Legal Aid closing northern Alberta offices, cutting jobs in Calgary

Legal Aid Alberta is closingoffices in Fort McMurray, Whitecourt, Peace River, St. Paul, Wetaskiwinand Grande Prairiefollowing earlier pleas for additional government funding.

Thirty-five jobs will be cut with 16 positions movingto a centralized phone service in Edmonton.People who have been laid-off will get the first right to those new Edmonton positions, but they would have to move.

• Legal Aid faces cuts without another $8 million each year

Centres will remain open in Calgary, Lethbridge, Red Deer and Edmonton. However, there will be 12 fewer jobs in Calgary.

The offices in Fort McMurray, Wetaskiwin and Grande Prairie closed on Monday.

Legal Aid Alberta has saidit needsat least another $8 million in funding each year to continue helping people who cant afford lawyers on their own.

Despite these past pleas for help, Legal Aid spokeswoman Jan Archboldsaidthe cuts have nothing to do with a lack of funding.

"What we're doing is centralizing some of those services," she said. "People simply aren't using the in-person, drop-in service anymore. They're wanting to use the telephones."

Alberta Justice Minister Jonathan Denis has saidadditional funding should come from the federal government and that his government has been doing its part.