Population specific anti-racism and anti-hate initiatives
Ontario’s diversity is a key strength that enriches communities and drives prosperity. However, systemic racism and hate continue to disproportionately affect Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities, including Muslim and Jewish communities, with a notable rise in hate-motivated incidents in recent years.
To address these challenges, Ontario is:
- implementing targeted anti-racism and anti-hate initiatives that enhance safety and support for communities most affected
- increasing awareness and capacity to respond to hate-motivated behaviours
- improving access to culturally relevant supports and services
These efforts will help ensure the people of Ontario, with the help of community-informed strategies, live with dignity, safety and opportunity to combat:
- anti-Indigenous racism
- anti-Black racism
- antisemitism
- Islamophobia
- other forms of racism and hate
Creating and supporting targeted strategies, initiatives and resources that promote anti-racism and address hate-driven behaviours
Anti-Black Racism Strategy
Initiated in 2017, the Anti-Black Racism Strategy was created in alignment with the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent. The purpose of the strategy is to target systemic racism in policies, decisions and programs that disproportionately impact Ontario's Black population. To achieve this outcome, the Anti-Black Racism Strategy aims to help eliminate disparities for Black Ontarians in the child welfare, education and justice sectors. Through this strategy, partner ministries have identified baseline data and publicly reported measures and targets, which has informed the development and implementation of policies, programs and services to combat racism and support outcomes for Ontario’s Black population.
Makwa Patrol
Launched on September 1, 2020, the Kenora Makwa Patrol is a community-driven, culturally safe grassroots initiative that is committed to promoting and providing safety for vulnerable populations in Kenora and connect them to services that support their well-being. The ministry has committed to invest $800,000 annually to support this initiative.
Since the program's implementation, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Northwest Region Command Table has observed a decrease in social disorder calls. Makwa Patrol and Kenora Chiefs Advisory (KCA) began interviewing patrons—who consented to share their stories—helping the Kenora community better understand and support its vulnerable members. The Kenora Makwa Patrol enhances community and individual safety by helping Indigenous and vulnerable persons to safely access support services and resources, including in times of crisis and improves community reintegration.
In 2024 to 2025 the Makwa patrol:
- completed 362 foot patrols and 631 vehicle patrols
- picked up 21,134 needles from foot patrols
- handed out 19,416 items of food and water
- received 12,477 service calls
- reported 177 incidents where Naloxone was administered and EMS called
- performed 6,632 wellness checks
- provided 6,583 safe rides/transportation
Seniors Safety Line
The Seniors Safety Line (SSL) is Ontario’s only dedicated 24/7 crisis and support line for older adults and/or persons acting on their behalf who are experiencing or at risk of abuse.
The SSL provides:
- safety planning
- emotional supportive counselling
- information on legal options
- navigation of referral services to appropriate local supports
The SSL is delivered in over 240 languages, including 23 Indigenous languages. In 2023 to 2024, the SSL served more than 32,000 people, resulting in improved safety and wellbeing for seniors facing abuse, neglect or isolation. In 2025, MSAA will begin implementing an anti-racism impact assessment framework on the SSL. This will leverage its provincewide reach to strengthen the program’s effectiveness, equity and inclusivity.
Implementing an anti-racism impact assessment framework on government's programs aligns with efforts to improve programs and services by:
- fostering inclusivity
- promoting equity
- combating racism
- advancing diversity
Population-specific curriculum resources
The Ministry of Education continues to collaborate with communities to create curriculum-aligned resources, such as classroom-ready lesson plans, that promote inclusion and understanding and reflect the diversity of Ontario’s population.
Digital literacy for students
Media Smarts, Youth Speak and White Ribbon are resources that aim to support education and youth empowerment in Ontario.
Media Smarts will create Close Reading Media Across the Curriculum, a bilingual program to help teachers develop students’ critical thinking skills about media, especially in identifying:
- misinformation
- propaganda
- hate
Youth Speak will train facilitators to deliver 125 presentations in schools, focusing on topics like:
- digital wellness
- inclusivity
- anti-racism
- anti-homophobia
- bullying prevention
White Ribbon will use funding to equip educators in elementary and secondary schools with tools to challenge:
- misogyny
- harmful social norms
- gender stereotypes
Curriculum implementation resources
In the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, the government provided funding to the following organizations to support mandatory learning on the Holocaust in the revised Grade 6 social studies and upcoming revisions to the Grade 10 history curriculum:
- Canadian Society for Yad Vashem
- Developed teaching materials and delivered online and in-person training sessions.
- Friends of Simon Wiesenthal
- Delivered professional development workshops and Holocaust Survivor Testimony Videos, each with accompanying educator resources.
- Liberation75
- Published an educator toolkit, delivered print copies of To Hope and Back by Kathy Kacer with accompanying online educational tools and print copies of By Chance Alone by Max Eisen with accompanying lesson plans.
- Toronto Holocaust Museum
- Delivered virtual tour experiences, video resources and accompanying teacher guides.
Supporting community and sector specific needs through strong proactive and reactive actions
Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant
From 2023 to 2025, the government announced investments of $25.5 million to help religious groups, Indigenous communities and cultural communities protect and secure their facilities from hate-motivated incidents.
The AHSP Grant covers costs associated with:
- building upgrades, such as security equipment
- security services, such as licensed security guards
- cybersecurity and technology upgrades
- professional security assessments and emergency planning
- education and training for staff, volunteers and community members
Due to the rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic sentiments because of global conflicts, the government invested an additional $20.5 million in 2023 to 2024 to protect priority community groups from hate incidents. In October 2024, the government launched the third round of the grant program with a $12.75 million investment.
Survey results from past recipients of the AHSP Grant indicated:
- 93% of respondents felt that the funding helped improve community safety and security
- 97% believed that the program helped them achieve their anti-hate goals
The government is working to launch the next round of the AHSP Grant in Fall 2025.
Hate Crimes and Extremism Investigative Team
The Hate Crime and Extremism Investigative Team (HCEIT) is a network of 19 municipal police services, as well as the Parliamentary Protective Services in Ottawa and the Ontario Provincial Police.
They provide specialized investigative support on matters involving:
- hate propaganda
- the promotion of genocide
- hate crimes
- criminal extremism
Since inception in 2003, the ministry has invested over $4.5 million in Waterloo Regional Police Service, which administers the financial portion of the grant.
From April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, the HCEIT:
- generated 200 intelligence reports
- 66 reports were generated by the Provincial Hate Crimes Coordinator as a result of covert accounts
- generated 1,406 incident reports
- investigated 977 hate crimes
- investigated activities leading to 505 criminal charges and 31 hate crime charges laid
- delivered 98 training, conference and information sessions
The HCEIT network continues to expand and increase Ontario police service’s capacity to investigate and enforce hate crimes.
First Nation Mobile Crisis Response Teams
In December 2021, the First Nation Mobile Crisis Response Team Grant was launched to provide funding to First Nation police services to enhance their ability to respond to mental health and addictions crises.
As a result, communities benefit from:
- improved crisis response
- better access to mental health services
- enhanced wellness
- reduced reliance on hospitals
Reports have indicated that despite an increasing rate in service calls, more individuals have received support through:
- referrals to community services
- the resolution of immediate crises
- safe transfers between service providers
The first 3 year grant cycle concluded on March 31, 2024 and Ontario is continuing to deliver this grant program for an additional 3-year cycle until March 31, 2027, providing $1.68 million annually.
Working with community partners to develop and enhance community-informed initiatives to eliminate all expressions of racism and hate
Anti-Hate response project with the City of London
From July 2023 to May 2025, the City of London received $500,000 over 2 years to combat hate.
The project addresses the intersectional identities of those who experience hate, including but not limited to those who are:
- Indigenous
- Black
- Muslim
- Jewish
- racialized
- members of 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities
- newcomers
The City of London established an external centralized online portal for anti-hate resources, including guides, videos and bystander tips and developed and delivered a local anti-hate public education and awareness campaign. As of March 2025, The Stop Tolerhating website received over 15,000 unique visitors. Social media posts and ads received over 62,000 engagements.
Safer and Vital Communities Grant
The Safer and Vital Communities (SVC) Grant was established in 2004 and is currently the only SOLGEN program that is available to:
- community-based, not-for-profit incorporated organizations
- community-based, not-for-profit organizations sponsored by incorporated organizations
- First Nations Chiefs and Councils
The focus of the SVC Grant is on community safety and well-being, but the specific theme may vary for each program cycle.
Applicants must demonstrate police involvement in their projects, and it is recommended they partner with organizations in sectors outside their own, for the effective delivery of an integrated response to addressing local issues in their communities. A new program cycle began in November 2024 and will run until March 2026. SOLGEN is funding 15 initiatives with an investment of over $2.3 million. The theme for the new cycle is “Preventing Hate Motivated Crime through Community Collaboration.”
Seniors Active Living Centre programs
Seniors Active Living Centre (SALC) programs help build healthier, safer communities by providing a community hub for older adults. SALC programs must address at least one of the following priorities:
- connect older adults with community programs and services
- provide programming opportunities for seniors in underserved communities and underserved populations
- promote the inclusion of all seniors, including those with disabilities, by reducing accessibility barriers to SALC programs and services
In 2024 to 2025, Ontario invested approximately $17 million over 3 years in the SALC program. Since this investment, 97 new SALC programs have been approved, increasing the total number of SALC programs across the province to 413. This expansion enhances access to services for seniors in underserved communities and enables organizations serving equity-seeking populations and diverse seniors, including Indigenous, Black and other racialized seniors, to apply to be SALC operators.
Seniors Community Grant program
Seniors Community Grant (
In 2024 to 2025, $5.9 million in grant funding for 282 projects was approved with an average grant amount of $21,290. There were 521,000 participants and 7,076 older adult volunteers across all completed projects. One hundred and twenty-three projects were identified as serving Indigenous and/or racialized people. In 2025 to 2026, the government provided an additional $1 million in funding per year over 3 years to fund projects that will positively impact senior veterans. In 2025 to 2026, over 300 projects will receive grants through the program to deliver activities to older adults across Ontario, including Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities.
Restorative Justice programs
The focus of Restorative Justice programs is to reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system by focusing on healing and restoration. This initiative offers programs where Indigenous people are diverted to traditional Indigenous justice processes in a community program, such as sentencing circles. In 2024 to 2025, 45 programs were funded to provide restorative justice, which serve approximately 1,000 clients per year. Restorative Justice programs continue to grow in reach and impact. Offering more culturally grounded, community-led alternatives to the traditional justice system that promote long-term positive outcomes for Indigenous individuals and families.
Gladue Programs
The Gladue Writer program provides Gladue reports to the sentencing judge with the information they must consider when sentencing an Indigenous person. This includes:
- the unique systemic or background factors which may have played a part in bringing the offender before the courts
- the types of sentencing procedures and sanctions which may be appropriate for the offender because of their particular Indigenous heritage or connection
In 2024 to 2025, the government funded 11 Gladue Writer programs and 13 Gladue Aftercare programs. Over the past 3 years, an average of 430 Gladue Reports were completed and an average of 195 clients were served by Gladue Aftercare.
The Gladue Writer and Aftercare programs highlight the transformative impact of culturally grounded legal advocacy and support services for Indigenous individuals involved in the justice system.
Indigenous relationship building
Ontario continues to work with First Nations, Inuit, Métis and urban Indigenous partners. This includes recognizing the impact of historical and intergenerational trauma to advance anti-racism efforts. In 2023 to 2024, advancements were made including:
- capacity building funding for 4 positions
- 75 community engagements
- 923 participants in training
- 1 province-wide public awareness campaign from the Chiefs of Ontario on 7 Things you didn’t know were systemic racism (PDF), which addresses how systemic racism affects First Nations people and communities. This included 500 hard copies and earned roughly 40,000 social media impressions
- 12 policy papers and reports with a total of 89 recommendations
- 8 events with 276 participants that were to address anti-Indigenous racism generally
- 6 clinics with 62 attendees that helped Indigenous people overcome barriers to obtaining government-issued identification, filing taxes or applying for housing and benefits (such as the child tax benefit)
Partnering with anti-racism and anti-hate initiatives will help eliminate barriers and advance racial equity for Indigenous communities.
Indigenous Cultural Safety Training
The Indigenous Cultural Safety (ICS) training initiative is a comprehensive program designed to promote cultural safety and address systemic inequities experienced by Indigenous communities in Ontario. By reducing barriers to health care and social services, including barriers Indigenous women face in accessing care, the ICS initiative helps improve health outcomes and quality of life for Indigenous people. ICS also fosters Reconciliation and builds respectful relationships between service providers and Indigenous communities.
By March 2025, the initiative aims to have approximately 27,110 individuals in cultural safety and introduced new training modules, including Métis-specific and Inuit-specific curricula, filling a previous gap in the health sector.
Indigenous Mental Health and Addictions System Coordinators
Indigenous MHA System Coordinators collaborate with local Indigenous communities, health service providers and the Ministry of Health (MOH) to improve service coordination for Indigenous patients. This program is supported by annual funding invested as part of the government’s provincial Mental Health and Addictions Strategy Roadmap to Wellness. Since 2019 to 2020, over $70 million in annual funding has been invested in MHA services for Indigenous populations through Roadmap, supporting initiatives such as dedicated supports for children and youth, and investments in the Indigenous Healing and Wellness Strategy, including Indigenous healing lodges and MHA treatment and healing centres.
This annual funding for system coordinators is part of critical system supports to improve client journeys and prevent social emergencies in Indigenous communities. Since May 2024, new investments in Indigenous MHA services through Budget 2024 have led to enhanced access to Indigenous MHA services, including:
- expanded service hours at Six Nations of the Grand River and the development of a crisis hub model that supports crisis within the community
- increased access and uptake of Indigenous cultural safety training within the mental health sector
- improved access to mental health and community wellness programs in First Nations and urban/rural Indigenous communities across the province
- new mobile crisis response programs in northern Ontario
- enhanced access to culturally responsive Inuit-specific MHA treatment and healing services
Indigenous MHA System Coordinators based in key First Nation, Inuit, Métis and urban Indigenous partner organizations continue to advance mental health advocacy in many ways, including:
- creating a service directory
- treatment programs
- healing videos
- writing issue papers
- developing a culturally grounded psychotherapy toolkit
- engaging directly with the ministry and Ontario Health on the development of programs, policies, frameworks and initiatives
Equity in action: Initiatives for Inclusive Justice, Policing, and Social Support
The following initiatives are not included as part of the official Anti-Racism Strategy; however, they complement progress made under the strategy. These initiatives aim to address systemic inequities within systems. This includes equitable treatment and inclusive service delivery through community informed approaches and supports, as well as culturally appropriate training to improve long-term outcomes.
Wewena Ngiiwemma
The Wewena n’gii-wemaa (WN) program, meaning “I’m taking her home safely” in the Anishinabek language, was developed in response to Call to Action 7.3 (PDF) from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls report to address the unique needs of Indigenous women in custody and satisfies a critical need of the ongoing gap in services within Ontario’s justice system. The ministry has committed to invest $276,000 annually in this initiative.
Launched in October 2024, this program aims to decrease the number of Indigenous women inmates and offenders in Ontario’s correctional system by providing culturally appropriate wraparound services. The WN workers would work directly with Indigenous women to support their successful reintegration back into community within 4 targeted adult correctional institutions:
- Vanier Centre for Women
- Thunder Bay Correctional Centre
- Kenora Jail
- Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre
Anti-racism training for correctional officer recruits
Since August 2019, this introductory anti-racism training, which includes anti-Black racism training, for correctional staff is a specialized educational training initiative designed to address racism and discrimination within the correctional system. It focuses on the experiences of Indigenous, Black and other racialized individuals, and educates and empowers correctional staff to recognize, understand and disrupt racism and broader forms of systemic racism in the workplace and within institutional practices.
The training includes:
- case studies focused on real-world problem solving in the correctional context
- interactive exercises in self-reflection, group dialogue and situational analysis
- discussions on Canada's history of racism and its impact on the current correctional landscape
- tools and strategies for identifying, challenging and preventing racial bias in everyday work
This initiative supports efforts toward creating a fairer and more just correctional system.
To date, approximately 2,950 recruits have completed this training, which equips correctional staff with tools to challenge personal and institutional biases including stereotypes, discriminatory practices and ongoing impacts of racism that contribute to racial disparities in incarceration and treatment in Canada.
Proceeds of Crime — Front-Line Policing Grant
Established in 2009, the Proceeds of Crime — Front-Line Policing (POC-FLP) Grant uses assets seized by the provincial and federal governments during criminal prosecutions to help the police carry out specific crime prevention projects in the community. The grant is available to all municipal and First Nations police services, as well as OPP-policed municipalities.
Through the 2023-24 to 2025-26 POC-FLP Grant cycle, the government is investing over $6 million across 3 years to support 23 projects led by police services in collaboration with community partners. Since 2010 to 2011, the ministry has allocated approximately $34 million through the POC-FLP Grant program.
These projects address at least one of the following priorities:
- organized crime enforcement
- hate crimes
- school safety
Of the 23 funded projects, 4 specifically focus on hate crimes and have been allocated a total of over $780,000 in funding over 3 years. To date, these 4 initiatives have reported:
- 9 anti-hate seminars/activities conducted by the police service
- 2,332 community members who attended the community outreach events
- 30 individuals arrested related to hate crime activities
- over 120 officers who received training
E-learning training modules in support of Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 requirements and for regulatory compliance officers (also referred to as Thematic Training)
On April 1, 2024, the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 (CSPA) and its regulations came into force. The CSPA is an opportunity to modernize policing and enhance community safety in Ontario. Under the CSPA, learning groups are legislatively required to successfully complete Thematic Training as a condition of appointment. This requirement applies to:
- police officers
- special constables
- police service board and committee members
- personnel from the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency and the Inspectorate of Policing
This Minister-approved training includes 4 core modules on:
- human rights
- systemic racism
- recognition and respect for Ontario’s diverse, multiracial and multicultural society
- understanding the rights and cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples
As of June 6, 2025, 7,617 individuals have successfully completed the Thematic Training. This initiative places an emphasis on equity, anti-racism and cultural responsiveness by equipping enforcement personnel and regulatory staff with the knowledge and tools to serve all Ontarians with fairness and respect.
Social assistance supports uplift communities
Social assistance plays a vital role in supporting Ontarians facing periods of economic hardship. This includes social assistance recipients and people with disabilities. For that reason, the Ontario government has gone ahead with regulatory changes that will exempt the Child Disability Benefit (CDB) from being classified as income for social assistance. This means that people receiving the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works, and families who receive financial support under the Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD) program could receive up to $200 a month from the federal government without seeing a reduction in their social assistance payments or entitlements.
Additionally, Ontario continues to call upon the federal government to amend the Income Tax Act to give the CDB the broadest possible reach, and the Disability Tax Credit rules to allow ODSP recipients to become automatically eligible for the CDB if they meet all other eligibility requirements.
First Nations Delivery of the Ontario Disability Support Program
The Government of Ontario remains committed to enhancing the lives of First Nations people living on-reserve. This ongoing work is undertaken in collaboration with First Nations partners to improve social assistance services in a manner that reflects their unique needs, circumstances, and priorities.
In 2023–24, the government partnered with the North Shore Tribal Council and M’Chigeeng First Nation to initiate direct delivery of the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) across nine First Nation communities. This transition has resulted in more culturally responsive, community-based supports for hundreds of Indigenous clients.
In 2024, the Ministry extended an invitation to all First Nations communities to express interest in delivering ODSP locally. The government continues to work closely with First Nations partners to develop a plan for expanding direct delivery to additional sites.