Ottawa is investing $5 million in four projects aimed at attracting and retaining young people in the Montreal region, with the stated goal of combating gun violence.
Federal Minister of Public Security Marco Mendicino, who participated Thursday in the Montreal Forum on the fight against armed violence, made the announcement on Friday morning in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce district of Montreal.
“I’m really touched by the youth, their example, their resilience in the face of gun violence, which is very harsh, not only in Montreal, but also in my city, Toronto, and in other communities across Canada. We will be there for them,” said Minister Mendicino.
It was at the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce YMCA, where the Trevor Williams Children’s Foundation works, which will receive just over $700,000 for its “Trevor Williams Champions of Crime Prevention” program. This project offers services and support to young people between the ages of 6 and 25, in particular to help them acquire skills to broaden their prospects for employment and education or to provide mental health care. It is estimated that this program will benefit over 700 youth per year.
The Minister commended the work of the Foundation, noting that it had “an opportunity to help 700 young people, mainly young black men, who need the support of their community, who need the Trevor Williams Foundation to make good choices. »
The Maison d’Haïti’s Goût de Vivre project, which prevents violence and participation in street gangs among young people aged 9 to 17 in the Villeray-Saint-Michel district, will receive just over $1 million.
A sum of $1.6 million will go to the Montreal Aboriginal Community Network for its Strategy for the Safety, Belonging and Well-Being of Aboriginal Peoples of Greater Montreal. This project focuses on violence prevention among Aboriginal youth.
Cactus Montreal, for its part, receives $1.7 million for its project, Transport(e), which helps trans sex workers who want to get out of the field.
“The government will continue, as a partner here in Quebec, with bills to make (assault) weapons illegal. We will continue to invest in police forces to stop illegal firearms at the border and finally, we must build on the successes already achieved with investments like today’s,” concluded Marco Mendicino.