B.C. organizations hit by hate crimes will be able to get funding for security, graffiti removal

B.C. Premier David Eby speaks during a news conference in Vancouver, on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

Organizations that have been affected by hate incidents will soon be able to apply for up to $10,000 in government funding, Premier David Eby announced Wednesday.

The Anti-Hate Community Support Fund will go to places of worship such as synagogues, mosques and churches as well as community centres and other organizations that work with at-risk groups.

“Let me be very clear. No one should live in fear because of who they are. Nobody should be targeted as a result of what’s happening in the Middle East,” Eby said at a news conference.

The money can be used for security equipment, graffiti removal and vandalism repairs.

Eby said B.C. has seen a rise in acts of hate and racism since the Israel-Gaza war broke out on Oct. 7. He cited as examples an attack on two Muslim women in Vancouver, graffiti incidents on synagogues and threats of physical violence against Jewish people.

“British Columbians understand that our government is limited in its influence over events in the Middle East, but we can be there for each other,” he said. “We can reject importing fear and division into British Columbia and we can stand together against all forms of hate.”

He added that in addition to the recent rise in hate-motivated violence against Muslim and Jewish people, the fund will help those impacted by the rise in anti-Asian hate seen during the pandemic, and recent “ugly, dangerous rhetoric” targeting the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

In addition to the funding, Attorney General Niki Sharma said the province will roll out its Racist Incident Helpline by this coming spring.

The helpline was first announced in 2021.

She said the government will put $500,000 more into the project to expedite its launch. Eby said the total amount of funding going to the hotline is $2.4 million.

Once running, the helpline will offer a multi-lingual, trauma-informed service for witnesses or victims of hate who may not feel comfortable calling the police to report incidents, Sharma explained.

The government will then use anonymized data from the helpline to decide where and how to allocate resources to fight racism.

Applications for the Anti-Hate Community Support Fund open on Nov. 28 and funding will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis.

Eby said the fund is enough to give 50 organizations the full $10,000—or $500,000 total.