TORONTO — Barbra Schlifer was sexually assaulted and murdered on April 11, 1970, hours after celebrating her call to the bar of Ontario.
After her death, Schlifer’s friends – who were to be her law partners – Frances Rappaport and Patricia Ashby, decided to establish a clinic in her honour that would commemorate her life.
The four women who ultimately became instrumental in opening the doors of the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic on April 11, 1985, are Elizabeth Stewart, Jennifer Sunley, Helen La Fountaine and Mary Bruce Dauphinee.
The clinic, located at 188 Dupont St. in Toronto, provides free legal, counselling and cultural interpretation services for women survivors of violence. Since its inception, the clinic has served over 35,000 women, and now has a staff of more than 20 and a budget of about $2 million.
A fundraising event in honour of the 25th anniversary of the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic is being held June 15, 6:30 p.m., at the C Lounge, 456 Wellington St. W.
Amanda Dale, executive director of the clinic, said that Schlifer was a “young, visionary, idealistic lawyer and her friends set up the clinic with her vision in mind.”
The clinic receives referrals from community-based agencies, as well as medical, legal and criminal justice professionals, religious organizations and individuals concerned about violence against women.
It delivers programs and services that are designed to promote women’s autonomy and safety, increase women’s access to justice and community services, and to ensure better co-ordinated and more effective service provision to women.
Dale said that the upcoming fundraiser is a tribute to Schlifer, as well as to the power of friendship.
“As we commemorate 25 years of serving women survivors of violence, we are grateful for all of the support from our partners, donors and volunteers. Barbra’s legacy is one of hope and inspiration to so many in our community, and we look forward to raising funds to celebrate this milestone and promote freedom from violence for years to come.”
The clinic’s major fundraising event, since 1995, has been A Tribute to Friendship. Last year’s tribute raised more than $100,000.
Dale said that clinic staff are particularly excited about this year’s tribute because “we are marking a watershed in our growth. The clinic is entering its second 25 years.”
Dale, who is pursuing a master’s degree in international human rights law, and has a master’s degree in social and political thought, said that much of the violence that women experience “does not start on our doorsteps. We serve a lot of new Canadians from a variety of backgrounds, and we provide counselling for all kinds of violence.
“The legal community sees us as a vital organization, because we perform a role that most law firms cannot provide.”
For information and tickets to the tribute, call Meldina, 416-323-9149, ext. 237, or e-mail [email protected].
