A grant from the Ontario government will help at-risk youth and support victims of intimate partner violence and human trafficking
The Ontario government is providing Garden River First Nation with funding to support at-risk youth and victims of intimate partner violence and exploitation.
Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Bill Rosenberg was in Garden River yesterday to announce $200,000 in funding through the Civil Remedies Grant Program, which uses cash, proceeds and property from criminals to fight crime and strengthen public safety across the province.
The funding will be used over two years to support the expansion of educational activities and prevention initiatives for at-risk Indigenous youth through the Gashkigwaadewin Circle of Protection program, and enhance supports for individuals experiencing intimate partner violence or human trafficking.
“This funding allows us to continue to strengthen prevention efforts particularly for our young people, our youth, and to support those impacted by violence in a way that is trauma-informed and grounded in our Anishinaabe values,” Garden River First Nation Chief Karen Bell said during the announcement.
The programming will be led by the justice services team in Garden River.
“Their dedication, and their care and commitment to our people here at Garden River, is what allows initiatives like this to take root — and to make a difference for our community and our members,” Bell said.
The grant funding from the Ministry of the Attorney General is about turning the “proceeds of crime into tools for prevention, support and safer neighbourhoods,” according to Rosenberg.
”We’re moving with speed to strengthen the justice system, get tough on crime, hold violent repeat offenders accountable, support those on the front lines and protect victims of crime,” said Rosenberg. “This is a comprehensive approach, one that recognizes that enforcement, prevention and support must go hand in hand.
“Crime should never pay. We’re making sure it doesn’t — not in our communities, and not in this province.”
Bell and the members of the justice services team at the First Nation thanked both Rosenberg and the province for their support.
“Partnerships like this are very important and they are a step in the right direction — and they show that when we work together, we can build a safer and stronger community,” Bell said.
More information on the Civil Remedies Grant Program can be found here.
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