Saturday, December 27, 2025
ADVT 
National

Alberta sexual assault centres to be consulted on spending additional $10 million

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 30 Apr, 2024 04:01 PM
  • Alberta sexual assault centres to be consulted on spending additional $10 million

An additional $3 million is being allocated in 2024-25 to support 15 sexual assault centres.

There will be another $3 million in 2025-26 and $4 million in 2026-27.

"Nearly half of Albertans have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. That's 1.8 million too many," Family Services Minister Searle Turton told a news conference Tuesday.

"I've heard how it impacts every aspect of their well-being and their relationships, not to mention their ability to trust and feel safe."

Alberta signed a deal last fall to receive $54 million in federal funding to create and implement a 10-year strategy to end gender-based violence. 

The funding, which will be allocated to the province over four years, is part of a national plan to tackle gender-based violence. 

Turton said how the money will be spent will be determined by the sexual assault centres in roundtable discussions in the coming weeks.

"This will allow government to hear directly from centres and those who work with survivors every day how this funding can best address their urgent needs," he said.

Tanya Fir, Alberta's minister for the status of women, said the facilities represent "hope and safe havens" where survivors can receive support. 

The news was welcomed by the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services.

Corinne Ofstie, co-chief executive officer, said it will help members respond to the increasingly complex needs of individuals and communities affected by sexual violence.

"It is difficult for survivors to reach out for help in the aftermath of sexual violence," she said.

"It is critical they receive help in a timely way as close to home as possible."

MORE National ARTICLES

Google to pay $100M a year to Canadian news publishers in deal with Ottawa

Google to pay $100M a year to Canadian news publishers in deal with Ottawa
Ottawa has agreed to set a $100-million yearly cap on payments that Google will be required to make to media companies when the government's controversial online news legislation takes effect at the end of the year. The announcement Wednesday has the Liberals bending to the tech giant's demands after Google threatened back in February to remove news from its platform.

Google to pay $100M a year to Canadian news publishers in deal with Ottawa

Squamish hit and run leaves one dead

Squamish hit and run leaves one dead
The crash happened September 2nd, 2022, when the driver of a pickup truck lost control navigating a corner and the vehicle flipped over a sidewalk and landed on a bus stop, pinning two women who were sitting there. Police say 44-year-old Gurpreet Sangha died in hospital, while the second woman survived with "life-altering injuries."

Squamish hit and run leaves one dead

B.C. finds solution for religious ban on assistance in dying at St. Paul's Hospital

B.C. finds solution for religious ban on assistance in dying at St. Paul's Hospital
The British Columbia government has announced a workaround to help those who want to use medical assistance in dying while they are being treated St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver. A statement from the Health Ministry says Vancouver Coastal Health will set up a clinical space adjacent to St. Paul's, allowing it to continue to refuse to opt out of medical assistance in dying on religious grounds.  

B.C. finds solution for religious ban on assistance in dying at St. Paul's Hospital

Post about Vancouver sex assault was 'misinformation,' woman fell off scooter: VPD

Post about Vancouver sex assault was 'misinformation,' woman fell off scooter: VPD
The Vancouver Police Department says a viral social media post claiming a woman had been violently abducted and sexually assaulted in East Vancouver in early November was based on "misinformation." Police say they reviewed security footage and interviewed witnesses, and found the woman who was allegedly assaulted had actually fallen off an electric scooter and hit her face on the pavement. 

Post about Vancouver sex assault was 'misinformation,' woman fell off scooter: VPD

Indigenous signage aims to make B.C. legislature more inclusive, accepting

Indigenous signage aims to make B.C. legislature more inclusive, accepting
The Speaker of British Columbia's legislature says the unveiling of Indigenous-themed signs outside the building is a necessary step toward opening doors that have been historically closed. Raj Chouhan says the B.C. legislature is the province's largest symbol of colonialism, but it's his priority to make the building a more welcoming and inclusive place.  

Indigenous signage aims to make B.C. legislature more inclusive, accepting

Vancouver Bright Nights extended til Jan

Vancouver Bright Nights extended til Jan
The Vancouver Park Board has two Christmas surprises for everyone who missed out on snagging the tickets for the Stanley Park Christmas Train. The Park Board says it’s releasing another 17-thousand tickets for the Bright Nights event and it’s also extending the run until January 6th due to high demand.

Vancouver Bright Nights extended til Jan