The Time is Now to Address Hate in British Columbia

May 08, 2024 2:14 PM EDT | Source: Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF)^[1]

Victoria, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 8, 2024) - The Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) is launching a series of landmark workshops on hate, starting in British Columbia. The initiative is the first of its kind in Canada and represents a significant milestone in addressing hate across the country.

In British Columbia alone, hate crime rose 62% from 2019 to 2022. Communities disproportionately impacted by hate have flagged rising rates as cause for serious concern. The CRRF, supported by British Columbia's provincial government, is taking decisive action to provide crucial education for law enforcement and support for communities.

Co-developed by the CRRF and Statistics Canada, these workshops have been designed to accomplish three key goals:

• Educate communities on how hate is understood and addressed through the criminal justice system.
• Provide shared learnings and best practices on how to support victims of hate, either through community support or by going to the police.
• Increase awareness and education of hate crimes and incidents to police forces across Canada.

Workshops will take place over two days. The first day will be led by Statistics Canada, and will focus on training the policing community on identifying and recording hate crimes. The second day will be led by the CRRF and will include a technical briefing from Statistics Canada for community members and civil sector practitioners. The workshops will also share valuable information on the Criminal Code and Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Applications to attend workshops based in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia, have now officially opened. Members of community organizations and practitioners who work with individuals who have experienced hate are strongly encouraged to apply. More information on registration and what to expect can be found on the CRRF website^[2].

Key Quotes:

"Let me be clear, we will not tolerate hate in B.C.," said Niki Sharma, Attorney General. "Too many in B.C. are reluctant to report hate crimes to police out of fear or the feeling that nothing will be done. It is crucial that we train law enforcement and community organizations to recognize hate crimes and create spaces for people to come together to address hate. We are pleased to support the CRRF and Statistics Canada to help equip everyone with the tools necessary to identify and stop hate crimes from happening."

"We're looking forward to kicking off our first set of workshops in British Columbia," said Mohammed Hashim, CEO of the CRRF. "These workshops are the culmination of intensive and focused efforts to build bridges across and within communities in Canada. We are striving to advance anti-racism policies and initiatives to better protect and support all those who have experienced hate instances and crimes."

"We are pleased to collaborate with the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and law enforcement across the country to continue to advance the collection and reporting of hate crime incidents," said André Loranger, Chief Statistician of Canada.

Quick Facts:

• According to Statistics Canada, from 2019 to 2022, the number of police-reported hate crimes across the country rose by 83%.
• Police-reported data from 2022 indicated that the most frequently reported hate-motivated criminal offences were: mischief to property, assault and criminal harassment.
• Self-reported victimization data from 2019 showed that approximately 80% of what was perceived by victims as a hate-motivated crime had not been reported to police in the 12 months preceding the survey.
• Rates of hate in British Columbia in 2022 was 10.2 incidents per 100,000 population.
• Overall, hate crime in BC rose 62% from 2019 to 2022.

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The Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) is a federal Crown corporation committed to fighting systemic racism in Canada. The CRRF's mission is to create systemic solutions and advance public policy on anti-racism through partnership engagement, creating awareness and mobilization. For more information, visit https://crrf-fcrr.ca/^[3]

Statistics Canada is the national statistical office. The agency ensures Canadians have the key information on Canada's economy, society and environment that they require to function effectively as citizens and decision makers. For more information about Statistics Canada, visit https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/start^[4]

Media contact infoJayme Wilson905-320-1291

Statistics CanadaMedia Relationsstatcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca^[5]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208395^[6]

SOURCE: Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF)^[7]

References

1. ^{^} Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) (www.newsfilecorp.com)
2. ^{^} CRRF website (api.newsfilecorp.com)
3. ^{^} https://crrf-fcrr.ca/ (api.newsfilecorp.com)
4. ^{^} https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/start (api.newsfilecorp.com)
5. ^{^} statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca (www.newsfilecorp.com)
6. ^{^} https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208395 (api.newsfilecorp.com)
7. ^{^} Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) (www.newsfilecorp.com)