BURNABY – New Democrat MLAs Anne Kang, Janet Routledge, Katrina Chen and Raj Chouhan say new provincial anti-racism funding for Burnaby Family Life will improve Burnaby’s ability to respond to and prevent racism.

Burnaby Family Life is one of 34 organizations to receive $7,500 in anti-racism grant funding from Resilience BC, a new network established by the New Democrat government to address systemic and institutionalized racism across the province. The funding comes amid renewed calls for communities and governments across Canada to work together to address racism.

Other steps the New Democrat government has taken to address racism include the re-instatement of the BC Human Rights Commission, the review of B.C.’s Police Act, and working with partners to explore gathering race-based data in B.C.

Burnaby Family Life will use the new funding to develop and facilitate bystander training and workshops on workplace discrimination, host a community forum on anti-racism and discrimination, and design an interfaith directory of supports for people in the community affected by racism.

In November of 2019, the New Democrat government launched Resilience BC, a province-wide, anti-racism network, in direct response to feedback received during a series of community meetings led by MLA Ravi Kahlon in his former role as Parliamentary Secretary for Sport and Multiculturalism.

The program will receive $540,000 annually, which will be distributed to communities and organizations across B.C. to support work to address racism.

QUOTES:

Anne Kang, MLA for Burnaby – Deer Lake and Minister for Citizens’ Services and Responsible for Multiculturalism

“Everyone in Burnaby has a role to play in the fight against racism and hate. Burnaby Family Life has strong connections in our community, making them a great choice to lead and coordinate local action to address and prevent racism.”

Janet Routledge, MLA for Burnaby North

 “This funding will give people and organizations in Burnaby more resources and support for preventing racism and responding to racist incidents when they occur. Our community is stronger when everyone is safe, respected and included, and Resilience BC is an important next step in this work.”

Katrina Chen, MLA for Burnaby – Lougheed

 “I’m proud to be part of a government that is committed to eliminating racism and hate in B.C. Local organizations like Burnaby Family Life do incredibly important work and I’m glad this funding will allow them to expand their anti-racism efforts.”

Raj Chouhan, MLA for Burnaby – Edmonds

“Our government is working to build a province where everyone is safe, welcomed and respected. Resilience BC will be an important part of this ongoing work, giving communities more tools to prevent and respond to racist activity.”

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