Government of Canada Takes Action to Prevent Crime in Yukon Communities

Market Wire, August, 2008

Today the Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, on behalf of the Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, along with the Honourable Marian Horne, Minister of Justice for the Yukon, announced an investment of over $850,000 to support six crime prevention projects in the Yukon.

"The Government of Canada is serious about keeping our Northern communities safe, which is why we are focusing our crime prevention efforts on those who are most at risk," said Minister Nicholson. "Today's funding announcement highlights our commitment to working with the Government of Yukon and key stakeholders to support projects that are developed locally and respond to local needs."

"We are pleased with this latest, significant public safety investment by the Government of Canada," said Minister Horne. "This latest funding will compliment the ongoing work and accomplishments achieved to date in Yukon."

The funding comes from the Government of Canada's National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS), which provides funding support to strategically selected projects that contribute to preventing and reducing crime as well as increasing knowledge about what works in crime prevention. Priorities for funding include:

- addressing early risk factors among vulnerable children and youth;

- preventing youth gang and drug-related crime;

- preventing recidivism among high-risk groups; and

- fostering crime prevention in Aboriginal communities.

Budget 2008 provides $30 million per year in additional, ongoing funds to the National Crime Prevention Strategy. These funds are in addition to the Strategy's permanent annual funding base of $33 million. The NCPS is administered by Public Safety Canada's National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC) and is managed in collaboration with the provinces and territories.

BACKGROUNDER

The Government of Canada is serious about keeping our communities safe, which is why we are focusing crime prevention projects on those who are most at risk. Through the National Crime Prevention Centre, we are providing over $850,000 to support six crime prevention projects that will address early risk factors among vulnerable families, children and youth at risk, prevent recidivism among high risk groups and foster prevention in Northern communities.

The following projects will work to prevent and reduce crime in local communities in the Yukon:

1. Watson Lake Wellness Committee - Watson Lake Community Wellness, Phase 2 (Watson Lake, Yukon): This project will support the community of Watson Lake by developing a community-wide response to family violence and substance abuse. The project will promote collaborative action among local agencies working to address issues of substance abuse, violence and community safety, and ultimately, the reduction of crime and victimization in Watson Lake. The Watson Lake Wellness Committee received a grant of $125,000 over two years.

2. Selkirk First Nation - Parenting Capacity Project (Pelly Crossing, Yukon): This project will work to increase parenting capacity among high-risk families and new parents in the small isolated First Nation community of Pelly Crossing, Yukon. Program delivery will consist of partnerships with other child-focused initiatives in the community as well as weekly parenting sessions that will include educational experts from outside the community. Selkirk First Nation received a contribution of $150,084 over three years.

3. Committee on Abuse in Residential Schools (CAIRS) - Outreach and Drop-In (Whitehorse, Yukon): This project will address issues related to the prevention of recidivism among First Nation offenders, with an emphasis placed on residential school survivors. CAIRS will provide comprehensive programming to meet the needs of Aboriginal people who are at risk of re-offending. Priority will be given to high-risk Aboriginal women as they transition back into regular life following the completion of their period of probationary supervision. CAIRS received a contribution of $244,980 over 29 months.

4. Skookum Jim's Friendship Centre - Educating and Empowering Aboriginal Youth (Whitehorse, Yukon): This project will work with First Nation youth between the ages of 13 and 17 who have learning disabilities and are at risk of criminal involvement. The project will include training workshops, tutoring and one-on-one sessions for youth and their parents or guardians in order to help them understand and cope with learning disabilities. The Skookum Jim's Friendship Centre received a grant of $23,600 over one year.

5. Champagne Aishihik First Nation - Healing Path Project (Haines Junction, Yukon): This project will work with First Nation men between the ages of 20 and 45, who have been involved in the justice system and are at risk of re-offending. Throughout the duration of the project, participants will have access to counseling sessions on substance abuse, conflict resolution and life skills, hands on skills development, on-the-land programming as well as involvement in heritage and cultural projects in the community. Champagne Aishihik First Nation received a contribution of $101,220 over four years.