At the LCO we're excited to moving into our real "home", at Osgoode Hall Law School, in the Ignat Kaneff Building. Our partner Osgoode, as part of its inkind contributions, has provided us space since we began operations, but only now that renovations to the Law School have been completed are we able to occupy the premises that have been allocated to the LCO since the initial drawings for the new building.
The move is taking place between September 8th and 12th and we'll all be ensconced in our new offices on September 13th, with our computers humming, thanks to Ogoode IT's work in setting them up.
This is our sixth move! For a couple of months or so when we first started in fall 2007, Janice Williams, my (and truth be told really the LCO's) Executive Assistant and I hung out at Osgoode. In a relatively easy move, the two of us headed over to the Computer Methods Building at the far side of the campus (we had a good view of "the barn") in time for the holiday season. Janice and I were there alone until Lauren Bates joined us in February 2008 and gradually others joined us. This space was large, with a very bright kitchen, and it provided very nice space for the summer students we hired, but had the disadvantage of acquiring mould. As a result, we moved back to Osgoode, scrounging space where it was available or working at home, until space was found in the Physical Resources Building where we were separated along a corridor (is it so surprising that a physical resources building would never be able to get the temperature right?), but glad to have somewhere close together. Once the mould was remedied, back we went to computer methods.As luck would have it, we were just readying the Final Report in our charging fees for cashing govenrment cheques project and our recommendations in our pension division on marital breakdown project for release when we were given direction to move out of Computer Methods. Still, thanks to the commitment of both legal and administrative staff, we managed to make the move without seriously harming the LCO's first releases.
In fall 2009, we set up shop at 276 York Lanes. The disadvantage of this space, which otherwise has given us the room we needed, is that the summer students have been in very close quarters. But it has always felt like temporary space. And so we leave it with appreciation, but little regret, as we make our move to what Janice has called "our final resting place" (we have tried to take this phrase in the most positive light), the new Ignat Kaneff Building with its increased facilities and open spaces.
For those of us who attended as a student or have worked at Osgoode, the new building is particularly wonderful, but I don't think new students, faculty and administrative staff need a comparison to enjoy it. Of course, our new premises will allow us to participate in Osgoode's activities more often, to have contact with faculty and students with an interest in the LCO.
It is important to say, however, that our relationship with our other law school partners in the province is one we want to continue to enhance. Osgoode Dean Lorne Sossin feels strongly about these connections with the other schools. We'd like, for example, to develop a scholar in residence program for faculty members elsewhere - a virtual program, most likely, although not necessarily. We have to increase our efforts to do this.
For now, we'll be back in operation on September 13th as we complete the last steps for release of the Modernization of the Provincial Offences Act on November 3rd and of the Interim Report in the family law project later in November. If you haven't looked at it, take a glance at the Interim Report in the Older Adults Project, released on August 11th - we welcome feedback on the draft Framework we've developed for assessing curent and future law and policy to ensure that it responds to the needs of older adults.
