LAS Rural Externship Student Observes Pelican Narrows Circuit Court

Legal Aid Saskatchewan rural externship student Amy Lalonde recently observed the Pelican Narrows circuit court, an experience she says is unforgettable.

Sharing a plane with two sheriffs, a provincial court judge, a Crown prosecutor and a victim services worker, the crew landed in the northern village and quickly got to work. “We set up court using the same building used for wakes and other large community events, with the same tables and chairs used to share meals,” Lalonde describes. “That is access to justice: court is brought to Pelican Narrows using the tools the community has. I think that demonstrates that communities do not need to invest in big courthouses and technologies, instead we need people who are willing to bring their legal knowledge to communities that can benefit from having those services close to them.”

The two-day session was bustling with activity. “There were legal aid farm-out lawyers showing up, lawyers appearing over the phone and a court worker there, all of whom were kept busy,” she describes. “There were also two or three people showing up as support for every matter.”

Lalonde observed men before the court meeting their newborn children for the first time. “Everyone should get to experience the birth of their child or at least meet their child when they are first born,” she says. “I am so happy those men got that opportunity. I have worked with incarcerated men before in previous legal jobs and they would always tell me how excited they were to get out and finally meet their child who was born months ago.”

Lalonde shadowed Legal Aid Saskatchewan staff lawyer Dallas Charles during her time in the community. “He is known by everyone!” Lalonde laughs. “We went to the RCMP detachment where people are held in custody, and they started yelling ‘Hey Dallas!’ and he responded with their names. It felt like Dallas was like the popular kid everyone loves in school!”

Lalonde felt at home in the northern community. “Everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows all the dogs,” she says. “I was in heaven with all the dogs running around. Whenever I would talk to someone in the community about the dogs, they would say who it ‘belongs’ to – dogs seem to be cared for by the community, as well as their owner – and they would know how many babies the dog has had, who feeds it and what they’re called.”

Reflecting on one of the challenges she noticed in the community, Lalonde says, “The prices of groceries was crazy expensive. I asked the court worker if people drive to Creighton for groceries, and she said that a lot of them cannot afford to drive so they must go to the store in Pelican with the high prices,” she says. “If I could not afford to drive and get groceries, I don’t think I would prioritize driving to get to court. And people shouldn’t have to choose between groceries for their family and gas money to get to court in Prince Albert. Bringing court to people in their home communities benefits them in so many ways.”