The Immigrant Multicultural Services Society of Prince George (IMSS) is one of 34 organizations in B.C. to receive provincial funding for anti-hate and anti-racism supports.
IMSS will be one of the new organizations offering Resilience BC services in the north, and one of nine across the region.
Resilience BC, launched in November 2019, is a province-wide anti-racism network delivered through a hub-and-spoke model.
In May 2020, B.C. selected the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society to serve as a provincial hub to connect communities with information, training and resources throughout the province.
The spokes are community-based branches that identify local priorities and move projects forward to address systemic and institutionalized racism at a local level.
IMSS, who's operated in Prince George since 1976, were chosen because it demonstrates a strong understanding of racism and hate issues and have a defined course of action at a local or regional level driven by community partnerships.
"There is no place for racism and hate in British Columbia. To fight racism and hate crimes, we must work together in a co-ordinated way in communities in every corner of the province," said Anne Kang, Minister of Citizens' Services and responsible for Multiculturalism.
"These community organizations will lead action at a local and regional level to respond to and prevent racist and hate activity."
In B.C.'s northern region, the nine organizations are receiving a total of $75,000 as community and regional service providers for Resilience BC.
The program operates through two funding models. Individual community spokes receive annual funding of up to $7,500 per geographic community; and regional spokes receive annual funding up to $15,000.
A regional spoke is when two or more of neighbouring communities partner and pool funding.
Most recently through Resilience BC, the Province launched an online portal to support people who experience or witness a racist incident.
The website offers information in 12 languages.
