Home Newsroom 2005 News releases (archive) 2005-07-21: Safer communities in Manitoba

Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada invests more than $2.2 million to help build safer communities in Manitoba

Winnipeg, July 21, 2005 -- From Winnipeg to Thompson, Brandon, Norway House and points in between, Manitoba communities are tackling the social and economic factors that underlie problems of crime and victimization. Anita Neville, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and the Honourable Gord Mackintosh, Manitoba Minister of Justice and Attorney General, today announced, under the Government’s National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS), more than $2.2 million in federal funding to support 41 community-based organizations.

“The National Strategy and the projects it supports demonstrate the importance of community members working together and sharing ideas to help deal with the difficult problems of crime and victimization,” said Ms. Neville. “The Government of Canada remains committed to supporting crime prevention efforts here in Manitoba and across the country. Manitobans can be proud of their efforts to build healthy, strong communities.”

“Through our funding partnership with NCPS, we are pleased to support these crime prevention projects,” said Minister McIntosh. “In addition to working with organizations throughout Manitoba, we worked with NCPS to initiate Comprehensive Community Safety Initiatives aimed at improving safety in Winnipeg’s inner-city by committing a total of $126,940 through Manitoba’s Neighbourhoods Alive! initiative.”

As part of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, the NCPS helps governments and communities demonstrate the benefits of enhanced personal and public safety. This is achieved by investing in approaches that deal with the underlying causes of crime and victimization -- such as family distress, bullying, gang recruitment or substance abuse. The NCPS works in partnership with volunteers, academics, governments, foundations, community organizations and others to develop, implement and evaluate methods which help to prevent crime from happening in the first place.

The funding announced today is in addition to the more than $400,000 invested in projects in Manitoba that started after the last NCPS funding announcement in October 2003, and who have since completed their activities. Since its launch in June, 1998, the NCPS has worked with its many partners to support more than 5000 projects nationwide.

In February 2005, the Government of Canada announced an additional $90 million over the next three years to renew the Strategy as a key measure to protect Canadians from crime and victimization.

See also:

• The National Crime Prevention Strategy at Work in Manitoba
• National Crime Prevention Strategy

For more information:

Alex Swann
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
(613) 991-2863

Media Relations
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada
(613) 991-0657

Peter Dalla-Vicenza
Press Secretary
Attorney General of Manitoba
(204) 945-149

Dina Juras
Program Manager
National Crime Prevention Centre
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada
(204) 984-5925