Ontario is investing an additional $12.75 million to help protect communities and prevent hate-motivated incidents through the province’s Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant.
The funding will support faith-based, cultural and Indigenous organizations with measures such as hiring security guards, upgrading buildings and installing surveillance systems. The province says the investment is part of ongoing efforts to ensure community spaces remain safe and welcoming.
“Everyone in Ontario deserves to feel safe and respected in the spaces where they gather to express their culture or practice their faith,” said Graham McGregor, minister of citizenship and multiculturalism. “With our increased investment in the Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant, our government is sending a clear message that there is no place for hate in Ontario.”
Applications for the grant are now open. Eligible groups include religious communities, First Nations, Inuit, Métis and urban Indigenous organizations, as well as cultural groups such as Black, Asian and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations. The program provides up to $10,000 per organization for new or improved security measures.
The province says it has invested more than $98 million through the program since 2021, supporting more than 3,000 organizations. Funding decisions will be made on a first-come, first-served basis.
Government officials say the additional investment reflects ongoing concerns about hate-motivated crimes, which have disproportionately targeted Indigenous, Black, Muslim, Jewish and 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities.
Organizations across the province say the grant has played a meaningful role in improving safety.
Jewish childcare centres, schools and places of worship have relied on the support to manage increased security pressures, said Josh Landau, director of government relations in Ontario for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. “We appreciate this increase in funding which will continue to support Jewish Ontarians all across the province.”
The National Council of Canadian Muslims also welcomed the investment, calling it an important step in addressing violent Islamophobia.
Since a 2021 attack near a London mosque that killed three generations of a Muslim family, the organization has pushed for stronger protections, said vice-president Zubair Qasim.
Gurdwaras across the Greater Toronto Area have used the grant for essential upgrades, said Lakhvinder Singh Dhaliwal of the Ontario Gurdwaras Committee.
Other faith groups say the funding has increased peace of mind for those who rely on community spaces. St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish said support from the grant helped reinforce its entry doors, improving safety for parishioners.
BAPS Inc. also credited the program with ensuring its community can gather in a “peaceful and welcoming environment,” said director Udayan Pandya.
The province says the funding is part of a broader effort to support safer communities, including more than $2 million allocated through the 2024–26 Safer and Vital Communities Grant for hate-crime prevention projects.
