About Us
Flemingdon Community Legal Services was created by a group of concerned Flemingdon Park residents who made a submission to the then Ontario Legal Aid Plan in 1979. The Ismailia Council for Toronto had previously made an application for funding that was refused in 1978. Ultimately the Ismailia community supported the application of the residents. Since that time the Ismailia community has been very active in its support of the clinic and often members of that community become Board members of FCLS.
The clinic opened for operation in June of 1980 with a staff of four. By 1985 the number of permanent staff had increased to eight where it has remained despite great increases in the clinic’s workload.
Initially the catchment area of the clinic included Danforth, Warden, Bayview and York Mills/401 (and all subsidized housing projects up to Steeles Avenue). The boundaries changed to Victoria Park Avenue on the east when the West Scarborough clinic came into operation. In 1987 the subsidized housing projects north of the 401 came under the responsibility of the new Willowdale clinic. Finally in March 1988 the clinic expanded its westerly boundaries to Yonge Street.
Over the years the clinic has moved location from the basement of the Flemingdon Park Shopping Mall, to the third floor at 10 Gateway Blvd and finally in 1998 to its current location just south of the now Shops of Don Mills. In the next few years the clinic will again be relocating as its existing office building is scheduled to be demolished in the last phase of the redevelopment of the shopping mall site. We are currently working with many of our community agencies to try to form a community hub in Flemingdon Park so our clinic can work more closely with our fellow service agencies to benefit our mutual clientele.