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

OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 1, 2020 /CNW/ - 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, the Minister for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Honourable Bill Blair, announced the next SIP Call for Applications. Eligible recipients, including community centres, educational institutions and places of worship, are invited to apply for funding until October 31, 2020.

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, 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.

Quotes

"All Canadians, regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion, should feel safe where they live, work, gather and pray. Through the Security Infrastructure Program, the Government of Canada supports community centres, educational institutions, and places of worship vulnerable to hate-motivated crime by enhancing their security infrastructure to create safer, more secure, gathering spaces for members of their communities."

—   The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

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

SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada

Mary-Liz Power, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, [email protected]; Media Relations, Public Safety Canada, 613-991-0657, [email protected]