Government of Canada announces more than $36 million for projects to help counter violent extremism

On October 20, 2025, the Honourable Ruby Sahota, Secretary of State  for Combatting Crime, announced a federal investment of $36,912,380 to 19 organizations to help enhance Canada’s capacity to prevent and counter radicalization to violence. This investment supports programs that direct at-risk individuals away from violent extremism, strengthens early prevention in schools and community settings, and expands knowledge of violent extremist movements and ways to counter them online and offline. This funding is provided through the Community Resilience Fund (CRF).

Find out more about the CRF and the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence (Canada Centre).

Recipient: Boys and Girls Club Canada

Project title: The Way Out: BGC Clubs and a Move Towards Countering Youth Radicalization in Canada

Total funding amount: $220,000.00

This project is about training and resources for BGC Club staff to strengthen their ability to support youth aged 15-24 who are vulnerable to, or at-risk of, radicalization to violence. Through consultation with staff across Canada, the project applied trauma-informed approaches to create guidance and build knowledge so that Club staff have the confidence and skills to recognize warning signs and respond effectively. The training and resources also show how to support youth in building protective factors against vulnerabilities to violent radicalization, and where to access further help and services when needed.

Recipient: Canadian Anti-Hate Network

Project title: Creating an Ethical Framework for Research on Far-Right Organizing in Canada

Total funding amount: $200,000.00

The objective of this project is to establish a framework that enables the Canadian Anti-Hate Network to conduct studies on the far-right landscape in Canada in full compliance with human subject research ethics. Expected outcomes include increased research capacity on anti-democratic movements rooted in racism and other forms of identity-based hatred, the identification and adoption of best practices for researching human subjects, and the development of foundations for a dedicated research arm that adheres to these ethical standards.

Recipient: Canadian Association of Social Workers

Project title: Social Work: Building Practice Resilience and Knowledge – Preventing and Addressing Radicalization, and Violent Extremism

Total funding amount: $395,240.00

This project creates professional opportunities for social workers across Canada to build knowledge, capacity, and expand networks to better prevent and address violent extremism. Through consultations with national and provincial collaborators from both within and beyond the profession, the project delivers evidence-based education and training while also establishing networks for information sharing and relationship building. The Canadian Association of Social Workers works with the Canadian Practitioners Network for the Prevention of Extremist Violence, and engages national partners such as the Canadian Association for Social Work Education and the Canadian Council of Social Work Regulators to develop university curricula.

Recipient: Canadian Municipal Network on Crime Prevention

Project title: Project UPSTREAM: Upskilling Prevention by Strengthening Readiness, Engagement, and Multisectorality

Total funding amount: $2,999,452.00

This project, led by the Canadian Centre for Safer Communities (legal name: Canadian Municipal Network on Crime Prevention) in partnership with six organizations, focuses on upstream prevention and building local capacity to prevent violent extremism and strengthen community resilience. The initiative supports municipal governments, frontline service providers, and local organizations in responding to rising pressures of extremist violence, including antisemitic hate.

Recipient: Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence

Project title: Violent misogyny and radicalization: understanding gender related motivations. (Titre originale : Misogynie violente et radicalisation: comprendre les motivations liées au genre)

Total funding amount: $876,512.00

This project examines the relationship between gender and radicalization to violence, with a focus on both francophone and anglophone online extremist ecosystems. The goal is to identify prevention opportunities for individuals involved in misogynist, anti-gender, or gender-based extremist movements. By advancing scientific knowledge on how gender shapes violent extremism, the project supports practitioners, educators, and professionals across Canada in better understanding both the broader extremist ecosystem and those clusters specifically organized around gender issues.

Recipient: Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence

Project title: Preventing and reintegrating individuals at-risk of radicalization to violence in the correctional system. (Titre originale : Prévenir et réintégrer les personnes en situation de radicalisation menant à la violence en milieu carcéral)

Total funding amount: $1,052,675.00

This project develops, implements, and evaluates a specialized program to support frontline staff working with individuals in the federal correctional system who are at- risk or involved with violent extremism. The program draws on the expertise and experience of Montreal’s Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence, and the John Howard Society of Ottawa. The initiative is informed by lessons learned from Correctional Service Canada and other organizations involved with the federal correctional system, with a focus on providing services and support in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario.

Recipient: CIVIX

Project title: Building Resilience to Extremism and Bridging Social Division

Total funding amount: $1,547,950.00

This early prevention program strengthens critical thinking skills around hateful content and builds resilience against radicalization to violence through curriculum development and implementation, focused on digital media literacy and civic education. In partnership with its national network of educators, CIVIX helps students develop the ability to critically evaluate online information and resist manipulation. The program also facilitates respectful classroom dialogue on controversial issues and equips students to explore multiple perspectives on political debates while engaging in non-violent forms of social action.

Recipient: Christchurch Call Foundation

Project title: Supporting the Christchurch Call community to eliminate Terrorist and Violent Extremist Content (TVEC) online

Total funding amount: $1,369,064.00

This three-year project establishes an “AI and New Tech” pillar within the Christchurch Call Foundation to counter the misuse of emerging technologies in spreading terrorist and violent extremist content (TVEC). Leveraging its global network and collaborating with the Open-Source Trust and Safety Tooling Hub, the initiative promotes safer digital environments while reinforcing Canada’s role in shaping international efforts on technology governance and countering online extremism.

Recipient: Digital Public Square

Project title: Strengthening Resilience to Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremism Narratives Through Evidence-Based Digital Interventions

Total funding amount: $1,839,926.00

This project addresses the growing issue of polarization in Canada and its connection to ideologically motivated violent extremism. Activities include deploying evidence-based digital interventions to build resilience against hateful narratives and tactics among both general and vulnerable audiences. The work focuses on countering the normalization of hate and violence in Canada and on supporting communities targeted by anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian, and antisemitic hate.

Recipient: The Government of British Columbia; Ministry of Public Safety & Solicitor General

Project title: Shift BC

Total funding amount: $7,191,504.65

Shift BC is a civilian-led program that creates and supports community hubs to engage vulnerable individuals and develop tailored intervention strategies. Led by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General in British Columbia, the program is delivered in partnership with municipal governments, community-based organizations, and law enforcement. With an additional $4 million added to the project in March 2025, Shift BC is expanding collaboration with law enforcement to strengthen their capacity, while also working with not-for-profit organizations across the province to respond to threats related to radicalization to violence and hate-based violence. This includes providing dedicated training, operational support, enhanced reporting, and threat mitigation planning.

Recipient: John Howard Society of Ottawa

Project title: Project ReSet (2.0)

Total funding amount: $2,912,004.00

Project ReSet (2.0) is a case management intervention program focused on disengaging individuals in Eastern Ontario from hate and violent extremism, while also supporting affected peers, families, and communities. Building on the first phase of the program, this next stage strengthens partnerships to identify and refer cases of concern, expands capacity to engage with individuals convicted of hate and terrorism-related offenses, and provides additional support for frontline staff working with them.

Recipient: Organization for the Prevention of Violence (OPV)

Project title: The Prairie Region Targeted Violence Prevention (PR-TVP) Project

Total funding amount: $ 5,196,053.59

This initiative expands and further develops the Evolve Program, which was originally created to provide intervention services aimed at countering targeted violence in Alberta. With new funding, the program now extends across the Prairie region, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The program combines mental health and psychosocial supports with mentorship to reduce risk factors and strengthen protective factors among individuals at-risk or have engaged in targeted violence. In delivering these services, OPV collaborates with partners in law enforcement, community-based organizations, and social services.

Recipient: The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre

Project title: Supporting and accompanying the reintegration of Canadian extremist travelers and their children (Titre originale : Soutenir et accompagner la réintégration des voyageurs extrémistes canadiens et de leurs enfants)

Total funding amount: $790,525.00

This project provides short and medium-term reintegration support for Canadian extremist travelers and their children. The initiative aims to promote disengagement from violent extremism, reduce risks to Canadian society, and safeguard the well-being of the children involved. The program delivers intensive psychosocial support to individuals and their extended families, while also building the necessary connections with education, health, and social service systems to support long-term reintegration.

Recipient: Simon Fraser University

Project title: A next generation national university partnership to counter radicalization to violence

Total funding amount: $2,950,000.00

This project builds on the foundations of the now-closed Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society (TSAS) to foster new research on countering radicalization to violence and to cultivate a new generation of students and scholars working in this area. Known as the Canadian Network for Research on Security, Extremism and Society (CANSES), the initiative engages frontline practitioners across health, social services, education, community-based organizations, and digital technology, as well as national security, policing, and criminal justice sectors. This next-generation national network promotes communication and collaboration among academic researchers from diverse disciplines, strengthens interaction with practitioners and policymakers, and connects with the growing network of related research centres abroad, including through the International Academic Partnerships for Science and Security.

Recipient: Students Commission of Canada (SCC)

Project title: Hearing Unheard Moments – Preventing Grievance-Based Violence

Total funding amount: $2,906,599.00

This project supports the Students Commission of Canada and ten partners across the country working in schools, communities, and online to counter hate, polarization, and violent extremism, including antisemitism. The initiative is focused on centering youth voices in school networks, in-person youth spaces and online communities. This intergenerational youth engagement approach helps youth learn how to work through their grievances in non-violent ways, contributing to overall youth and community resilience.

Recipient: University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Ontario Tech University)

Project title: Right-wing Extremism in Canada: Conceptualizing the Movement

Total funding amount: $2,186,501.00

This project combines analysis of offline violent extremist dynamics with online research tools to track Canada’s shifting extremist violence ecosystem and provides regular insights to policymakers and practitioners. In partnership with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, the study builds on both organizations’ experience monitoring extremist threats in Canada and globally to further develop methods for assessing such movements. The research focuses on how adherents are informed by traditional white nationalist ideals, as well as by emergent conspiracy theories and disinformation narratives.

Recipient: Université du Québec à Montréal

Project title: The Canadian Practitioners Network for Prevention of Extremist Violence (CPN PREV)

Total funding amount: $3,818,362.00

The Canadian Practitioners Network for Prevention of Extremist Violence (CPN PREV) supports and connects practitioners across sectors who are working to prevent and respond to extremist violence in ways that uphold dignity and community well-being. Through collaborative research, learning circles, capacity-development and knowledge sharing, CPN-PREV co-creates evidence-based guidelines, strengthens respectful partnerships between correctional, security, psychosocial, and mental-health actors, and serves as a knowledge mobilization hub for all sectors and partners involved.

Recipient: Violence Prevention Network gGmbH

Project title: Diversions

Total funding amount: $274,555.00

This project is about expanding international efforts to prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism through a more coordinated approach online, paired with stronger links to offline services. Led by the Violence Prevention Network (VPN), which is headquartered in Germany, the project design encompassed two workstreams. First, VPN developed a draft voluntary code of conduct and playbook for technology platforms, to guide dialogue with digital industry about policies and methods to strengthen both upstream prevention, and intervention in higher-risk cases. The second Diversions work stream was to develop and expand online-offline referral pathways across platforms and countries, to help better connect individuals identified online as at-risk or vulnerable with appropriate offline intervention support services.

Recipient: Yorktown Family Services

Project title: Engaging Youth, Diaspora Communities and Community Capacity Building
Total funding amount: $ 1,178, 212.00

This two-year project expands Yorktown’s prevention and intervention programming through community workshops and enhanced support for individuals affected by transnational repression. In partnership with the RCMP and local services, the initiative strengthens early identification and support for those at-risk, addressing threats linked to anti-authority narratives, political violence, and trauma.

Recipient: YouTurn Youth Support Services

Project title: Upstream Resilience: Refinement and Scaling Up of the Vulnerability Reduction Protocol

Total funding amount: $198,750.00

This project is about a multi-sector collaboration process for the early detection of, and response to, vulnerabilities that create risks for radicalization to violence. The initiative built on an existing Vulnerability Reduction Protocol, which is a community-led, data-driven, user-friendly solution for human service organizations to identify vulnerabilities linked to violence. Through testing and development in municipalities across Canada, expanding on how the Protocol could guide collaboration in creating actionable solutions to detect and address vulnerabilities to violent extremism, while also strengthening protective factors at the local level.

Community Resilience Fund (CRF)

Public Safety Canada’s CRF grants and contributions program supports research and community-based projects for the prevention and intervention of violent extremism.

The CRF provides opportunities for local communities, organizations, practitioners, researchers and youth-led initiatives to receive funds for countering radicalization to violence, as well as for international subject matter experts to help develop evidence-based prevention and intervention in Canada. Supporting and enhancing partnerships and innovation in research and programming is key to countering radicalization to violence in Canada.

The program has provided more than $85.4 million in funding to 81 projects since its creation in 2017.

The Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence

Launched in 2017 and housed at Public Safety Canada, the Canada Centre is the government’s centre of excellence domestically and internationally on prevention and intervention of violent extremism. Its work is complementary to – but distinct from – national security, law enforcement, and criminal justice approaches. The Canada Centre leads the National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence, working with other governments, academia and community-based organizations to better understand, prevent, and address radicalization to violence before tragedies occur. The Canada Centre also funds targeted programming for research and front-line interventions through the CRF.

The Canada Centre's activities include:

• Policy guidance including the development and implementation of the National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence.
• Promoting coordination and collaboration with a range of stakeholders to build and share knowledge, and to respond to local level realities and prevent and counter radicalization to violence.
• Funding, planning and coordinating research to better understand radicalization to violence and how best to counter it and mobilizing research to front-line organizations working to prevent radicalization to violence.
• Supporting interventions through the CRF to provide financial support to initiatives that aim to prevent and counter radicalization to violence in Canada.

Preventing and countering online hate and violent extremism in all its forms is a complex and evolving issue. The Government of Canada actively works with Five Eyes partners and other international partners, as well as with the technology industry, experts, and civil society to more effectively counter ideologically motivated violent extremism in the online space.