBA FOUNDATION AWARD.

I was proud to nominate the EC for the Award in my letter by introducing them this way:

Re: Nomination of the Empowerment Council for the OBA Foundation Award (2024)

This award was created to recognize exceptional contributions to the improvement of the justice system through public legal education, innovative research, or other means.

The Foundation encourages the nomination of award candidates from equality-seeking groups whose work and accomplishments may have been unnoticed in the wider legal community.

I write today to nominate an organization whose work fits this description perfectly. I am very familiar with the organization, and their Executive Director, Jennifer Chambers, given my role as counsel to them on most of their litigation over the last 20+ years.

The Empowerment Council’s website is here: https://empowermentcouncil.ca/

The Empowerment Council is a tiny organization, which has made an enormous contribution to the development of the law in relation to everyone living with serious mental health or addictions issues. They have altered the landscape through their legal advocacy and public education efforts and have been punching well above their weight throughout their existence. With just two and a half full time equivalent positions in their non-profit, they have engaged in a huge amount of litigation and advocacy in the public interest. All staff and Board members self-identify as People With Lived Experience (PWLE) of Mental Health or Addiction issues. While funded through the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, they are wholly independent in their advocacy and not under the CAMH’s control. Their efforts are extraordinary in scope and efficacy, but risk flying under the radar without due recognition because the rights and interests of equity seeking group of PWLE are frequently marginalized.

MY PERSONAL GRATITUDE FOR AN ENTIRE CAREER SPENT REPRESENTING THE EC

Personally, I have had the incredible, great good fortune to serve as counsel to this extraordinary organization on nearly 20 Coroner’s Inquests and at least 10 cases in the Supreme Court of Canada. Representing the Empowerment Council, and taking instructions from their Board of Directors by working directly with its Executive Director, Jennifer Chambers, has been one of the true highlights of my own career. The work the EC does is indispensable, necessary, inspired and inspiring. Jennifer is a unique leader and visionary, whose tireless consistent and persistent efforts to make change are always diplomatic and polite, while never backing down from foundational principles and defending the rights of People With Lived Experience of mental health issues or People Who Use Drugs. We’ve had a great nearly 25 year run together. But it is Jennifer who drives all the litigation, based on the thoughtful and insightful direction of the Board. Everyone involved with the EC self-identifies as a PWLE of mental health issues or has experience with using drugs, making their perspective and voice the most informed and certainly the most important in any litigation that concerns the affected client populations.

Jennifer Chambers has been a past recipient of an Award for her Outstanding Legal Advocacy on behalf of People with Lived Experience of mental health issues and those who use drugs, including this award from the Law and Mental Disorder Association (LAMDA) some years back now. Here is a photo of her receiving THAT OTHER AWARD.

Congratulations to Jennifer and the Empowerment Council on winning OBA’s prestigious OBA Foundation Award.

We will look forward to the Awards Gala on June 20, 2024!