Two synagogues in Outremont, Que., will receive funding under the federal government’s Security Infrastructure Program (SIP).
Congregation Toldos Yaacov Yosef and Congregation Kehal Toldos Yakov Yosef, which are affiliated with the Skver Hasidic community, will share a grant of over $131,000, Outremont MP Rachel Bendayan announced on Aug. 8.
SIP provides funding to help religious and cultural communities protect themselves against hate-motivated crime through infrastructure upgrades.
Toldos Yaacov Yosef plans to use just over $95,000 for the installation of security camera and access control systems, window films, alarms and lighting outside of the building.
Kehal Toldos Yakov Yosef will spend over $36,000 for the installation of a CCTV system, window films and exterior lighting.
Joseph Silberman, speaking on behalf of the two congregations, stated that, “We are confident and assured that, with the funding that we will be receiving from the SIP program, our community centres will be offering a safe and secure environment for the entire district, which will be to the benefit of the whole community at large.”
The government has quadrupled funding to the SIP program since it was launched. The 2019 budget allocates $4 million each year until 2021-22, and $3 million in ongoing funding thereafter.
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“There is no social license for hate in Canada,” Bendayan stated. “Our country is diverse and inclusive, but we must not take our safety and security for granted. Protecting our communities from violence, including our community centres, educational institutions and places of worship, is the right thing to do. This funding will help keep Outremont safer.”
Under SIP, private, not-for-profit organizations linked to a community at risk of being victimized by hate-motivated crime may receive up to 50 per cent of total project costs, to a maximum of $100,000 per project. Eligible organizations that have multiple locations may now apply for projects at each of their sites, rather than being limited to one project per year.