Vincentian lawyer honoured in Canada

by Ron Fanfair

Receiving an award in Lincoln Alexander’s name more than made up for missing the opportunity to meet the Canadian trailblazer who passed away four years ago.

Legal Aid Ontario staff lawyer Yolande Edwards admitted she was touched and overwhelmed after learning she was the fourth recipient of the memorial bronze bust, presented annually by Osgoode’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA) to celebrate Black History Month.{{more}}

A 1953 Osgoode graduate, Alexander was Canada’s first Black Member of Parliament and federal minister and the province’s first Black Lieutenant Governor.

“Given the legacy that it represents, I feel that to be recognized in that capacity is quite a statement,” she said at the recent presentation ceremony. “Lincoln Alexander did so much to make Canada’s Black community feel proud. This award says that I am doing something right, but there is still much more I have to do.”

The award is presented to a legal professional or community member who embodies the values of leadership, professional excellence and a commitment to public service.

“I think very often we think we have to do something very grand or extraordinary to be about those things that this award represents,” said Edwards, who is the criminal supervisor manager at the Scarborough duty counsel office. “That’s not the case. All that’s necessary is to do what you can, where you can with what you have. That could be looking into your immediate environment and seeing what you can do to effect change.”

Several of Edwards’ duty counsel office colleagues attended the celebration that took place on February 24, 2016.

“Yolande works extremely hard to get the best possible resolution for clients,” said Fred Diamond. “She is an amazing advocate.”

Edwards’ daughter, Zoe Edwards, who is a University of Toronto third-year student, presented a bouquet of flowers to her mom.

“I am an only child and she raised me on her own,” said Zoe, who is considering pursuing law. “She put in a lot of hard work to get to where she is and I am very proud to see that she’s being recognized for it.”

Migrating from St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a 16-year-old, Edwards completed high school and her undergraduate degree in political science in Montreal before moving to Toronto in 1987.

The Concordia University graduate completed her law degree at Queen’s University and articled with the Special Investigations Unit, prior to joining Legal Aid Ontario nearly 12 years ago.

“I have always had a passion for expressing myself, helping others and simply just trying to make the world a better place,” said Edwards. “I have been very fortunate to work with an organization that allows me to do that on the frontlines. When I went to law school, my aim was to use my legal education to help the under-represented and downtrodden. This is what I get to do every day. Yes, it’s work and yes, it’s challenging, but I love what I do.”

Previous Lincoln Alexander Memorial Award winners are Osgoode graduate and Ontario Court of Appeal judge Michael Tulloch, provincial court judge Donald McLeod and activist/scholar Chris Williams.

The theme of this year’s event was “Growing Strong: A Celebration of Black Excellence”.

Yolande Edwards was born in Paul’s Avenue, Kingstown, St Vincent to parents Lawrence ‘Sky’ Edwards and Beulah Providence. She attended the Kingstown Methodist School and the Girls’ High School and is a member of the SVG community group Toronto SVG Support Group.

Lincoln Alexander, in whose name the award was presented, is also of Vincentian heritage, as he was the son of Lincoln MacCauley Alexander, Sr, a carpenter by trade, who migrated to Canada from St Vincent and the Grenadines.