Jewish community applauds updates to the Federal Security Infrastructure Program
New priority stream will help victims of hate crime
Ottawa, ON – June 28, 2023 – Today, the Hon. Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, announced updates to the Security Infrastructure Program (SIP), including the introduction of the new Severe Hate-Motived Incident Support (SMIS) funding stream. This will allow organizations, including synagogues and Jewish community centres that have been targeted by serious hate-motivated attacks, to apply for prioritized support.
In the face of rising antisemitic incidents across Canada, which have targeted the Jewish community at places of worship, community centres, and schools, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) has been advocating for expanded and improved support from the federal government pertaining to the safety and wellbeing of Jewish institutions and the communities they serve.
The updates announced include:
- Annual funding of $5 million to the Security Infrastructure Program
- A new call for applications, open until August 31, 2023
- Creation of the Severe Hate-Motivated Incident Support (SHMIS) stream, which will be available outside the regular application period
- Expanded eligibility for social service organizations
In response, David Cooper, Vice President, Government Relations, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), issued the following statement:
“We welcome today’s announcement by Minister Mendicino to improve and expand the Security Infrastructure Program (SIP), particularly the introduction of the Severe Hate-Motivated Incident Support stream. CIJA has long advocated for modernizing SIP to help protect our community from rising levels of antisemitic hate and violence.
“These updates are a meaningful improvement to SIP and will help the Jewish community respond more quickly when antisemitic incidents occur. Investing in infrastructure is a proven model to keep at-risk communities safe, and a more flexible program with rapid response is a useful tool in combating antisemitism.”
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