New service hub to provide legal and family justice help in French

St. Boniface will soon be home to a centralized hub for French language legal services.

The Manitoba government will be opening a new service hub in Winnipeg that brings together legal and family justice services in French, aimed at making it easier for francophones to access justice supports in their own language.

The Access to Justice Francophone Service Hub, located at the St. Boniface Court Office on Des Meurons St., will bring together francophone legal professionals, community organizations and Manitoba Justice, according to the province.

“The francophone community in our province has unique barriers to accessing justice, and this includes of course accessibility of legal information in French and awareness of available resources,” Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said during a news conference on Tuesday.

“That why this hub is so very important… Language shouldn’t be a barrier to understanding your rights, to telling your story, or participating fully in the justice system.”

The province said some bilingual Manitoba Justice staff in the Family Resolution Service have been relocated to the hub, and that Manitoba Justice Victim Services will also have a space at the site.

The hub is designed to assist French-speaking families navigate separation, divorce and intimate partner violence, the province said, with services such as legal advice, resolution supports, and child support calculation.

It will also provide francophone legal student development opportunities.

“Users will now have this one stop shop, a coordinated point of contact and access for justice services,” said Wiebe, speaking at the St. Boniface Court Office.

The province previously announced the creation of a new francophone service hub in March 2024, with Manitoba Justice’s Family Resolution Service co-designing the project with the Association of French-Speaking Jurists of Manitoba.

The service hub will officially open on Feb. 17, Wiebe said.