Field Law, a regional law firm with offices in Calgary, Edmonton and Yellowknife, is proud to be celebrating its 100 year anniversary by granting $100,000 to initiatives throughout Alberta and the Northwest Territories via the annual Field Law Community Fund Program. Now in its third year, the Program, which supports local community projects and initiatives, received a record number of 105 applications, 7 of which came from the Northwest Territories market. Field Law granted 2 grand prize awards and 2 additional awards in the Northwest Territories area, providing a total of $20,000 to help launch or grow each local project.

The selection process for this year’s winners included a combination of online public voting and deliberation by a local judging panel composed of Field Law representatives, as well as invested clients and community members. The online voting portion of the Program allowed the public to share their thoughts on which projects they felt most deserved funding in their community. Votes provided panelists a clear idea of which projects resonated with members of the community and factored into the final decision-making along with additional criteria. Field Law’s preferred causes include (but are not exclusive to) those that support education, healthcare, at-risk youth, homelessness, women’s organizations, community and sports or arts and culture.

“We are so pleased to be giving back to the Yellowknife community through the Community Fund Program for the third consecutive year,” said Jack Williams, Partner at the Yellowknife office. “Field Law’s 100th anniversary marks an important milestone for us and it is a privilege to be sharing it with deserving community projects through this year’s awarding of $100,000. We look forward to watching these pay-it-forward programs flourish in the years to come.”

Field Law congratulates the following prize winners of the 2015 Community Fund Program:

Y Mentors! ($3,000 recipient)

This Y Mentors! program focuses on providing free leadership and empowerment mentorship for at-risk girls while boosting their self-esteem by educating them on social justice issues, encouraging their involvement in local volunteer organizations and teaching them about the education and career opportunities available to them.

Camp Connections Cookhouse Renovation! ($4,000 recipient)

Camp Connections is an adventure camp for those who have been involved with Social Services in the Northwest Territories. The new cookhouse will act as a central gathering place and meal hall for staff and campers, as the camp itself continues to offer a place of safety, consistency and empowerment for over 100 children each summer.

The Art of Healing ($5,000 recipient)

The Art of Healing is a psychological support program for female cancer survivors and caregivers in the Northwest Territories, offering support for dealing with the impacts of cancer while allowing participants to develop valuable personal support networks.

Young Leaders’ Summit on Northern Climate Change ($8,000 recipient)

The Young Leaders’ Summit will be holding their third summit on northern climate change this August.  The summit will combat environmental and socio-economic challenges to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities across the Canadian north.

In addition to the $20,000 distributed in 2015 in the Northwest Territories market, Field Law also distributed $40,000 each to the Southern Alberta and Northern Alberta markets. The Program launched through all three of Field’s offices in Alberta and the Northwest Territories in 2013 and is now an annual initiative. To learn more about the program and the 2015 winners, visit www.fieldlawcommunityfund.com.