Worker Referral Information
Download a copy in pdf format.*
For help with your appeal, you can contact:
- Any of the groups below that provide legal assistance.
- Your Union - If you are a union member.
- Your M.P.P.
Office of the Worker Adviser
The Office of the Worker Adviser (OWA) provides free services to non-unionized injured workers and their survivors in workplace insurance matters (formerly called Workers' Compensation). To find out more about the OWA, please visit their website at http://www.owa.gov.on.ca or call their toll free number at 1-800-435-8980 (English) or 1-800-661-6365 (French). You may also contact the offices listed below:
Toronto & Eastern Ontario Regions
| City | Telephone Number | Toll Free Number |
|---|---|---|
| Mississauga | (905) 568-2359 | 1-800-267-3949 |
| Ottawa or Kingston | (613) 728-2006 | 1-800-267-6599 |
| Scarborough or Peterborough | (416) 325-9846 | 1-800-268-4343 |
| Toronto | (416) 325-8570 | 1-800-660-6769 |
Central Ontario Region
| City | Telephone Number | Toll Free Number |
|---|---|---|
| Downsview | (416) 235-5550 | 1-800-387-7495 |
| Sudbury | (705) 564-1621 | 1-800-461-6372 |
| Waterloo | (519) 888-9063 | 1-800-265-2466 |
Northwest Region
| City | Telephone Number | Toll Free Number |
|---|---|---|
| Elliot Lake | (705) 848-6413 | 1-800-398-3228 |
| Sault Ste. Marie | (705) 945-5861 | 1-800-461-6023 |
| Thunder Bay | (807) 475-1280 | 1-800-465-3966 |
| Timmins | (705) 268-3454 | 1-800-461-9854 |
Southwest Region
| City | Telephone Number | Toll Free Number |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | (905) 577-1301 | 1-800-263-9209 |
| London | (519) 873-4490 | 1-800-265-7924 |
| St. Catharines | (905) 704-3945 | 1-800-414-4512 |
| Windsor or Sarnia | (519) 254-7558 | 1-800-265-5649 |
Legal Aid
Legal Aid Ontario, an independent agency funded largely by the Province of Ontario, is responsible for the delivery of legal aid services to low-income individuals throughout Ontario. You may be able to get a legal aid certificate to pay for a private lawyer’s services if your local legal clinic cannot assist you, and if your income and assets are below a certain level. To find out if you qualify, contact your local Legal Aid Office at one of the numbers listed below. To obtain information about obtaining a legal aid certificate, contact one of these offices:
For Information About Legal Aid Certificates:
Toronto Legal Aid (416) 979-1446 or (416) 598-0200
South/Southwestern Ontario Region Legal Aid
| London | (519) 433-8179 |
| Kitchener | (519) 743-4306 |
| Windsor | (519) 255-3526 |
Central/Eastern Ontario Region Legal Aid
| Kingston | (613) 546-1179 |
| Oshawa | (905) 728-7321 |
| Ottawa | (613) 238-7931 |
Northern Ontario Region Legal Aid
| Kenora | (807) 468-6722 |
| North Bay | (705) 472-4893 |
| Sudbury | (705) 673-8182 |
| Thunder Bay | (807) 345-1972 |
| Timmins | (705) 264-9473 |
Community Legal Clinics
Legal Aid Ontario also funds 78 independent, community-based legal aid clinics. To receive services from a legal clinic, you must live in the area it services, and qualify financially.
The clinics named below provide assistance in workers' compensation matters:
All areas can contact 1-800-408-4420 toll-free in Ontario for referral to local legal clinics. You may also contact:
| Toronto Community Legal Clinics | Telephone # |
|---|---|
| Industrial Accident Victims Group, 489 College Street | (416) 924-6477 |
| Injured Workers Consultants, 815 Danforth Avenue | (416) 461-2411 |
| Rexdale Community Legal Clinic, 500 Rexdale Blvd | (416) 741-5201 |
| Toronto Worker’s Health & Safety Legal Clinic, 180 Dundas St. West | (416) 971-8832 |
Central/Eastern Ontario Region Community Legal Clinics
| Belleville | (613) 966-8686 |
| Bracebridge | (705) 645-6607 (Muskoka Legal Clinic) |
| Cobourg | (905) 373-4464 |
| Cornwall | (613) 932-2703 |
| Kingston | (613) 541-0777 |
| Orillia | (705) 326-6444 (Simcoe Legal Services) |
| Oshawa | (905)728-7321 |
| Ottawa Central | (613) 241-7008 |
| Ottawa South | (613) 733-0140 |
| Ottawa West | (613) 596-1641 |
| Renfrew | (613) 432-8146 |
South/Southwestern Ontario Region Community Legal Clinics
| Hamilton | (905) 545-0442 |
| Kitchener | (519) 743-0254 |
| London | (519) 438-2890 |
| St. Catharines | (905) 682-6635 |
| Windsor | (519) 253-3526 |
Northern Ontario Region Community Legal Clinics
| North Bay | (705) 476-6603 |
| Sudbury | (705) 674-3200 |
| Kenora | (807) 468-8888 |
| Rainy River | (807) 274-5327 |
Lawyers and Paralegals
A lawyer or licensed paralegal can assist you in preparing for or presenting an appeal, for a fee.
To find a licensed paralegal, go to the Law Society of Upper Canada’s licensee directory at www1.lsuc.on.ca/LicenseeDirectory/index.jsp.
To find a lawyer who is certified as a specialist in workplace safety and insurance law, go to the Law Society’s web site at: http://www1.lsuc.on.ca/specialist/jsp/directory1.jsp
The Law Society also offers Lawyer Referral Services for a fee: For Bell Subscribers: 1-900-565-4577 (1-900-565-4LRS) - (there will be a $6.00 charge to your phone bill); For non-Bell subscribers: call 416-947-3330 and tell them you cannot access the 900 number.
* Note:
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