Building Bridges Workshops

A cross-Canada series of workshops to recognize and report hate crime across Canada.

Hate crimes in Canada are on the rise. From 2019 to 2022, the number of police-reported hate crimes rose by 83%. In addition, the self-reported victimization survey from 2019 shows that approximately 80% of what was perceived by victims as a hate-motivated crime were not reported to police in the 12 months preceding the survey.

The Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) launched workshops in 2024 to help build bridges across and within communities, as well as between communities and law enforcement. The RCMP, as national Hate Crimes Task Force co-Chair, supports the CRRF in the delivery of this important national initiative.

The goal of the initiative is to support communities, help address hate crime and improve hate crime reporting and identification. The initiative is the first of its kind and represents a significant milestone in addressing and preventing hate in Canada, and building a more inclusive and equitable society.

Workshops are being designed to take place in twelve cities across Canada. There will be a police training component and a community training component. More information to come as the design of the workshops continues. British Columbia sessions are complete and scheduling of subsequent sessions will happen in 2025 and 2026.

The event is intended for community members and practitioners (e.g., mental health, settlement) who work with communities experiencing hate.

Are you a community member/practitioner who works with communities experiencing hate?