Victims of Hate Require Better Support Across Canada: New Report

(Toronto, August 2, 2022) The Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF), a national crown corporation, is recommending the federal government invest $44 million to create a national fund for organizations that support victims of hate and a direct fund for survivors of hate crimes, as new data reveal a sharp rise in police-reported hate crimes.

The annual data released this morning by Statistics Canada show a 27% increase in hate crimes targeting various communities in 2021. Police-reported hate crimes rose by 72% over a two period between 2019-2021. However, these numbers are not a full reflection of the reality of hate crimes in Canada; nearly 80 per cent of hate incidents are unreported according to the 2019 General Social Survey.

The CRRF is urging the federal government to incorporate several recommendations into Ottawa’s upcoming National Action Plan to Combat hate, to make an impactful difference in the lives of current survivors.

The CRRF’s recommendations include an initial investment of $44 million dollars to better support victims of hate, through the allocation of:

1. A national fund for organizations that support victims of hate (up to $29 million annually). This fund will help create and sustain projects that contribute to preventing hate and supporting victims of hate.
2. A national support fund to provide direct help for survivors of hate crimes, including uninsured costs such as mental health care, lost wages, paramedical services, physiotherapy, and medical equipment (up to $15 million annually).

Additionally, the report recommends further investments which include:

3. An emergency response fund for municipalities and community organizations to mobilize emergency response to hate-motivated mass violence (up to $$6.6 million annually).
4. Establishing a national Support Hub for Victims of Hate & Support Services to improve access to high quality services for victims and survivors of hate (up to $1.4 million annually).

“Every year we hear about the increase in hate and every year, we hear the condemnations. But that’s not enough. We can and must do more to help victims and communities deal with the painful aftermath,” said Mohammed Hashim, CRRF’s Executive Director.

“This report makes it clear that too many victims are unable to find support when they are the targets of hate. Organizations that want to assist often face uncertain funding and limited resources. This is unacceptable because hate can forever damage peoples’ ability to participate in society as their full selves, regardless of the various identities they hold,” added Hashim.

“The CRRF’s recommendations are important because hate wins when people are left broken and frightened following an incident. We need to provide support so that no one is left dealing with the trauma of such experiences all alone,” said Dr. Barbara Perry, Director, Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University and advisor for CRRF on hate-based incidents. “Communities should be provided with the tools to ensure adequate supports are in place.”

The full research findings will be posted later in August.

The Canadian Race Relations Foundation was created in 1996 to reaffirm the principles of justice and equality for all in Canada. The mandate of the Foundation is to facilitate throughout Canada the development, sharing, and application of knowledge and expertise in order to contribute to the elimination of racism and all forms of racial discrimination in Canadian society.

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