Grants to Support Crime Prevention Initiatives and Public Safety.
The Province is supporting community-led initiatives that help victims of crime, strengthen neighbourhoods, enhance crime prevention efforts and create opportunities for youth.
Recipients of the Civil Forfeiture Grant Program and the Crime Prevention Community Grant Program were announced today, September 29, in Halifax.
“Nova Scotians deserve to feel safe in their communities and confident that support is there when they need it,” said Scott Armstrong, Attorney General and Minister of Justice. “Through these grants, we’re investing in local organizations that help prevent crime, support victims and create opportunities for young people to succeed. By reinvesting proceeds linked to criminal activity into community-based programs, we’re sending a clear message that crime doesn’t pay while helping build safer, stronger communities across our province.”
The Province is investing a total of $280,000 in eight organizations through the Civil Forfeiture Grant Program, one-time funding to support victims of crime and crime prevention initiatives. The program is funded through the forfeiture of assets related to unlawful activities, which are redirected to initiatives that strengthen communities.
Brigadoon Children’s Camp Society, one of the organizations receiving grants from the Civil Forfeiture Grant Program, is receiving $30,000 to fund Camp Hope, a three-day overnight retreat for survivors of child sexual abuse aged 6 to 17 and their families.
Eighteen organizations will receive $12,000 each from the Crime Prevention Community Grant Program, for a total of $216,000. Initiatives will engage youth, encourage collaboration among organizations, create opportunities that help prevent crime and improve quality of life, and provide recreational, educational, cultural and life-skills programming that helps young people build positive connections and thrive.
The 7th Step Society of Nova Scotia is one of the organizations receiving a grant from the Crime Prevention Community Grant Program; it will support peer-led conversations about addiction, mental health, accountability and choice for youth aged 9 to 25 who are at risk of becoming involved with the criminal justice system.
Quotes:
“Camp Hope, founded by Cpl. Mark Sobieraj of the Nova Scotia RCMP Major Crime Unit, gives children and families the chance to be with people who understand some of what they’ve experienced. It’s three days of fun – a place for kids to simply be kids, make new friends, try new things and build confidence along the way. That aligns with our values, and it means a great deal to welcome Camp Hope back to Brigadoon for a fourth year. We’re grateful to the Government of Nova Scotia for helping make this experience possible for families.”
— Katy Chisholm, Program Manager, Brigadoon Village
“Funding from this grant is critical to establishing our peer-based educational framework, ensuring that youth receive guidance from those who understand their lived experiences best, thereby building long-term resilience against crime and social isolation.”
— Stephen Deveau, Executive Director, 7th Step Nova Scotia
Quick Facts:
- community-based not-for-profit organizations, schools, health authorities, academic institutions, Indigenous organizations and African Nova Scotian organizations are eligible for both programs
- the Civil Forfeiture Grant Program was created in 2024 and has invested $1 million in crime prevention programs and organizations that support victims of crime
- the Crime Prevention Community Grant Program (formerly known as the Lighthouse Grant Program) was created in 2010 and has provided more than $3 million to organizations working on youth and crime prevention initiatives across the province
Additional Resources:
Civil Forfeiture Grant Program: https://novascotia.ca/just/civil-forfeiture-grant-program.asp
The Civil Forfeiture Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/civil%20forfeiture.pdf
Crime Prevention Community Grant Program: https://novascotia.ca/just/prevention/grants.asp
Also receiving Civil Forfeiture Grant Program funding:
- Avalon Sexual Assault Centre Society – $50,000 to increase access to trauma-informed legal information and systems navigation for victims of crime who have experienced sexualized violence
- John Howard Society of Nova Scotia – $43,000 to provide provincially incarcerated men with opportunities to further their rehabilitation and reintegration into the community
- MADD Canada – $14,000 to allow Nova Scotian victims of crime to attend a three-day program that provides face-to-face support regardless of location
- Municipality of East Hants – $12,000 towards a community-based, public safety and crime prevention initiative focused on increasing awareness of intimate partner violence
- Shelter Movers Nova Scotia – $50,000 to support victims of abuse and gender-based violence by providing free moving and storage services
- St. George’s YouthNet in Halifax – $31,000 to help at-risk youth to divert their focus towards self-empowerment, learning from and understanding other youth and charting a path to future goals.
- Thriving Twogether Society in Yarmouth – $50,000 to provide trauma-informed support and advocacy to survivors of intimate partner violence across southwestern Nova Scotia
Also receiving Crime Prevention Community Grant Program funding:
- 7th Step Society of Canada, Halifax Regional Municipality, to help fathers who have been involved with the criminal justice system to strengthen parenting, social and emotional-regulation skills and positive engagement in community
- African United Baptist Association, Dartmouth, to support FaithLink Collective, which brings together churches, youth and community organizations to prevent crime through mentorship, education and outreach
- Annapolis County Cops N Kids, Bridgetown, to create opportunities for positive engagement between youth and local RCMP members
- Boys and Girls Club Cape Breton, Sydney, to provide youth aged 5 to 18 in Whitney Pier with access to safe, structured activities such as arts, tutoring and cooking
- Boys and Girls Club Greater Halifax, to support Talk Back and Amplify: Youth Voices for Crime Prevention, a youth-led early intervention program for youth aged 13 to 26 who are at risk of hate crimes or violent extremism
- Box It Out Association, Cole Harbour, to support at-risk youth aged 9 to 15 through boxing, mentorship and weekly mental health sessions in a safe, supervised space
- Cape Breton Regional Police Service, to create a mascot that helps officers connect with youth and deliver safety messages on topics such as bullying, internet safety and making positive choices
- Educational Program Innovations Charity Society, North Sydney, to support a youth peer intake and partnership facilitator who will help connect high-risk youth with community agency partners
- Leave Out Violence, to support media and arts program activities in Membertou and Sipekne’katik that bring youth together and help them chart a positive path forward
- Maggie’s Place, Cumberland County, to provide youth aged 12 to 19 with a safe drop-in space, positive activities and access to community supports
- Municipality of Cumberland County, to support the Ross Anderson Pharmasave Youth Centre, which provides youth in grades 7 to 12 with a safe space, adult mentorship and opportunities to build conflict-resolution, teamwork and communication skills
- Northern Healthy Connections Society, Truro, to support We Want to Be Heard, which helps youth with current or past justice-system involvement explore and express their experiences
- Peacemakers Alternative Dispute Resolution, Halifax, to support the Birch Cove Youth Peace and Mediation Hub, which will provide youth aged 13 to 21 with peace-skills training, conflict coaching, mediation, restorative dialogue and referral support
- Prescott Group, Halifax, to support Crime Stop: Sharing the Knowledge, which helps reduce conflict by giving youth and community members opportunities to practise conflict-resolution, teamwork and communication skills
- River John and Area Recreation, to support a community co-ordinator who will strengthen community safety, inclusion and well-being through social connection, recreation, employment and volunteer engagement
- The Sagewell Association, Halifax, to support Stay Safe: Community Crime Prevention, an intergenerational program designed to reduce vulnerability to crime
- YMCA of Southwest Nova Scotia, Bridgewater, to support King Street Youth Centre, a free drop-in program with workshops for youth aged 11 to 18 focused on equity, crime prevention and empowerment
Source: Provincial Release
