A legal clinic that specializes in helping newcomers across Northwestern Ontario navigate the immigration system will set up shop at the Fort Frances Public Library & Technology Centre (FFPLTC) next week, part of a tour marking its fifth anniversary.
The Newcomer Legal Clinic, based in Thunder Bay, will run an information booth at the library on Wednesday, Sept. 16, from noon to 7 p.m., and Thursday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Staff will hand out information about the clinic’s services, run a booth activity with a prize for participants, and take general immigration questions from anyone who drops by. The visit is free and no appointment is needed.
The team won’t be giving legal advice over the two days, Clinic Coordinator J. Bianca Espinoza said, though staff will do quick intakes where they have the capacity.
“Please, come and get to know the team and learn more about immigration in Northwestern Ontario,” Espinoza wrote in response to questions from the Times.
The upcoming visit came together with help from the Northwest Community Legal Clinic, the Fort Frances legal aid clinic that provides free poverty-law services locally and connects residents with other organizations when their needs fall outside its own areas. It put the Thunder Bay team in touch with the library, and the timing lined up with Welcoming Week programming already on the calendar.
“The library is a natural fit for the Newcomer Legal Clinic because we are a trusted community space,” FFPLTC CEO Nadine Cousineau said. “Having the clinic here gives local newcomers an opportunity to access legal information and resources in community-based setting without any expectations.”
It isn’t the library’s first Welcoming Week event. Cousineau noted a free barbecue in 2025 and an open house in 2024 were both very well attended affairs.
“There are many gaps in legal service access to migrants in Northwestern Ontario,” Espinoza said. The clinic handles complicated cases, she said, but the work also means “the opportunity and privilege to witness and address the unique circumstances of those in the rural North and advocate for those who need a voice.”
One of its main services is supporting people on closed work permits, which tie a worker to a single employer. Espinoza said the clinic helps those being abused by that employer, whether physically, emotionally, sexually or financially, to understand and exercise their rights and get support during emergencies.
The clinic also sees newcomers caught between competing pressures, as communities in Northwestern Ontario trying to grow their populations while the Federal government is actively working to reduce the numbers of temporary and permanent residents Canada admits.
“Newcomers in Northwestern Ontario are being caught between policies,” Espinoza said. “We serve many temporary residents whose status is expiring and who are not able to secure permanent residence, even though they are well established, their kids are in school, and their employers would love for them to be able to stay and keep working.”
That growth is visible locally. Cousineau said Fort Frances has seen significant demographic change in recent years, and the library is working on more permanent additions rather than one-off events, including a newcomer survey to guide a planned multilingual collection and new programming. It’s currently open at ffpltc.ca.
The Fort Frances Public Library & Technology Centre can be found at 601 Reid Avenue.
