Government of Canada launches Call for Applications to help protect at-risk communities

News Release                                                                                

For Immediate Release

September 1, 2020                                     

Canadians have the right to practise their culture or faith without fear. That’s why the Government of Canada helps communities implement measures to protect against hate-motivated crimes through the Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program (SIP). 

Today, Member of Parliament for Labrador, Yvonne Jones, welcomed Public Safety Canada’s recent announcement that it had launched a Call for Applications for the SIP and encourages eligible organizations in Labrador to apply for funding.

In 2019, the Government of Canada quadrupled the program’s funding as part of its ongoing commitment to helping cultural and religious organizations better protect themselves against hate-motivated crimes. As committed in Budget 2019, $4 million is available each year until 2021-22 and $3 million in ongoing funding thereafter.

Recently, movements such as Black Lives Matter and other social justice initiatives supporting Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) and the LGBTQ2S+ community have demonstrated that there is still much work to do in order to build a more equitable society.

In Canada we will continue to work together to build a more just society. One of the ways we can support our vulnerable communities is to help make sure they feel safe in their community centres, schools and places of worship.

Quick Facts:

• Hate-motivated crimes are attacks on fundamental rights and freedoms and on Canadian values of respect, equality and inclusion. They have an impact not just on the individual targeted, but on the community at large.
• In 2018, police reported 1,798 criminal incidents in Canada that were motivated by hate, a decrease of 13% compared to the previous year. Despite the decline, the number of hate crimes remained higher than any other year (with the exception of 2017) within the last 10 years.
• In Canada, most hate crimes are motivated by race/ethnicity (43%); religion (40%); and gender based issues (10%).
• SIP is designed to help communities at risk of hate-motivated crime improve their security infrastructure, which will help make Canada safer for all Canadians.
• Funding is available to private, not-for-profit organizations linked to a community at risk of being victimized by hate-motivated crime. Approved projects may receive up to 50 per cent of total project costs, to a maximum of $100,000 per project. Eligible organizations that have multiple locations may now apply for projects at each of their sites, rather than being limited to one project per year.
• Interested organizations representing places of worship, provincially and territorially recognized educational institutions, and community centres can apply through Public Safety Canada’s website.
• Since its creation, SIP has provided more than $11 million in funding to over 383 projects across Canada.

Associated Links

• Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program
• Budget 2019
• Police-reported hate crime in Canada, 2018

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Contacts

Michael Clarke

Communications Assistant

[email protected]