Merits of Manitoba Merits of Manitoba

A passion for the law and helping others

Aminata Coulibaly is very passionate about the law. After completing university studies in both Mali and Canada, the legal expert is now at the helm of her own business, Merits of Manitoba, helping people successfully fight traffic tickets.

Mali-born Aminata Coulibaly earned her first degree in taxation in Bamako, before coming to Canada in 2000. Her original destination was Quebec City, where her husband attended Université Laval and where she decided to study accounting. “But my first love has always been the law. I’ve been passionate about it since my days in Mali.”

The family moved to Ontario in 2005, and Aminata took a step closer to her dream by enrolling in the law clerk program at Collège Boréal. She went on to work in a traffic fine and ticket office in Toronto.

In 2010, the Coulibalys – Aminata, her husband and their two daughters – moved further west to Manitoba. “My first job was with Manitoba Justice, in the divorce department at the Court of Queen’s Bench. I later had the opportunity to work for the Provincial Court, in the traffic fines and ticket office, a legal area that I had always been interested in.”

In 2016, Aminata Coulibaly’s dream became a reality when she created her own business: Merits of Manitoba, offering services to people who receive traffic tickets in the province and want to fight them.

“We represent our clients in court and negotiate on their behalf,” says Coulibaly. “We can help them keep demerit points off their record and save them time and money for tickets that don’t involve points. We also advise them with licence suspension appeals.”

What’s more, at Merits of Manitoba, the initial office or phone consultation is free of charge. “We give people information on the best approach to take, what is best for them, or the impact of a given decision on their driver’s licence. If they decide to go to court, we handle the case every step of the way.”

In most cases, clients never have to appear in court. Merits of Manitoba always represents clients’ interests to the best of their ability with a view to obtaining a favourable outcome. “With our related knowledge and experience, we know what to do. We keep the person informed about what is and isn’t possible from start to finish.”

The fact that Merits of Manitoba is the only company of its kind to offer services in French and English in Manitoba is important to Aminata Coulibaly, who wants to be of service to newcomers. “When people come here, they face a whole new system. I went through the same thing when I immigrated to Canada. So we are there to explain Canadian laws and regulations to them.”

On December 12, 2018, Merits of Manitoba received the Consumer Choice Award recognizing excellence in small and medium-sized businesses across Canada, in the paralegal category. The honour makes Aminata Coulibaly very happy because she is very passionate about what she does.

“I really love my work helping and advising people. Even if it’s just for a free consultation where we advise them to pay their fine because it’s what’s best for them, I’m pleased to be of assistance.”