Communities throughout British Columbia, including Burns Lake will benefit from grants to prevent domestic violence, assist people experiencing gender-based violence and support Indigenous people recovering from trauma.
In total, 121 projects are receiving $4.3 million in one-time grants through the Civil Forfeiture Crime Prevention and Remediation Grant program. These projects are led by local governments, school districts, and other not-for-profit and community-based organizations.
Lake Babine Nation received $30,000 for a continuum of care to address gender‐based violence. This project will build on the work the Lake Babine Nations’ coordinated emergency response service Team Gooze, that works closely and collaboratively with Burns Lake RCMP and health services to provide culturally responsive, wrap around care to community members.
“We are building safer communities by redirecting the profits of crime into projects that prevent gender-based and domestic violence, and connect victims with the services they need,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “The organizations receiving Civil Forfeiture Crime Prevention and Remediation Grants are essential partners in our government’s work to combat crime. I thank them for helping to create a stronger, more resilient province.”
This year’s grants align with the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and the Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity’s development of an action plan to end gender-based violence. This includes Budget 2022’s $22 million in stable funding for sexual assault centres. As well, the Province has invested $5.34 million in the Path Forward Community Fund to expand safety planning capacity and protect Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQ+ people.