The City of Airdrie will receive over $1 million from the Government of Canada’s Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF) to develop youth violence prevention resources.
Following the announcement at Airdrie City Hall on Jan. 22, Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown said the funds will be rolled out into the community through prevention and education programs in both the community and schools.
Brown said over a third of Airdrie’s population is under the age of 20.
“We have one of the lowest crime severity indexes among cities across the country, not just in Alberta,” he said. “Our goal is to continue to keep gun and gang violence out of Airdrie through early intervention against bullying. Bullying isn’t gun and gang violence but we recognize that when it escalates it can lead to increased risks for vulnerable youth.”
The City of Airdrie does not have a direct gun or gang violence concern but the funding will be used for prevention.
“We’re using the [BSCF] to develop community education training, to address bullying and support vulnerable youth in our schools, in public spaces, and throughout our community,” Brown said. “This program provides opportunities to develop healthy relationships and learn positive behaviours.”
The training and program will involve a collaboration between the City of Airdrie, RCMP, municipal enforcement, and the Rocky View Schools (RVS) division.
Greg Luterbach superintendent of RVS stated after the announcement that the division has been working with Positive Behaviour Interventions and Support (PBIS) and looks forward to continuing the work in tandem with the City.
“I think [it’s] helpful to families if a common approach is going on in school that’s going on in the community, I think that’s a real opportunity,” he said.
Luterbach acknowledged that the challenges in Airdrie’s schools are different from bigger urban centres in Alberta, but that they see their own complexities within schools.
“Schools are a reflection of the community and while I wouldn’t say we have the same problems that maybe our metro friends do down the road, I think that as Mayor Brown said today, we really want to be proactive,” Luterbach said. “We want to make sure that we support students and families before they get into those high risk scenarios.”
George Chahal, member of parliament for Calgary Skyview, made the announcement on Jan. 22 that the City of Airdrie would receive more than $1 million in federal funding to prevent gun and gang violence on behalf of Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic Leblanc.
“Local efforts, grassroots, and community efforts can address the social conditions that lead to criminal behaviour,” Chahal said.
“The government stands firm in its conviction that any solution to gun and gang violence must include prevention and intervention efforts.”
This investment will help address the root causes of crime, supporting community led projects for young people involved in gangs or who are at risk of joining them, he added.
According to the Government of Canada, the amount of BSCF support for a community is based on two major elements, including crime severity and population density.
In 2022, federal support through the $250 million BSCF was announced to help prevent gun violence.
Eligible municipalities distribute funds to local organizations that focus on children, youth and young adults who are involved in or at risk of joining gangs.
Alongside the federal investments to stop gun smuggling across borders and the banning of more than 1,500 models of assault-style firearms, these recent funds are one step in the federal government’s plan to reduce gun violence.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community and that sense of safety and security is challenged every time a violent crime takes place,” said Chahal.
