Sudbury gets funding to fight guns and gangs
It was a big funding announcement in front of the YMCA in Sudbury on Tuesday morning as the federal government announced more than $2 million to fight gun and gang violence.
It's part of the $250-million Building Safer Communities Fund in which cities receive funding to support community-led projects to combat violence among young people involved in gangs or at risk of joining them.
"Law enforcement report that gangs from big cities have been expanding into towns and cities across northeastern Ontario, especially in the last five years. This is closely linked with the ongoing poisoned drug crisis," said Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe.
"Here in Sudbury, crime is going up, in the past few years the crime severity index has spiked," she said.
"Violent crime is even worse and Sudbury isn't alone. In North Bay, police have seized more firearms at this point this year than they did in all of 2021."
Lapointe made the announcement on behalf of Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, who was unable to attend.
In a Zoom interview later with CTV Northern Ontario, Mendicino outlined out the program is designed to work in conjunction with other pieces of legislation like Bill C-21 and the banning of assault-style weapons.
"It requires a two-pronged approach," he said.
"First we have to continue to Sudbury and the frontline police officers and there are federal programs like the anti-guns and gangs fund, which we provide to the Province of Ontario, which then provides additional support to cities like Sudbury so we can have the necessary resources in place. (Sudbury Police) Chief Pedersen and I talked about that but we also talked about the need to address the problem upstream."
Mendicino said it's that upstream approach that will work in addressing the root cause.
"Looking at the root causes of organized crime, looking at the root cause of gun crime and empowering communities to better immunize the community there, by providing more funding for programs and services," said Mendicino.
The city's mayor, who later met virtually with Mendicino, said the added help is welcome.
"I believe it would be fair to have additional provincial and federal funding in support of our local police services that are working essentially on challenges that are coming from across the province, coming from across the country and even internationally," said Bigger.
Sudbury is only the fourth jurisdiction to receive the funding, after York, Toronto and Six Nations. The city says it is still determining what to do with the funds.
There's no word yet on what other communities in the region will be benefitting from the fund.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pharmacare bill passes in the House of Commons, heads to the Senate
The Liberals' pharmacare bill is headed to the Senate after passing third reading in the House of Commons.
National Bank of Canada seizes Ont. woman’s car by mistake
A university student woke up one morning to find her car had been towed away without warning. She finally got answers - just not the ones she expected.
More Canadians are moving to the U.S. Here's one of the main reasons, according to an immigration expert
Recent data from the U.S. census revealed that more than 126,000 people moved from Canada to the U.S. in 2022. An expert said that one of the main reasons for this move is the cost of living.
MPs 'wittingly' took part in foreign interference: national security committee
Some MPs began 'wittingly assisting' foreign state actors soon after their election, says a report released Monday, including sending confidential information to Indian officials.
Her gut was producing alcohol. Doctors didn't believe her
For two years doctors told her she was an alcoholic. Then they realized her gut was making alcohol from carbohydrates, a rare condition called auto-brewery syndrome.
Bus carrying Quebec tourists crashes in Cuba, leaving 1 dead and 26 injured
One person is dead and 26 were injured after a bus carrying Quebec tourists was involved in a collision in Cuba on Sunday.
Here's how far B.C. drivers must keep from cyclists, pedestrians under new law
A new law protecting cyclists and pedestrians in British Columbia takes effect Monday, establishing minimum distances that drivers must keep from so-called vulnerable road users.
N.L. becomes latest province to eye stricter tobacco regulations
Newfoundland and Labrador has floated an eyebrow-raising trial balloon in a bid to further the public health fight against tobacco and nicotine.
Forest bathing: What it is and why some Alberta doctors recommend it
Many people are familiar with the benefits of being in nature, but forest therapy goes a step further than a simple walk in the woods.