In response to a rise in hate crimes in BC, the province has announced several measures to help targeted groups.
The first initiative is the new anti-hate community support fund that will allow eligible organizations to apply for $10,000 for things like security equipment, graffiti removal, and funding to repair damage caused by hate incidents.
Second is the racist incident helpline, which will be used to collect anonymized data that will help guide the province on how to respond to future incidences of hate-motivated acts.
Some groups that will qualify include places of worship, cultural community centres and at-risk groups like the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
“We must stand together against a deeply troubling increase in acts of hate in our province,” said Premier David Eby during the announcement on Wednesday afternoon.
Eby spoke about hate crimes experienced by groups in BC like the Muslim community, the Jewish community and the Asian community.
“No one here should live in fear because of who they are, and no one here should be targeted because of the war in the Middle East. Our government is taking action to keep people safe and protect the places that provide comfort and connection for so many of us.”
The program launches on November 28, and funding comes through safe communities grants through the civil forfeiture grant program, “which uses proceeds from unlawful activity and redirects it back to communities.”
BC says that the racist incident helpline will be “trauma-informed” and multilingual, provided through BC211. The government will then use anonymized data to address where and how to deploy additional resources.
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