Legal Aid Ontario is in the process of implementing structural changes. Recently it has reduced certificate coverage on civil litigation matters.
Cases that are no longer covered by Legal Aid certificates include but are not limited to the following:

wrongful dismissal matters
civil fraud
mortgage or real estate actions
personal injury matters
medical malpractice matters
defamation claims against lawyers
claims against Legal Aid [...]

Legal Aid Ontario is finally in the process of implementing the Memorandum of Understanding with the Criminal Lawyers Association and the Ministry of the Attorney General that was agreed upon in January.
The rate increase applies to certificates issued between February 1 and March 31, 2010, for which the Year 1 rate applies. For certificates issued [...]

Legal Aid Ontario has launched a client hotline to streamline their services.
By calling 1-800-668-8252, individuals throughout the province will have cost-free access to representatives on the following topics in 120 languages:

general legal aid information
certificate applications and assistance
summary advice for criminal and family matters
referrals to duty counsel, legal clinics and social services

The service is available from [...]

The Criminal Lawyers Association, which has been boycotting Legal Aid Ontario since June of 2009 to protest the hourly rate, has announced that it has reached an agreement with the province. Legal Aid will be increasing the hourly tariff for about 5% a year for the next few years.
The news release also says Legal Aid [...]

The Law Society of Manitoba recently approved a pilot project to make lawyers more accessible to those who often fall between the cracks of the legal system - the middle class, reported The Vancouver Sun.
While the poor in Manitoba have access to Legal Aid Manitoba, and the rich can simply write a cheque, many middle [...]