Ontario announced an investment of CA$25.5 million ($18.65 million) to tackle growing hate-related crimes against ethnic and religious minorities in the country's most populated province.
The "Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant" will help faith-based and cultural organizations enhance or implement measures to ensure community spaces remain safe and secure, the government said in a statement.
"No Ontarian should live in fear that they will be targeted because of their background, who they love, or how they worship," said Michael Ford, minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.
"Building on our other investments to combat hate, the new Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant will help build stronger, safer and more inclusive communities and ensure everyone has a safe environment to practice their faith and express their culture and beliefs," he said.
The grant will provide up to $10,000 to help religious groups, Indigenous communities and cultural communities protect and secure their facilities from hate-motivated incidents, graffiti, vandalism or other damage, the statement said.
The grant can be used for building upgrades, enhancing locks, installing cameras, training staff, completing security assessments, introducing safer cybersecurity measures, hiring short-term professional security personnel and repairs. Mosques and cultural centers in the country have been on alert following a series of attacks targeting their communities.
Ontario has allocated $40 million through the "Ontario Grant to Support Anti-Hate Security Measures for Faith-Based and Cultural Organizations" since 2021.
In a statement, the National Council of Canadian Muslims welcomed the government's announcement, saying: "The $25.5 million increase in funding is a necessary step toward helping a large number of cultural and faith-based organizations across the province to beef up their facilities' security against possibly hateful actors and crimes."
