Ontario Helping to Protect Communities against Racism and Hate

Community partners to lead design of new grant program

The Voice of Canada News:

TORONTO —The Ontario government is investing $1.6 million over two years to create a new Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate Grant program. This funding will support community-based anti-racism initiatives focusing on anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.

“Racism and hate will not be tolerated and our government is doing everything it can to protect people from being victimized because of their race or religious beliefs,” said Sylvia Jones, Solicitor General and Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism. “This new grant program will be developed collaboratively with community partners across Ontario to ensure it leads to the most effective solutions in the fight against racism and hate in our province. These much-needed solutions cannot come from government alone.”

The Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate Grant program supports the government’s commitment to collaborate with communities on anti-racism initiatives, which includes increasing public awareness of the impact of systemic racism and hate. Beginning in fall 2020, Ontario’s Anti-Racism Directorate will collaborate with community groups to learn about individual experiences and local needs to help shape and design this new grant program.

QUICK FACTS

The new Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate Grant program supports Ontario’s Anti-Racism Strategy to fight and prevent systemic racism in government decision-making, programs and services.

By 2023, multiple public sector organizations in justice, child welfare, and education will collect, analyze and report race-based information.

According to Statistics Canada, by 2036, 48 per cent of Ontario’s population could belong to a racialized group.

On July 22, 2020, the province announced the call for applications for the Safety and Vital Communities grant program – a $1.7-million investment over two years from 2020 to 2022.