The Province is strengthening anti-hate and anti-racism supports for communities with 13 new organizations offering Resilience BC services on B.C.’s Lower Mainland.

“There is no place for racism and hate in British Columbia. To fight racism and hate crimes, we must work together in a co-ordinated way in communities in every corner of the province,” said Anne Kang, Minister of Citizens’ Services and responsible for Multiculturalism. “These community organizations will lead action at a local and regional level to respond to and prevent racist and hate activity.”

Under the Resilience BC program, 34 organizations were selected to provide services in 40 communities throughout the province following a competitive procurement process. The organizations chosen demonstrated a strong understanding of racism and hate issues and have a defined course of action at a local or regional level driven by community partnerships.

“Communities are stronger when everyone is respected, included and valued for who they are,” said Bob D’Eith, MLA for Maple Ridge-Mission. “Our government has made it clear that racism has no place anywhere in B.C., and today we are announcing more resources to help communities combat and prevent racist activity.”

On the Lower Mainland, 13 organizations are receiving a total of $105,000 as community and regional service providers for Resilience BC:

• Archway Community Services (Abbotsford and Mission)
• Burnaby Family Life (Burnaby)
• Collingwood Neighbourhood House (Vancouver)
• Deltassist Family and Community Services (Delta)
• The Family Education and Support Centre (Ridge Meadows)
• Free Rein Associates Training Ltd. (Hope)
• Langley Community Services Society (Langley)
• The Lower Mainland Purpose Society for Youth and Families (New Westminster)
• North Shore Multicultural Society (North Shore region)
• Multilingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities (MOSAIC) (Surrey/White Rock)
• Richmond Multicultural Community Services (Richmond)
• S.U.C.C.E.S.S. (United Chinese Community Enrichment Services Society) (Tri-Cities)
• WitWorks Ltd. (Sechelt/Gibsons)

“Archway has been involved in anti-racism work for over three decades and very proud of how our community stakeholders have been coming together for years to address issues of race, bigotry and exclusion,” said Manpreet Grewal, director of multicultural and immigrant services, Archway Community Services, Abbotsford. “We are pleased to be a community spoke for Resilience BC. We will use this funding to increase our training, information and other important resources to combat acts of discrimination and racism to support a safer community where everyone belongs.”

Resilience BC, launched in November 2019, is a provincewide anti-racism network delivered through a hub-and-spokes model. In May 2020, the Province selected the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society to serve as a provincial hub to connect communities with information, training and resources throughout the province. The spokes are community-based branches that identify local priorities and move projects forward to address systemic and institutionalized racism at a local level.

Most recently through Resilience BC, the Province launched an online portal to support people who experience or witness a racist incident. The website offers information in 12 languages. Multilingual videos will soon be added to the site: https://hatecrimesinbc.resiliencebcnetwork.ca/

Resilience BC is one of a number of measures the B.C. government is taking as part of its commitment to stand up for diversity, end racism and all forms of discrimination, and support multiculturalism in British Columbia.

Quick Facts:

• Establishing Resilience BC was an outcome of a series of community consultations on racism led by Ravi Kahlon, former parliamentary secretary for sport and multiculturalism, in 2019.
• A total of $300,000 from the Resilience BC annual budget has been allocated to fund the community spoke services. There are two funding models:
  • individual community spokes: annual funding of up to $7,500 per geographic community; and
  • regional spokes: annual funding for two or more of neighbouring communities that pool funding (e.g., up to $15,000 for partnerships involving two communities, etc.).
• The total investment in Resilience BC is $540,000 annually.

Learn More:                                                                                                                                       

For more information on Resilience BC, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/multiculturalism-anti-racism/anti-racism/resiliencebc