Prince George, B.C.-  The Province of B.C.’s fiscal year will soon come to a close,  and it has announced the successful candidates who will share in nearly $7.2 million dollars in crime prevention program grants. Some  Prince George  based projects are among the successful applicants for the one time grants which were open for applications late last fall.

Nearly $2 million of the  province wide  grants is dedicated to gang and youth crime prevention, and more than $3.5 million will go to community services that address violence against women and girls. The balance supports training and education for frontline victims service workers, police training and special equipment, and restorative justice.

In Prince George,  nearly $300 thousand dollars will be delivered to programs identified in the two main funding streams. Under the gang and youth crime prevention stream, two area programs were successful applicants:

• Carrier Sekani Family Services program “Walk Tall”  is receiving $100 thousand dollars.  That  program is aimed at reducing risk factors for Aboriginal Youth  who are  a high risk of becoming  involved in  crime in Prince George and Vanderhoof.
• The Nusdeh Yoh Aboriginal Choice Community School’s  Eagle N.E.S.T. ( Nature, Environment, Science, Technology) program, which is  also  targeted to  prevent crime and gang involvement,  is receiving $20 thousand dollars.

Four  Prince George  projects also qualified for one time grants  under the “Violence Free B.C.” stream  which  is to address violence against  women and girls.

The Prince George and District Elizabeth Fry Society has received two grants;

• $25,000  for  a “Case Consultation and Coordination” program that will  coordinate services for vulnerable women in the sex trade and women or youth at risk of exploitation.
• $100,000  for  a High risk Domestic Violence Unit which  will offer enhanced services to victims of domestic violent.

Carrier Sekani Family Services has received two grants  to assist in their work on the Highway of Tears;

• $25 thousand will be  to  continue the  Highway of Tears Awareness project
• $20  thousand will  be used for  victim/family support and healing   in communities along  the Highway 16 corridor.

The money  being allotted to  250  projects and programs throughout B.C., comes from $5.5 million  from the Civil Forfeiture Office proceeds and $1.69 million from  criminal forfeiture proceeds.

Mary Teegee, executive director of Child and Family Services at Carrier Sekani Family Services, is “very pleased” with the announcement noting it will allow the “Walk Tall” program to have at least another year of life.

“It’s definitely welcomed and it’s really exciting to be able to continue with the youth programming,” she says, adding “Walk Tall” is an empowerment program that has been in place for five years now.

“It’s all based on our culture, so understanding that the premise is that if a child knows who they are, where they’re coming from and celebrates their own culture, they’re less likely to engage in high-risk activities.”