Details on transfer payment programs

Community safety practices are strengthened

Canadian communities are safe

Crime is prevented and addressed in populations/communities most at-risk

Through Public Safety Canada’s contributions under the BCACP, Ontario and Québec continued to process a large number of requests for DNA analysis, which directly contributed to criminal investigations and the administration of justice.

Québec Laboratory:

During 2021-22, Québec’s Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale received 7,133 cases for DNA analysis and completed 7,094 cases. The average number of exhibits examined per case was 3.13, with a total of 32,490 samples submitted for DNA analysis.

The average turnaround times for DNA processing of primary and secondary designated offences were 88 calendar days, a slight decrease compared to 90 calendar days in 2020-21.

In 2021-22, a total of 3,326 DNA profiles were uploaded by the laboratory in the Crime Scene Index of the NDDB.

Ontario Laboratory:

During 2021-22, Ontario’s Centre of Forensic Sciences (CFS) received 8,191 cases for DNA analysis and completed 7,872 cases. Of the completed requests, 57% were related to primary offences (including offences such as murder/manslaughter, sexual offences, attempted murder, and assault) and 40.6% were related to secondary designated offences (including offences such as arson, criminal harassment, criminal negligence, and mischief).

The average number of exhibits examined per case was 2.3, with a total of 21,572 samples submitted for DNA analysis.

The average turnaround times for DNA processing of primary and secondary designated offences were 53 and 44 calendar days, respectively.

In 2021-22, a total of 5,006 DNA profiles were uploaded by the laboratory in the Crime Scene Index of the NDDB.

N/A

Last evaluation: The Evaluation of Public Safety Canada’s Roles in Support of DNA Analysis was approved in May 2019.

Next planned evaluation: An Evaluation of the Biology Casework Analysis Contribution Program is planned for 2025-26.

Community safety practices are strengthened

Canadian communities are safe

The objective of the Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF) is to support Municipalities and Indigenous governments in their efforts to address gun and gang prevalence by providing a determined funding allocation to put in place community led projects to combat gun and gang violence and address knowledge gaps concerning the impacts of interventions in gun and gang violence.

The Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada is responsible for administering contributions agreements to municipal governments as well as Indigenous communities, which then can redistribute all or a portion of the funding to support gang prevention and intervention initiatives, in accordance to their respective needs.

The Department will continue to work in collaboration with municipal governments and Indigenous communities to understand the gun and gang violence-related priority issues and will continue to facilitate a coordinated national data collection strategy.

The BSCF will:

• Support municipalities and Indigenous communities to develop community-based prevention and intervention strategies and initiatives to tackle gun and gang activities.
• Increase the knowledge of the nature, scope and challenges of the identified recipients to tackle gun and gang activities.
• Support recipients to develop a plan to sustain successful prevention and intervention activities on completion of the five-year program.

The BSCF contributes to the Federal Government’s leadership role in promoting community safety by providing funding to municipalities and Indigenous communities, which will in turn enhance efforts in communities for preventing and reducing gun and gang violence.

N/A - New program

Next planned evaluation: an Evaluation of the Building Safer Communities Fund is planned for 2025-26.

Across the country, municipal governments and Indigenous communities were notified they had been identified for funding. PS officials are working closely with recipients to ensure that agreements are implemented expeditiously.

The BSCF has had a successful launch and has been well received by all provinces and territories. In addition, recipients have been notified via letter. Calls with communities are currently underway to discuss the program and the next steps to access funding. As this was not a competitive process, Public Safety officials are working closely with recipients to ensure that agreements can be negotiated and implemented as soon as practicable.

Canadian communities are safe

Crime is prevented and addressed in populations/communities most at-risk

The Community Resilience Fund (CRF) supports the priorities of the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence (the “Canada Centre”) by providing time-limited financial assistance to enhance and/or support the countering of radicalization to violence (CRV) research and programming across Canada. The CRF includes opportunities for local communities, organizations and academics to obtain funds for new and existing countering of radicalization to violence initiatives.

The objective of the CRF is to enhance cooperation and innovation in CRV research and programming by:

• Enhancing research capacity to support a Countering Radicalization to Violence (CRV) Centre of Excellence for policy development, programming, and engagement activities;
• Supporting evidence-based models and promising practices which address known risk and protective factors to prevent radicalization to violence;
• Building capacity to address radicalization to violence through expert knowledge, enhanced cooperation, and knowledge transfer to key stakeholders; and
• Empowering local communities to take steps to prevent all forms of radicalization to violence.

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada launched the CRF 2021 Open Call for Applications. In preparing for the Call, the Canada Centre worked closely with federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) partners to identify three principle CRV priorities.

The first priority is to locate harm, vulnerabilities, and needs with a focus on increasing precision about vulnerabilities, risks and pathways to better inform prevention efforts and guard against bias, including mistaken labeling of individuals, groups, or identity factors as threats.

The second priority is to expand capacity for impact by supporting the continued development of prevention and intervention programs. Building on lessons from early/ongoing CRV initiatives will help to strengthen existing programs and address key prevention gaps in regions and types of prevention.

The third priority is to professionalize the practice by building on evidence-based resources and practices that support and guide effective and bias-sensitive CRV prevention and intervention initiatives online and offline; better equipping frontline practitioners; and supporting more effective collaboration between sectors.

The 2021 Open Call closed on January 25, 2022, with 130 project proposals received. Following multiple rounds of review, successful proposals are expected to begin work starting in 2022-23. Financial support to new CRF projects will invest in initiatives led by researchers, front-line practitioners, and community-based organizations to prevent and counter radicalization to violence in Canada and further advance the objectives and priorities in the National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence.

Also, Public Safety Canada continued to develop and implement projects selected under the 2019 CRF Call for Applications. A total of 29 projects continue to receive support from previous calls, representing an investment of approximately $6.2 million. Of those 29 projects, four began work in 2021-22. Areas of work covered by these 29 initiatives include: development of training resources for frontline practitioners on understanding and addressing ideologically motivated violent extremism; evaluation of programs to intervene with individuals vulnerable or at risk of involvement in violent extremism; and employment of frontline initiatives to disengage individuals from extremist-based violence.

In seeking to learn about how stakeholders view the quality and usefulness of such initiatives, the 2021-22 Canada Centre Stakeholder Survey confirmed that these initiatives are in line with project objectives. According to the survey, 72% of respondents find results from projects funded by the CRF to be “Very Good” or “Good”. Respondents comprised of a mix of policymakers, practitioners and researchers. The Canada Centre will continue to expand efforts to learn about the utility and impact of CRF initiatives, however the survey results are encouraging evidence of progress towards CRV policy and program activities being informed and supported by CRF-funded initiatives.

In seeking to learn about how stakeholders view the quality and usefulness of such initiatives, the 2021-22 Canada Centre Stakeholder Survey confirmed that these initiatives are in line with project objectives. According to the survey, 72% of respondents find results from projects funded by the CRF to be “Very Good” or “Good”. Respondents comprised of a mix of policymakers, practitioners and researchers.

The Canada Centre will continue to expand efforts to learn about the utility and impact of CRF initiatives, however the survey results are encouraging evidence of progress towards CRV policy and program activities being informed and supported by CRF-funded initiatives.

N/A

Last evaluation: The Evaluation of the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence was approved in July 2020.

Next planned evaluation: An Evaluation of the Canada Centre Community Resilience Fund is planned in 2025-26.

Canadian communities are safe

Crime is prevented and addressed in populations/communities most at-risk

Border Policy

Serious and Organized Crime

Public Safety Canada’s Contribution Program to Combat Serious and Organized Crime (CPCSOC) supports initiatives, research, partnership building, specialized police services, projects and programs to increase knowledge, raise awareness and/or help advance efforts to combat serious and organized crime. This is achieved through funding allocations to eligible recipients. Serious and organized crime (e.g., drug trafficking, identity theft, financial crimes, auto theft, contraband tobacco smuggling, human trafficking, and child sexual exploitation) pose significant threats to the health and safety of Canadians.

Under the CPCSOC, the Department provides funding to support the following three streams:

Stream A -  Projects and/or initiatives to increase knowledge, raise awareness and/or help advance efforts to combat human trafficking and child sexual exploitation;

Stream B - Specialized policing services to enhance capacity of First Nations police to address organized crime and related criminal activities in and around high-risk First Nations territories; and

Stream C - Projects and/or initiatives to combat serious and organized crime priorities aligned with CPCSOC objectives.

The objectives of the CPCSOC are:

• Supporting projects and/or programs including specialized police services that focus on enhancing efforts to combat serious and organized crime and increasing awareness and understanding of related issues;
• Supporting initiatives and/or research projects to increase understanding of the (evolving) nature of serious and organized crime, including its structures, activities and impact on communities;
• Creating or reinforcing partnerships among recipients;
• Facilitating cooperation and collaboration among various levels of government and stakeholders; and
• Informing the development/implementation of policies, procedures and legislation.

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada supported a variety of initiatives to prevent and address serious and organized crime through the CPCSOC.

For example, the Department continued to support the Canadian Centre for Child Protection for the operation of Cybertip.ca, the national tip line for suspected cases of online child sexual exploitation. In 2021-22, Cybertip.ca received 4.3 million reports which were triaged and forwarded to the appropriate stakeholders for action as applicable.

Public Safety Canada also continued to support the development of a pilot prevention program for individuals with a sexual interest of children. The pilot provides support services for individuals outside of the criminal justice system to help prevent offending. This pilot project includes the creation of a dedicated website with resources and virtual chat support.

The Department continued supporting an organization delivering targeted awareness workshops in schools in Ontario. To best respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization pivoted by adding a virtual approach to reach more students. In 2021-22, they were able to deliver 16 digital events and reached 116,969 students, 96,843 parents, and 112,752 educators with live and recorded version of events.

At-risk populations and victims and survivors of human trafficking were also supported by 20 organizations across Canada that delivered projects aimed at empowering and protecting. Specifically, Public Safety Canada is supporting seven projects targeting youth at-risk; two one-time youth hackathons to find technology-based solutions to human trafficking, and 11 community-based empowerment projects.

In 2021-22, the first set of Annual Performance Reports were received from the funded organizations, highlighting progress made in their first year of funding. Details on progress made in 2021-22 for the Empowerment, At-Risk Youth and Youth Hackathon Projects are available in the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking’s (National Strategy) Supplementary Information Tables.

The Department continues to fund the First Nations Organized Crime Initiative (FNOCI), encompassing the Akwesasne Organized Crime Initiative and the Kahnawake Organized Crime Initiative. The FNOCI has assisted in improving First Nations’ intelligence gathering and information sharing through enhanced partnerships with Canadian and American law enforcement agencies and through innovative investigation techniques, interagency cooperation and pro-active community outreach.

These efforts have resulted in strengthened First Nations’ knowledge of skills and techniques used in organized crime investigations. More specifically, the FNOCI has contributed to: the disruption of organized crime and related criminal activities in and around their communities; the seizure of contraband; and joint investigations, arrests and convictions. It has also contributed to enhanced outreach activities on organized crime and its effect in these communities.

The Evaluation of the Expansion to the National Strategy for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation on the Internet was approved in March 2022.

Summary of the Evaluation’s Findings:

• The Expansion of the National Strategy has contributed to protecting children from online sexual exploitation. The funding of Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) units in 30 police agencies across Canada has increased capacity to complete investigations successfully and increased the likelihood of successful prosecutions. However, the number of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE crimes is increasing which means that in most jurisdictions, backlogs of CSE cases have not been reduced.
• Strategy elements that predate the Expansion, such as Cybertip.ca and Project Arachnid, continue to achieve positive results. Since its launch in 2017, Project Arachnid has detected approximately 42 million suspect images and issued nearly 10 million removal notices to content providers.
• The projects funded by the Expansion have increased the knowledge and awareness of Canadians about CSE crimes and how to report them. The number of visits to Cybertip.ca has more than doubled in the last three years. 
• Coordination and collaboration between stakeholders and international partners is an important aspect of addressing online CSE. PS has worked with partners and supported funded projects to connect with others.
• Published research shows that online CSE is highly gendered among victims (females) and perpetrators (males). A need was identified to enhance the understanding of vulnerable groups and at-risk populations of CSE through a Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) lens and develop a consolidated GBA Plus strategy.
• The Strategy is supported by a Performance Measurement Framework. However, as of August 2021, aspects of the Performance Measurement Framework for the Strategy are under development and several indicators are without established data collection methodologies, baseline/target values, or outcome data. 

Recommendations:

That Public Safety Canada should:

• Increase the priority placed on GBA Plus research to inform the Strategy.
• Refine the Performance Measurement Framework to ensure that the data can be collected and accurately reflects the impacts of the Strategy.

Applicants were engaged on a regular basis through targeted requests for proposals to address issues relevant to CPCSOC, e.g., human trafficking. In some cases, CPCSOC applicants were identified specifically (e.g., Canadian Centre for Child Protection, individual First Nations applicants such as Kahnawake and Akwesasne), based on the particular policy and program objectives being pursued. Once identified, applicants were engaged through a variety of means, as appropriate, including via email, by telephone, and through in-person meetings.

Under the Addressing Drug-Impaired Driving in Canada Initiative, the Department has engaged very regularly with the provinces and territories receiving contribution funding through the CPCSOC. This has led to achieving significant reductions in the administrative burden for funding recipients, as well as the development of the national annual data report.

For human trafficking related projects, funded organizations were engaged on a regular basis through biannual reporting requirements. Recipient organizations were required to complete activity reports twice a year outlining progress made, challenges, funds spent, etc. This allows for the Department to keep in regular contact with the organization and provide support where needed.

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18,504,623

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The Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) provides federal financial assistance to provinces and territories (PTs) affected by significant natural disasters such as floods and storms. When response and recovery costs exceed what individual PTs could reasonably be expected to bear on their own, the DFAA provides the Government of Canada with a fair and equitable means of assisting PTs.

The DFAA has guidelines in place that include an established cost-sharing formula. This is not a program with repayable contributions.

In 2021-22 the DFAA continued to assist PTs with the costs of dealing with disasters, where those costs would otherwise place a significant burden on the provincial or territorial economy and would exceed what they might reasonably be expected to fully bear on their own. This is evidenced by the following results achieved during the reporting period:

• 100% of events meeting the DFAA cost sharing threshold for which Orders in Council were approved;
• DFAA payments were issued in response to all provincial and territorial requests; and
• An accounting of provincial and territorial response and recovery expenditures were received semi-annually for events for which the DFAA were approved.

N/A

A Joint Audit and Evaluation of the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangement Programs is underway and will be completed in 2022-23.

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A Joint Audit and Evaluation of the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangement Programs is underway and will be completed in 2022-23.

Recognizing that there are pressing needs in terms of policing infrastructure in First Nations and Inuit communities, the funding for First Nations and Inuit Policing Facilities Program (FNIPFP) is providing $88.6 million over seven years, beginning in 2018-19, to repair, renovate or replace policing facilities owned by First Nation and Inuit communities. The program will help ensure policing facilities comply with current building, policing, and health and safety standards.

The objective of the FNIPFP is to improve the safety and well-being of the occupants of First Nations and Inuit police facilities by financial assistance to plan, repair, construct and/or acquire new police facilities.

In 2021-22, the federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) Working Group identified 29 projects for funding (start date between 2021 to 2024). These projects are in British Columbia, Québec, Ontario and Northwest Territories. All projects were selected based on the most urgent need and the FPT Working Group prioritized projects with an identified threat to the safety and health of its occupants.

Public Safety Canada spent $13.7 million in infrastructure projects through the FNIPFP. The percentage of police service providers that identify that their police facility is a safe and healthy workplace is not yet available/ evaluated. However, the evaluation will be conducted in 2023-24, with a goal of achieving 75%.

None of First Nations Policing Program (FNPP) police facilities have been professionally assessed. The work to advance the implementation of the national professional assessment is still in progress. Public Safety Canada Programs is currently working with Public Safety Canada procurement/contracting as well as Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to advance with the national initiative. The objective of 90% in 2024-25 still remains.

100 % of funded projects were projects that targeted high risk facilities, whether due to health and safety issues, required relocation or expansion to meet community needs. Since the start of this program, approximately 60% of high risk facilities due to health and safety issues have been funded.

Public Safety Canada continued its work with PSPC to plan the roll-out of a professional assessment of community owned-policing facilities on reserve currently funded by the FNPP. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the launch date of the Request for Proposal to identify a contractor to conduct a professional assessment was delayed to 2022-23.

N/A

Next planned evaluation: an Evaluation of the Funding for Investment in Indigenous Infrastructure – Policing Facilities is planned for 2023-24.

Budget 2021 announced unprecedented funding to support existing First Nations and Inuit Policing Program (FNIPP) agreements and expanding the program to new communities, which is to be implemented in two stages. A FNIPP federal, provincial, and territorial Working Group was formed in 2021-22, in which Public Safety Canada and PTs have held discussions to collectively define investment areas and their associated objectives; a set of guiding principles; and data-driven indicators, that have together comprised Stage One’s funding allocation methodology.

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association (FNCPA) were engaged. These engagements helped to inform the funding allocation methodology for Stage One of Budget 2021 rollout; and to address existing gaps related to the FNIPP.

The results achieved in 2021-22 were the following:

• The percentage of First Nations and Inuit communities that receive policing services under the FNIPP was 61%;
• The percentage of First Nation and Inuit populations that receive policing services under the FNIPP was 68%; and
• The most recent (2020) crime statistics in FNIPP communities showed that there were approximately 26,500 incidents of crime per 100,000 population. This is an increase of 13.9% from 2004.

The results for the other three planned performance indicators (percentage of funded officers that report that their workload is dedicated to serving the First Nation and Inuit community/communities; percentage of police officers have received/completed cultural orientation package and/or training; and percentage of communities receiving this funding report that policing services are being delivered in a manner that is respectful to their culture(s)) were not available as there is currently no data collection for them.

The Evaluation of the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program was approved in February 2022.

Summary of the Evaluation’s Findings:

The evaluation found that there is a continuing need to strengthen and expand Public Safety’s support of policing arrangement provided through the FNIPP.

Recommendations:

That Public Safety Canada should:

• Examine options for other funding mechanisms beyond the contribution agreement model, in consultation with all implicated stakeholders.
• Ensure that formal mechanisms to facilitate community-police engagement (i.e. Community Consultative Groups and police boards/commissions), which are required under FNIPP contribution agreements, have the appropriate support to identify community safety priorities and facilitate effective engagement between communities and their police services.
• Develop, implement and monitor a consistent performance measurement and data collection strategy, that does not unnecessarily burden recipient communities and provides relevant and timely information to communities/police services, and decision makers.
• Explore, with partners and communities, opportunities to support and encourage the sharing of best practices in localized cultural training activities for FNIPP-funded police services.

Community safety practices are strengthened

Canadian communities are safe

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada continued efforts to ensure communities have the capacity to respond to gun and gang violence by administering contribution agreements with all PTs.

Between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022, recipients funded projects which address gun and gang violence in five of the GGVAF’s law enforcement-related priority areas.

In 2021-22, 173 initiatives dedicated to responding to gun and gang violence were implemented, and 163 new resources (personnel) dedicated to guns and gangs within police services were hired, including 13 prosecutors, 9 data improvement personnel and 141 law enforcement personnel. Also, two Guns and Gang units were created.

Additionally, Public Safety Canada continued to ensure that informed initiatives to respond to gun and gang violence were implemented across Canada in 2021-22, as evidenced by the following results achieved during the reporting period:

100% of recipients implemented strategies which will support the integration of knowledge from funded initiatives into their practice or decision-making. The initiatives are broken down by type:

• 38% of recipients and project partners have developed knowledge products;
• 85% implemented intervention initiatives;
• 38% implemented training initiatives;
• 38% implemented action-oriented research initiatives;
• 38% implemented prosecution activities; and
• 69% implemented law enforcement initiatives.

100% of PTs stakeholders reported that GGVAF funding has enabled them to better respond to gun and gang violence in their jurisdictions.

Overall crime rates in Canada have generally been decreasing over the past several decades. However, since 2013, there has been an increase in gun crime and gang violence in communities across Canada. In 2021, Statistics Canada reported 297 firearm-related homicides^{Footnote 1}, accounting for 38% of all homicides – a slight decrease from 39% in 2020. Of the 788^{Footnote 2} homicides in 2021, (23% of homicides)^{Footnote 3} were linked to organized crime or street gangs - this is an increase of 3% when compared to 2020.

N/A

A Horizontal Evaluation led by Public Safety on the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gan Violence is underway with a planned completion date in 2022-23.

The objective of the Memorial Grant Program for First Responders (MGP) is to recognize the service and sacrifice of Canada's first responders whose deaths are attributable to their duties, including deaths resulting from occupational illness or psychological impairment (i.e., suicide), while keeping Canadians safe.

In recognition of the critical role of first responders in protecting Canadians, the MGP will provide a one-time, lump sum, tax-free direct maximum payment of $300,000 to the families of first responders who have died as a result of their duties.

As of April 1, 2021, the families of correctional, parole and probation officers who have died on or after April 1, 2018, are able to apply to the MGP.

In order to wrap-up this expansion to the program and adequately support the current eligible beneficiaries, efforts were made to request a top-up to the Program in the amount of $181.2M over 5 years through the Minister of Public Safety Budget 2022 letter to the Minister of Finance in February 2022. There have been no budget announcements for the MGP for the vote 5 funding requested. In FY 2022-23, options are being worked out.

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada continued to administer the MGP. According to data available, in 2021-22:

• The MGP website received 6,156 English and 331 French visits; and

• Public Safety Canada received 99 eligible applications for the MGP.

The Department continued to ensure that the MGP was well-managed and well-established, which was responsive to stakeholder needs; this was evidenced by the following results achieved during the reporting period:

• The average elapsed time from submission of a completed application claim to decision was 136.8 days;
• The average elapsed time from receipt of a decision at Public Safety Canada to payment and/or notification was 7.96 days;
• The percentage of total expenditures directed to the administration of the program was 5%; and
• 100% of favourable decisions were made without requesting a level of review or appeal.

In addition, Public Safety Canada is developing a survey to be implemented in 2022-23 to assess the following:

• Percentage of first responders and/or their families who perceive the Memorial Grant Program positively; and
• Percentage per first responder class that perceive the Memorial Grant Program positively.

The Evaluation of the Memorial Grant for First Responders was approved in June 2021.

Summary of the Evaluation’s Finding:

The Evaluation found that there is a strong rationale for the MGP. The program addresses gaps in existing mechanisms that provide financial recognition to families of fallen first responders.

Recommendations:

That Public Safety Canada should:

• Review applicant and incident eligibility criteria to ensure clarity of terms and conditions, as well as alignment with program intent.
• Enhance engagement with and outreach to organizations and associations that represent first responders and P/T counterparts to increase awareness and uptake of the program. A focus on organizations and associations in rural, remote and Indigenous jurisdictions and volunteer first responders should be considered in addition to providing information on an ongoing basis and in multiple formats.
• Review and monitor program resources to ensure they are sufficient to support delivery, particularly in the context of expanded eligibility criteria and increasing program uptake.
• Review the nature and extent of performance data collected in light of current program needs and identify opportunities for further data collection opportunities to better support program reporting and management.

National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS): 1998-99

• Crime Prevention Action Fund (CPAF): 2005
• Youth Gang Prevention Fund (YGPF): 2007
• Security Infrastructure Program (SIP): 2007
• Northern and Aboriginal Crime Prevention Fund (NACPF): 2008

• CPAF: Grant and Contribution
• NACPF: Grant and Contribution
• YGPF: Contribution
• SIP: Contribution

• YGPF: 2011
• CPAF: 2013
• NACPF: 2013
• SIP: 2019–20

Community safety practices are strengthened

Crime is prevented and addressed in populations/communities most at-risk

The National Crime Prevention Strategy(NCPS) is the federal government’s primary policy framework for the implementation of crime prevention strategies in Canada. Through the NCPS, Public Safety provides time-limited funding to organizations for the development, implementation and evaluation of evidence-based interventions, with a view to building knowledge of “what works” in crime prevention.

The NCPS’ goal is to reduce offending among those most at risk, such as children and youth who demonstrate various risk factors, and to prevent crimes from being committed. The NCPS provides national leadership in the development and dissemination of evidence-based crime prevention programs and policies, and supports projects that are responsive and appropriate to community and regional needs. The NCPS aims to increase the coordination and integration of effective crime prevention policies and programs at the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal levels, as well as increase the identification of, and response to, emerging priority issues and orientation of funding programs.

The Crime Prevention Action Fund (CPAF) support the implementation and evaluation of crime prevention initiatives that address known risk and protective factors associated with crime and respond to priority crime issues.

The objectives of the CPAF are to:

• Support the dissemination of knowledge and the development of tools and resources related to effective crime prevention practices; and
• Support innovative projects to explore ways in responding to known risk and protective factors related to offending among at-risk children and youth, and high risk offenders in communities.

The Northern and Aboriginal Crime Prevention Fund (NACPF) support the adaptation, development and implementation of innovative and promising culturally sensitive crime prevention practices which address known risk and protective factors to reduce offending among at-risk children and youth, and high risk offenders in communities; the dissemination of knowledge and the development of tools and resources for Aboriginal and northern populations; capacity building as a means to explore ways to develop or implement culturally sensitive crime prevention practices among Aboriginal and northern populations.

The objectives of the NACPF are to:

• Support the dissemination of knowledge and the development of tools and resources for Aboriginal and northern populations; and
• Support capacity building and explore ways to develop culturally sensitive crime prevention practices among Aboriginal and northern populations.

The Youth Gang Prevention Fund (YGPF) supports the implementation and evaluation of local, targeted and tailored youth violence and youth gang prevention initiatives with an objective to develop and share the knowledge of “what works”.

The objectives of the YGPF are to reduce youth violence and youth gang threats in communities by:

• Supporting targeted initiatives to address specific risk and protective factors associated with youth violence and youth gangs in communities where these issues exist or are emerging threats; including those occurring in rural, remote and Aboriginal communities;
• Giving young people alternatives to joining gangs and helping them develop pro-social skills and attitudes; and
• Developing and disseminating knowledge about effective methods to prevent youth violence and youth gangs in Canada.

The Security Infrastructure Program (SIP) supports the implementation of projects to help communities with a demonstrated history of being victimized by hate-motivated crime through the enhancement of their security infrastructure.

The objectives of the SIP are:

• A reduction of incidents of hate-motivated crime in targeted area;
• An increased sense of security in communities at risk of hate-motivated crime in targeted area; and
• An increased awareness of the particular challenges faced by communities at risk of hate-motivated crime.

Under the NCPS, Public Safety Canada continued to develop and implement projects across the country, focusing on at-risk communities and combatting youth gangs, youth violence, bullying and cyberbullying. In 2021-22, a total of 176 projects received support, representing an investment of approximately $37.6M. Of those 176 projects, 104 were new projects that started in 2021-22.

Under the CPAF, Public Safety Canada continued to develop and implement projects across the country, focusing on addressing risk and protective factors, youth violence, and bullying and cyberbullying amongst identified at-risk priority youth populations, with specific focus on Indigenous and Black youth. In 2021-22, a total of 57 projects continued to receive support, representing an investment of approximately $24M. Of those 57 projects, 15 were new projects that were signed in 2021-22. Further, of the 57 projects, 8 projects primarily focus on serving Indigenous youth, 13 projects focus on serving Black youth, and 36 projects serve multiple priority youth populations.

Under the NACPF, a total of 12 projects continued to receive support in 2021-22, representing an investment of approximately $1.8M. All projects under the NACPF were serving northern and Indigenous communities. Initial coordination of project development and implementation between the NACPF and other Indigenous-specific programs within the Department has begun for projects to be implemented in 2022-23.

Additionally, in 2021-22, a total of 20 projects were also being supported to undergo a third party impact evaluation. Out of the projects that were able to collect evaluation data (n=13), 11 (85%) showed improvements in participants’ risk/protective factors. 80% of projects with impact evaluations reported decreases in anti-social and violent behaviour. The remaining 7 projects underway this fiscal year were either still in the planning stages of their evaluation or could not collect sufficient evaluation data due to challenges brought on by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Under the YGPF, Public Safety Canada continued to develop and implement projects across the country focusing on reducing the number of gang-involved youth in communities with a known or emerging gang problem. In 2021-22, a total of 15 projects continued to receive support, representing an investment of approximately $8.8M. Of those 15 projects, 1 new project was signed in 2021-22. Further, 9 projects primarily focus on serving Indigenous youth, 4 projects focus on serving Black youth, and 2 projects serve multiple priority youth populations.

Additionally, in 2021-22, 7 projects implemented under YGPF were also being supported to undergo a third party impact evaluation. Of these, only one was able to collect sufficient evaluation data that showed an improvement in participants’ risk/protective factors. The remaining 6 projects underway this fiscal year were either still in the planning stages of their evaluation or could not collect sufficient evaluation data due to challenges brought on by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. During 2021-22, not enough evaluation data was collected to report on changes related to priority youth populations’ anti-social and violent behaviours.

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada, in collaboration with Heritage Canada, initiated a series of community outreach sessions on the Security Infrastructure Program. Input was sought from Muslim, Asian, and Jewish-Canadian community stakeholders on what works and what could be improved, to better serve communities at-risk of hate-motivated crimes. Community recommendations were gathered and are currently with Public Safety Canada, undergoing internal review on feasibility.

Under the SIP, there were 92 projects administered in 2021-22, and 60 that submitted a final report. The majority of projects that were funded supported the purchase of closed circuit televisions (87%), alarm systems (49%) and motion detectors (27%). Prior to receiving funding, recipients (n=60) indicated that they had experienced approximately 195 incidents of hate motivated crime whereas 0 incidents were reported after the installation of security equipment. Of the recipients who completed their final report after project completion, 85% indicated that the population that accesses the facility had an increased sense of security.

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Next planned evaluation: an Evaluation of the National Crime Prevention Strategy is underway with a planned completion date of 2022-23.

The NCPS utilized its mailing list to ensure potential applicants and recipients are informed about relevant activities and future funding opportunities. The Department supported external networks to facilitate the exchange of information between funding recipients implementing similar models or promising practices in different communities across the country.

Furthermore, in an effort to assist applicants and reduce barriers to accessing funding, the Department introduced online public information sessions to explain the application process prior to the last Call for Applications.

The National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP) is part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to build safer and more resilient communities. The NDMP addresses rising flood risks and costs, and builds the foundation for informed mitigation investments that could reduce, or even negate, the effects of flood events. The NDMP fills a critical gap in Canada's ability to effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from flood-related events by building a body of knowledge on flood risks in Canada, and investing in foundational flood mitigation activities. Knowledge that is up-to-date and accessible will not only help governments, communities and individuals to understand flood risks and employ effective mitigation strategies to reduce the impacts of flooding, but will also further discussions on developing a residential flood insurance market in Canada.

The NDMP has two components: (1) the Mitigation Contribution Component (MCC) which provides financial support to provinces (up to 50%) and territories (up to 75%) for cost-shared projects in four stream of eligible activities; and (2) the Targeted National Capabilities Component (TNCC) which helps in building the foundation for future mitigation efforts by investing in three key areas (related to risk, resilience and awareness).

Stream 1 provides funding for the development and completion of risk assessment processes to inform flood risks.

Stream 2 provides funding for the development and/or modernization of flood maps to address flood risk.

Stream 3 provides funding for the development and/or modernization of mitigation plans to address flood risk.

Stream 4 provides funding for non-structural and small scale structural disaster mitigation projects to address flood risk.

In 2021-22 Public Safety Canada continued to administer the NDMP. Additional projects were cost-shared with provinces and territories (PTs) in order to expand understanding of flood risks, map high risk areas, and support the development of localized mitigation plans.

The program contributed financially to:

• 22 new Stream 1: Risk Assessments projects;
• 50 new Stream 2: Flood Mapping projects;
• 16 new Stream 3: Mitigation Planning projects; and
• 8 new Stream 4: Non-Structural projects.

As of March 31, 2022, the NDMP will have contributed financially to 459 projects with PTs in support of their communities:

• 102 Stream 1: Risk Assessments projects;
• 183 Stream 2: Flood Mapping projects;
• 62 Stream 3: Mitigation Planning projects; and
• 112 Stream 4: Non-Structural projects.

Federal funding of the NDMP ended on March 31, 2022. In order to ensure successful delivery of projects, Public Safety Canada worked with PTs to make arrangements relative to cost-sharing requirements under the program and made the necessary revisions to funding agreements.

N/A

Last evaluation: An Evaluation of the National Disaster Mitigation Program was approved in December 2019.

41,303,751

1,952,810

41,303,751

1,952,810

In 2021-22 Public Safety Canada continued to administer the SARVAC program.

Over the course of 2021-22, the 13 provincial and territorial search and rescue associations were represented on SARVAC’s Board of Directors. Communications and identity products, such as pins, brochures and crests are distributed on an ongoing bases. Service awards pins and certificates were also distributed to ground search and rescue (SAR) volunteers totaling over 25 years of service or more.

SARVAC has continued to be active in the area of prevention by delivering 261 awareness and outreach sessions, reaching over 10,000 participants.

Key documents and toolkits were distributed to various jurisdictions and organizations throughout the year, including the CSA Curriculum and Training Standards, and Federal Tax Credit for SAR Volunteers documents.

SARVAC continued to facilitate the tracking of volunteer competencies with jurisdictions across the country, capturing information for 9,000 volunteers over 270 teams.

No information is available regarding the number of deployments or the frequency and outcome of SAR incidents. The manner in which this information may be collected and distributed is currently under review.

N/A

Last evaluation: An Evaluation of the Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund was completed and approved in October 2020.

Next planned evaluation: an Evaluation of the Search and Rescue Initiatives is planned for 2024-25.

The Canadian Red Cross (CRC) - Urgent Relief - COVID-19 (CRCURC) project seeks to ensure that the CRC can efficiently respond to the competing demands for their expertise as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and meet the immediate needs of Canadians for their services during this crisis. These objectives are accomplished through the funding of four main categories of activities:

• Ensuring the CRC’s readiness to surge in response;
• Adaptation of stock and systems to support service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Support public health efforts including quarantine and isolation operations; and
• Support Canadian COVID-19 emergency response efforts.

In its first year, the Supporting a Humanitarian Workforce to Respond to COVID-19 and Other Large-Scale Emergencies Program funded thirteen (13) deployments, including extensions, in response to Requests for Federal Assistance across Canada, providing urgent support to overwhelmed provinces and territories. In addition, funding agreements were put in place to support four (4) non-governmental organizations to enhance their readiness and capacity to respond to natural disasters and the pandemic.

Through the funding provided under the Program in 2021-22, four (4) NGOs have the capacity to respond to requests for support for testing assistance and outbreak crisis management. Fifteen testing response teams or their equivalent were ready to deploy. More than ten teams were ready to support outbreak crisis management and over 2500 individuals were trained to perform humanitarian workforce functions in the context of the program.

Funded organizations maintained capacity to respond to all-hazard events for 100% of days.

Responses funded under the Program included (but were not limited to) health human resources support in Yukon, Manitoba, Alberta, and Ontario; vaccination support in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island; supports to long-term care and retirement facilities in Ontario; and shelter support and epidemic prevention and control in the Northwest Territories.

Eight (8) cultural competency and cultural safety sessions were delivered by recipients in 2021-22. Plans are being developed by the recipients to establish partnerships and to deliver and/or have staff attend training in the coming fiscal year. Recipients have also begun planning for the development of collaborations to support specific needs of marginalized communities.

Through this funding, four (4) recipient organizations were able to recruit and train new volunteers, develop policies and procedures, and obtain necessary equipment to ensure volunteer safety. All recipients can demonstrate capability to support at least three capabilities as outlined in the Canadian Core Capabilities List.

N/A

An Audit of COVID-19 Response Fund Management is currently underway with a planned completion date of December 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put pressure on the health system of many jurisdictions through a sharp increase in Canadians requiring medical attention as well as challenging the capacity of supporting organizations. Furthermore, the pandemic has disrupted the logistics and supply chain of diverse sectors supporting emergency management. This has led to increased national risk with regards to effective response to floods and wildfires.

The response efforts of the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) are funded through the federal contribution program, Supporting the Canadian Red Cross’s Urgent Relief Efforts Related to COVID-19, Floods and Wildfires (CRCCFW).

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada continued to administer the CRCCFW program as the transition to the Supporting a Humanitarian Workforce to Respond to COVID-19 and Other Large-Scale Emergencies Program was underway.

The Department continued to ensure that the CRC was able to respond effectively to requests from provinces and territories for support stemming from COVID-19, floods and wildfires by providing funding to the CRC. One capacity-building project and nine deployments (including extensions) were funded in 2021-22. Additional capacity-building projects and deployments were funded under the Supporting a Humanitarian Workforce to Respond to COVID-19 and Other Large-Scale Emergencies program.

Additionally, the CRC was able to build the capacity to supply Emergency Response Units (ERU), COVID-19 Testing Assistance Response (CTART) and Outbreak Crises Management (OCM) adjunct healthcare capacity. Results achieved during the reporting period include:

• Percentage of days the CRC maintained readiness to deploy 10 CTARTs simultaneously: 100%;
• Percentage of days the CRC maintained readiness to deploy up to 7 teams to support outbreak crisis management: 100%;
• Percentage of facilities which received assistance as a result of a request from public health authorities, which were effectively supported by the CRC: Results not available at this time, as not all reports included this information;
• Number of CRC staff ready to deploy in support of vulnerable Canadians throughout the COVID-19 pandemic: 1,773 with an additional number of volunteers; and
• Number of healthcare services (i.e., field hospitals/mobile respiratory clinics) provisioned to be ready to deploy in highly impacted areas through the ERU: 3.

There was limited requirement for the CRC to support community risk reduction given reduced need from provinces and territories from the previous fiscal year. Results achieved for the reporting period include:

• Number of people supported by the CRC at quarantine sites, isolation sites, and evacuation centres: 0, no request was received to support such sites with the program’s funding; other funding mechanism were available (e.g. Safe Voluntary Isolation Sites Program through Public Health Agency of Canada);
• Number of community risk reduction assessments performed and the percentage of communities that implemented the CRC’s recommendations: 0 (no requests under Public Safety Canada deployments this fiscal year);
• Over 900 people trained in Prevention of Disease Transmission (PDT) and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in long-term care and retirement homes; and
• Total value in Canadian dollars of PPE provided to non-government organizations, health authorities and emergency response organizations directly serving Canadians: $0; this was previously distributed in 2020-21.

Aboriginal Community Safety Development Contribution Program (ACSDCP): 2010-11

Aboriginal Community Safety Planning Initiative (ACSPI): 2010-11

Indigenous Community Corrections Initiative/Alternatives to Incarceration Projects and Reintegration Support Projects (ICCI/AIPRSP): 2017-18

ACSDCP: Ongoing

ACSPI: Ongoing

ICCI/AIPRSP: 2021-22

ACSDCP: 2017-18

ICCI/AIPRSP: 2017-18

Community safety practices are strengthened

Canadian communities are safe

Crime is prevented and addressed in populations/communities most at-risk

ACSDCP:

The ACSDCP provides contributions to Aboriginal organizations (on and off-reserve), Aboriginal governments and municipalities in collaboration with Aboriginal organizations and or communities to develop tailored approaches to community safety that are responsive to the concerns, priorities and unique circumstances of Aboriginal communities. Becoming more responsive requires engaging Aboriginal communities in identifying issues and developing solutions; building the capacity of Aboriginal communities to develop and deliver projects; addressing funding issues; and ensuring that relevant programs are adaptable to the diverse needs of Aboriginal communities.

The ACSDCP includes two initiatives: 1) The Aboriginal Community Safety Planning Initiative (ACSPI), and 2) The Indigenous Community Corrections Initiative (ICCI) and Reintegration Support Projects (AIPRSP).

The objectives of the ACSDCP are to:

• Enhance or improve Aboriginal communities’ ability to support the development and/or implementation of community safety plans;
• Support the development of alternatives to incarceration projects; or
• Provide reintegration support.

ACSPI:

The ACSPI supports Indigenous communities to develop and implement community safety plans that are specific to the unique circumstances of their community.

The objective of the ACSPI is to:

• Enhance or improve Aboriginal communities' ability to support the development and/or implementation of community safety plans.

ICCI/AIPRSP:

The ICCI supports AIPRSP, which are responsive to the unique circumstances of Indigenous people in Canada.

The objectives of the ICCI/AIPRSP are to :

• Support the development of alternatives to incarceration projects; and
• Provide reintegration support.

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada continued to administer the ACSDCP through the activities of its two initiatives, the ACSPI and the ICCI/AIPRSP:

ACSPI:

Public Safety Canada continued to support Indigenous communities in the development and implementation of Community Safety Plans (CSPs) through the ACSPI.

In 2021-22, three communities successfully developed CSPs. Five communities participated in at least one community safety planning session with an ACSPI facilitator to support the community in developing and implementing a CSP. In addition, one partnership was supported between a community and an Indigenous government.

In 2021-22, two tools were also developed for the ACSPI, including the Crime Prevention Practitioner Guide and a module on partnership development.

A series of community questionnaires were developed in 2020-21 to begin collecting data regarding changes in community perceptions. The intake questionnaires were implemented throughout 2021-22 and follow-up questionnaires are currently being administered with communities who completed CSPs in 2021-22. As a result, the ACSPI cannot report on this indicator for fiscal year 2021-22. The first reporting year for this performance indicator will be for fiscal year 2022-23.

Due to limited contribution funding, the ACSPI was unable to support Indigenous communities in the implementation of projects, CSPs, or components of CSPs this fiscal year. No results can be provided for the number and percentage of communities who received support and went on to successfully implement a project, CSP, or component of their CSP. Contribution funding will return in 2022-23, at which point project implementation will resume and results will be reported.

Initial coordination of project development and implementation between the Northern and Indigenous Crime Prevention Fund (NICPF) and other Indigenous-specific programs within the Department has begun. The ACSPI will continue to expand partnerships and outreach with other government departments and with other programs within the Department.

ICCI/AIPRSP:

Public Safety Canada continued to support Indigenous communities in the implementation of alternatives to custody and reintegration projects responsive to the unique circumstances of Indigenous people through the ICCI. In 2021-22, the ICCI supported two Indigenous communities to the development and implementation of reintegration support projects for Indigenous offenders returning to communities. The projects served a total of 118 clients.

The ICCI received a positive evaluation in 2021. Projects were found to increase community capacity to address the needs of Indigenous offenders returning to communities. In addition, communities reported that community workers received training for the projects and utilized the training to deliver alternatives to incarceration and reintegration programming.

Public Safety Canada has undertaken a research project to synthesize national evidence on the unique needs of Indigenous offenders and their response to community-based reintegration programs, including the ICCI. The research project will be used to develop and share knowledge about what works in Indigenous community-led alternatives to incarceration and reintegration programming.

As the ICCI sunset in March 2022, avenues for funding renewal were explored.

N/A

Last evaluation: The Evaluation of the Indigenous Community Corrections Initiative was approved in March 2021.

Next planned evaluation: an Evaluation of the Aboriginal Community Safety Planning Initiative is planned for 2024-25.

ACSPI:

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACSPI developed a suite of virtual engagement and participation tools and processes which were used to support communities in their development of proposals. Program officers adapted engagement and workshop content to be delivered virtually and continue to communicate with communities by telephone, where video conferencing is not feasible.

The ACSPI continued to engage with Indigenous communities across Canada. Specific efforts were made to target and engage communities in the North, and Inuit and Metis communities who are currently underrepresented within the ACSPI.

ICCI/AIPRSP:

A survey of recipients determined the percentage of funded projects that feel they have increased capacity to deliver alternatives to incarceration within Indigenous communities and for Indigenous offenders.

2019-20

Contribution Program to Combat Child Sexual Exploitation and Human Trafficking (CCSEHT) is now under the Contribution Program to Combat Serious and Organized Crime (CPCSOC)

The Cyber Security Cooperation Program (CSCP) aims to contribute to the federal government’s leadership role in advancing cyber security in Canada. The CSCP’s purpose is to commission research and yield comprehensive results that help position Canadian governments, businesses, and citizens to better anticipate trends, adapt to a changing environment, and remain on the leading edge of innovation in cyber security.

In alignment with the goals and priorities of the new National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS) released in May 2019, the CSCP is comprised of the following three streams and related objectives:

• Security and Resilience;
• Cyber Innovation; and
• Effective Leadership.

The expected results were achieved by the 2020 CSCP call for proposals that resulted in 10 projects selected to receive funding. These projects led by external stakeholders increased the overall cyber security knowledge and posture for Canadians to protect themselves against cyber threats. The research generated by these projects is essential to Public Safety’s ability to offer evidence-based cyber security advice to senior management, other government departments and the outside community.

The CSCP second call for proposals, released in 2020, targeted specific and strategic areas of interest for the federal cyber security community. The targeted call also encouraged diverse and underrepresented communities to self-identify in their application. Total funding available for this call was $4.2M. In total, the targeted call received 120 applications with a total funding demand of $46.9M. From the 120 applicants, 10 projects were selected to receive funding. All of the funding for the program is now committed.

In order to appropriately measure the outcomes of the CSCP, Public Safety Canada is working on introducing a project activity report. The report will be sent to program recipients in order to measure the success and overall satisfaction with the CSCP. This will help PS to address any shortcomings or concerns for each new cycle of the program. It will encourage open dialogue and transparency with program recipients. As well, the report will deliver a mechanism to introduce GBA Plus to our communities while providing a scoring incentive on applications received from new and existing recipients.

The Mid-Term Evaluation of the National Cyber Security Strategy – Public Safety Canada’s Initiatives was approved in March 2022.

Summary of the Evaluation’s Finding:

The evaluation found that there is a continued need for the Public Safety Canada’s NCSS initiatives due to ongoing and emerging cyber security threats such as ransomware, attacks on critical infrastructure and cyber attacks. The design of the initiatives allows for flexibility to respond to malicious actors and constantly evolving threats.

Recommendations:

That Public Safety Canada should:

• Enhance leadership and coordination efforts by prioritizing work on the forward policy agenda, including addressing information sharing challenges and forming relationships with other levels of government, particularly provinces and territories.
• Develop and implement follow-up processes to collect information regarding the implementation of mitigation measures by participants as a result of activities for CI sectors.
• Develop an approach to utilize CSCP project findings to inform the NCSS policy agenda and decision-making.
• Increase awareness of how aspects of diversity and inclusion inherent to GBA Plus apply to cybersecurity.

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada continued to administer the Grants and Contributions Program to National Voluntary Organizations (GCPNVO). The grants stream enables a total of thirteen recipients to fulfill their mandates. Many grant recipients provide services to victims, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals and their families.

All GCPNVO grant recipients contribute to the national policy dialogue on matters related to criminal justice by engaging with Public Safety Canada or other federal government departments to address community needs. In 2021-22, the level of recipients’ participation in engaging the Department to address community needs was demonstrated via their participation in over 65 engagement activities with the federal government, including 16 with Public Safety Canada. These engagement activities provide Public Safety Canada and portfolio agencies with increased knowledge for decision making on matters related to corrections and criminal justice.

Many engagement activities included meetings with officials from multiple sectors such as corrections, parole board, justice, public safety, and community-based organizations facilitating improved inter-sectoral collaboration and delivery of services.

GPNVO recipients shared knowledge and best practices by developing and disseminating information with a view to enhancing corrections, community reintegration and/or criminal justice policy and delivery of services. In 2021-22, there were over 50 information sharing activities, achieved via conferences, public education initiatives and other knowledge-building activities developed by the recipient organizations.

Additional activities: recipients and other community organizations were contacted in February 2022 inviting them to submit an application for contribution funding for a four-year funding cycle (April 2022 to March 2026). The contributions will provide funding for eligible recipients to create or expand application support services for individuals with criminal records looking to apply for a record suspension.

The program area normally engages with grant recipients twice per year for a Corrections Roundtable which provides recipients with an opportunity to share information on their programs and service delivery. Emerging issues of mutual interest in the field of criminal justice and corrections are also discussed which help to inform Public Safety’s policy and program development.

During the funding cycle, recipients were required to submit annual activity reports to highlight the previous year’s accomplishments.

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada continued to administer the HUSAR program. Four (4) Task Forces meet the Heavy capability status as per the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) guidelines. These Task Forces report increased interoperability between them since the program’s inception in 2016 and effective equipment to respond to disasters.

While not impeding operational readiness, the COVID-19 pandemic limited opportunities for joint training in 2021-22. Two (2) Task Forces were able to jointly train on specific areas of expertise. Nonetheless, four (4) Task Forces report having the ability to jointly train and jointly respond to disasters. 67%, or four (4) of the six (6) Task Forces were able to utilize at least 95% of the funding that they were allocated in 2021-22.

The objective of the HazMat training program, delivered under the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) agreement, is to train first responders about strategies to safeguard their health and safety and the safety of Canadians, and to reduce deaths and injuries related to HazMat incidents. The goal is to provide the highest level of instruction and training by:

• Conducting local, customized training that meets the needs of first responders, local jurisdictions and Public Safety Canada;
• Collaborating to reach as many first responder populations as possible; and
• Ensuring that all training programs continue to meet or exceed applicable professional standards, and that they incorporate lessons learned and best practices.

In 2021-22 Public Safety Canada continued to administer the IAFF program and contributed funding towards making sure Canadian fire fighters and other first responders nationally have the skills and knowledge required to respond to a HazMat incident.

By the end of 2021-22, the IAFF had provided training to 616 students, spread over 30 classes, and 10”train the trainer” classes were also given. Approximately 20% of students represented disciplines other than firefighting services.

Using pre and post test evaluations, it was demonstrated that students significantly increased their knowledge by improving their test results by 24%.

The overall objective of the Nation’s Capital Extraordinary Policing Costs (NCEPC) contribution program is to recognize the unique policing environment created by the presence of federal landmarks (e.g., the War Memorial), institutions and events of national significance in the Nation’s Capital. These exceptional circumstances lead to extraordinary policing costs for the Ottawa Police Service (OPS). In recognition of these exceptional circumstances the NCEPC enables the City of Ottawa to seek financial assistance from the Government of Canada through a contribution agreement for eligible extraordinary, reasonable and justifiable policing costs incurred in relation to duties specific to policing the nation’s capital.

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada continued to ensure that the NCEPC program was well managed while responding to the City of Ottawa’s needs, as evidenced by the following results:

• The Department met its target to produce timely payment in compliance with the terms of the contribution agreement (100% - two payments were processed during this fiscal year that met the service standard);
• The OPS included GBA Plus considerations in the planning and provision of security in 100% of cases (target set at 90%). The OPS accomplished this result by using its Community Liaison Teams in the planning of security provision in all extraordinary events where GBA Plus considerations were present; and
• The OPS attended all events as required based on a security assessment, thus contributing to the Nation’s Capital hosting of safe and secure events in 100% of cases (target set at 90%).

Due to an unforeseen and unprecedented increase in the demand for OPS at events of national significance held in the Nation’s Capital such as Convoy 2022, Rolling Thunder, Canada Day, as well as several other events, the OPS and over a dozen other federal, provincial and municipal police partners were called in to assist with police operations.

Consequently, the OPS expenditures on eligible program costs under NCEPC far exceeded the annual maximum $3 million funding allocation available for 2021-22. The recipient requested additional support from the federal government to expand the program to support the extra unexpected expenses. As a result, Departmental officials worked closely with:

• the recipient to obtain updates on resource pressures that were developing during the protests, demonstrations and occupation; and
• federal central agencies to explore options to assist cover additional costs due to the unexpected surge in demand for police services.

Consequently, due to the unprecedented workload faced by the recipient and its partner police services that supported them, the OPS asked for an extension in their year-end reporting requirements.

N/A

A Laser Audit of Extraordinary Policing Costs is planned in 2022-23 with a completion date in 2023-24.

N/A

Last evaluation: an Evaluation of the Nation’s Capital Extraordinary Policing Costs Program was approved in July 2019.

The purpose of the National Flagging System (NFS) Class Grant Program (NFSCGP) is to enhance the capacity of participating provinces and territories to identify and track high-risk, violent offenders and facilitate prosecution and sentencing of these offenders if they re-offend.

The objectives of the NFSCGP are:

• To assist Crown prosecutors to more effectively prosecute high-risk violent offenders;
• To prevent high-risk violent offenders from falling through jurisdictional gaps in the criminal justice system, should they move to another part of the country; and
• To encourage prosecutors to make Dangerous and Long-Term Offender applications in appropriate cases.

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada continued to administer the NFSCGP. The current five-year funding cycle includes ten provincial government recipients.

The program funding has contributed to increasing the capacity of all ten recipients’ ability to flag high risk offenders. Measures to increase capacity were demonstrated via the following:

• Hiring and retaining full and part-time staff (e.g. paralegal, assistant coordinator);
• Accessing and maintaining of national flagging website;
• Purchasing or leasing of efficient copy/scanning equipment;
• Using of a dedicated Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) terminal; and
• Procurement of court transcripts.

Consequently, the recipients’ increased capacity has facilitated the achievement of the following results:

• The program enables recipients to keep up to date information on high risk offenders as well as analyze and summarize the information in order to respond to requests from prosecutors in a timely manner. Offender summaries are shared with prosecutors to assist with bail and sentencing activities;
• The program enables recipients to expand their electronic database by converting paper documents to electronic format. With increased availability of electronic data recipients are able to work more efficiently on a daily basis;
• To ensure a consist approach, recipients review the list of flagged offenders and determine if they still meet the criteria for national flagging; offenders will be removed from the list if they no longer meet the criteria;
• When an offender that has been flagged in one jurisdiction is subsequently arrested in another jurisdiction, recipients are able to notify their provincial and territorial counterpart and provide them with the relevant background information; and
• Recipients are able to gather and share valuable information on offenders. With comprehensive offender information decisions can be made in regards to proceeding with a dangerous or long term offender application in cases where this is required for public safety purposes.

N/A

Last Evaluation: an Evaluation of the National Flagging System Program was published in  2016-17.

Policy Development Contribution Program (PDCP): 1983

Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries (PTSI): January 11, 2019

Emergency Management Public Awareness Contribution Program (EMPACP): August 13, 2020

Funding to Support Canada’s Flood Risk Plan (FSCFRP): April 1, 2021

PDCP: Ongoing

PTSI: March 31, 2023

EMPACP: March 31, 2024

FSCFRP: March 31, 2022

PDCP: Contribution

PTSI: Contribution

EMPACP: Contribution

FSCFRP: Contribution

PDCP: Appropriated annually through Estimates

PTSI: Appropriated one time through Estimates

EMPACP: Appropriated one time through Estimates

FSCFRP: Appropriated one time through Estimates

PDCP: 2019-20

PTSI: 2018-19

EMPACP: 2019-20

FSCFRP: 2021-22

PDCP:

• National security threats are understood and reduced;
• Community safety practices are strengthened;
• Canadian communities are safe; and
• Canada can effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all-hazards events.

PTSI:

• Canadian communities are safe; and
• Canada can effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all-hazards events.

EMPACP:

• Canada can effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all-hazards events.

FSCFRP:

• Canada can effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all-hazards events.

Crime Prevention

Cyber Security

Emergency Preparedness

Indigenous Policing

Law Enforcement and Policing

Serious and Organized Crime

PDCP:

The PDCP’s overall objectives are to forge greater consensus and cooperation among various levels of government and other stakeholders through policy initiatives and activities. Contribution funding has been chosen in order to monitor progress and results of projects and initiatives. The program contributes to the achievement of departmental legislative, policy development, and consultative objectives by:

• Supporting projects in priority areas to address public policy issues of strategic importance to the Department;
• Supporting information driven projects and participation in cross-sectoral and inter-jurisdictional policy and legislative initiatives;
• Supporting innovative approaches and the acquisition of knowledge and the ability to translate knowledge into action for communities and community-based organizations; and
• Contributing to enhanced public safety and emergency management.

This program supports strategic projects undertaken by Departmental stakeholder organizations that contribute to policy-making. The Department provides funding to three categories of projects:

• Communication/Information Exchange projects;
• Innovation and Research projects; and
• Training and Skills Development projects.

PTSI:

The PTSI supports a new National Research Consortium (NRC) on this program among public safety personnel between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT). This consortium is the first of its kind in Canada and works specifically to address the incidence of PTSI among public safety personnel. The program also supports an Internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (ICBT) pilot to provide greater access to care and treatment for public safety personnel, especially in rural and remote areas. The program does not have repayable contributions.

EMPACP:

The EMPACP was established to increase the level of preparedness and readiness of vulnerable groups to natural hazards. It seeks to develop and nationally distribute public awareness products that are tailored to the specific needs, risks, and barriers of vulnerable populations, including low-income Canadians, seniors, women, new Canadians, and Indigenous communities.

FSCFRP:

The FSCFRP seeks to study and assess options in establishing a low-cost residential insurance program for Canadians living in areas at high-risk of flooding as well as measures that could support the potential relocation of Canadians at the highest risk of recurrent flooding to safer areas. This initiative would enable a federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) and private sector Task Force on Flood Insurance and Relocation to develop options for flood protection for Canadians at high risk of flooding.

In 2021-22 Public Safety Canada continued to administer the PDCP, through which terms and conditions a number of initiatives are funded.

PDCP:

Projects under the PDCP commenced at the beginning of the 2022-23 fiscal year and are currently underway. There are no results available at this time, as the first set of progress reports for these projects are not due until October 2022. An update on results and/or milestones achieved are expected at this time.

PTSI:

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada continued to support collaborative efforts to maintain and grow the National Research Consortium (NRC) Knowledge Exchange Hub and to develop and implement the Public Safety Personnel (PSP) internet-delivered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (PSPNET) program in support of treatment for post-traumatic stress injuries among public safety personnel.

Specifically, the PTSI program supported efforts of the CIPSRT to continue to be recognized by various sectors of the PSP community as knowledge brokers; supported the NRC to be recognized for its ability to engage knowledge users from the PSP community via the implementation and wide dissemination of research findings into practice; and ensured that publications inform decision making and policies in the future. In addition, ICBT pilots are running in 5 provinces – Saskatchewan, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

The success of the PTSI program is also demonstrated via the 2021-22 results achieved through the CIPSRT and the NRC’s ability to engage knowledge users from the public safety community through the research process by disseminating the research findings into practice. The CIPSRT

• Developed 3 tools based on research findings, and these tools are available to all public safety personnel;
• Partnered with 62 organizations and universities from 12 essential front-line sectors to create tools, deliver treatment and training, and conduct research;
• Prepared 24 research summaries for frontline public safety personnel; and,
• Created 15 webinars viewed by at least 3,128 Public Safety Personnel from across Canada.

EMPACP:

In 2021-22, EMPACP completed various research activities regarding the best materials to develop to help vulnerable populations prepare for existing natural hazard risks. Evaluations of which approaches would be most effective were completed in order to help reduce the impact of natural disasters and improve resiliency. EMPACP made significant strides towards increasing Canadians’ awareness levels of natural hazard risks in their region. As an example, two maildrop campaigns promoting emergency preparedness were launched and completed, reaching 381,012 households (nearly one million people).

In addition, fifteen videos were prepared on various natural disaster topics, including floods, wildfires, earthquakes, and general emergency preparedness. The videos were developed with a target audience of low-income, newcomers, seniors and Indigenous peoples in mind. Research activities, including testing these products, have taken place and the incorporation of the feedback from these tests are currently underway.

Furthermore, several other emergency preparedness products have been produced and translated into forty different languages. These products include a 7-10 day emergency kit list, 72-hour emergency backpack list, evacuation tops, flood safety, self-care guidance, emergency plan template, emergency kit checklist, emergency preparedness trifold, and an emergency preparedness pocket guide. These products are expected to be released in the 2022-23 fiscal year.

Finally, various social media graphics have been developed and continue to be released at key moments to raise awareness surrounding preventative measures for natural disasters. These graphics have been released on several social media platforms and have received 69,311 unique views. Plans to continue and scale up the social media strategy will take place in the 2022-23 fiscal year.

EMPACP continues to strive to differentiate between communities, ensuring that —through encouragement — realistic and pragmatic preventative measures, which are unique to each community’s specific circumstances, are taken.

Upon completion of activities related to the education and preventative measures, an assessment of the percentage of Canadians aware of risks in their area will be completed.

FSCFRP:

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada was positioned to undertake core work to advance this initiative. Through the establishment of a Task Force made up of stakeholders from across a range of sectors, Public Safety Canada initiated and undertook robust research and analysis to identify potential viable flood insurance arrangements and options for relocation while considering the Canadian context.

Key results included the creation of a temporary interdisciplinary Task Force composed of stakeholders across federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) governments, and the private sector to co-develop parameters, a solid business case and detailed costing estimates for a viable flood insurance arrangement, examine opportunities, and determine viable measures to support potential relocation of residences at the highest risk of recurrent flooding.

The program has also established the acquisition of residential flood hazard models and other data sources that develop the most comprehensive estimates of flood extent and depth at several different return periods (e.g. 1 in 100 year flood event) in Canada.

The program has also finalized preliminary actuarial analysis and risk modelling, which will allow for the determination of an actuarially fair (i.e. risk-based) cost of insurance for those exposed to various levels of risk.

Finally, the program has completed the examination of alternative insurance frameworks (i.e. to determine if other viable options should be considered alongside those initially considered by the ACF) and research on strategic relocation.

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An Evaluation of the Support to Those Who Keep Communities Safe: National Investments to Address Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries (PTSI) among Public Safety Officers in underway with a planned completion date in 2022-23.

PDCP: It leveraged mailing lists to ensure potential applicants and recipients are informed about relevant activities and future funding opportunities.

PTSI: Funding for this program, and for CIPSRT as the recipient, was announced in Budget 2018. Public Safety Canada worked closely with CIPSRT to develop a detailed contribution agreement, with measurable results.

EMPACP: Funding for this program was announced in Budget 2019. The Department launched a call for proposals in August 2019, and worked closely with funding recipients to develop a detailed contribution agreement, with measurable results.

FSCFRP: Public Safety Canada moved forward with targeted consultations with potential applicants because of the tight timelines in which the Task Force on Flood Insurance and Relocation is to conduct its examination of the viability of flood insurance and relocation options.

The overall objective of the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC) contribution program is to assist in improving Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) in Canada through the coordination, consistency, and standardization of the 9,000 volunteers involved in GSAR.

Additional objectives include:

• Transcending jurisdictional boundaries and providing a national voice and identity for GSAR volunteers in Canada, including protecting, supporting and recognizing GSAR volunteers at a level commensurate with that provided to other SAR volunteers;
• Delivering SAR prevention to provide greater awareness among the general public of risks and hazards that most commonly lead to SAR incidents and of the steps individuals and organizations can take to mitigate these risks and increase survivability;
• Supporting a national coordination body to provide one window of access into the thousands of volunteer members of GSAR to enhance communications, consistency and coordination of protocols and procedures; and
• Promoting the standardization and portability of volunteer resources allowing for the swift and efficient augmentation of ground search assets when GSAR resources are required.

In 2021-22 Public Safety Canada continued to administer the SARVAC program.

Over the course of 2021-22, the 13 provincial and territorial search and rescue associations were represented on SARVAC’s Board of Directors. Communications and identity products, such as pins, brochures and crests were distributed on an ongoing bases. Service awards pins and certificates were also distributed to ground search and rescue (SAR) volunteers totaling over 25 years of service or more.

SARVAC has continued to be active in the area of prevention by delivering 261 awareness and outreach sessions, reaching over 10,000 participants.

Key documents and toolkits were distributed to various jurisdictions and organizations throughout the year, including the Canadian Standards Association Curriculum and Training Standards, and Federal Tax Credit for SAR Volunteers documents.

SARVAC continued to facilitate the tracking of volunteer competencies with jurisdictions across the country, capturing information for 9,000 volunteers over 270 teams.

No information is available regarding the number of deployments or the frequency and outcome of SAR incidents. The manner in which this information may be collected and distributed is currently under review.

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Last Evaluation: a previous Evaluation of the Workers Compensation Program was published in 2015-16.