Canada’s Minister of Diversity, Inclusion, and Persons with Disabilities, Kamal Khera, unveiled the federal government’s inaugural comprehensive strategy to address the rising tide of hate incidents across the country on Tuesday.
The landmark initiative brings together 20 key federal programs under a unified network and details the creation of a new “Combatting Hate: Community Information Resource Hub” in 2025 by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) in an effort to provide valuable resources and information to communities affected by hate. The plan would invest $273.6 million over six years and $29.3 million in ongoing funding in an effort to tackle hate from multiple angles. Proposed initiatives will be organized under three pillars, namely empowering communities to identify and prevent hate, supporting victims and survivors while protecting communities and building trust, and establishing partnerships and institutional readiness.
The plan further details increasing support for victims and survivors, helping communities to prevent and address hate by enhancing research and data collection, providing more resources for law enforcement, and raising public awareness. In addition, the implementation plan details collaborations with provincial, territorial, and international governments and First Nations communities across Canada, as well as the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism and the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia.
Prior to the initiative’s release, Canadian Heritage faced criticism for its consultations, as an access to information request revealed that individuals were screened out if they believed an anti-hate plan was unnecessary.
Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic LeBlanc, commented on the plans:
In the face of an increase in hate crimes, our government is stepping up to ensure at-risk communities can access financial support to protect their institutions. The new Canada Community Security Program is designed to be simpler, more flexible and more generous, in direct response to what we’ve heard from community organizations across the country.
The plan comes at a critical time in Canada, with a recent uprise in hate-related incidents. Last month, police responded to bomb threats targeting over 100 Jewish institutions and hospitals, and recent data from the Ottawa Police Service Hate and Bias Crime Unit revealed a 19.5 percent increase in hate-related incidents in 2023 compared to the previous year. Additionally, in November 2023 the Toronto police reported a significant rise in Islamophobic and Anti-semitic hate crimes in the city.
