Victims Fund agreements with provinces and territories

We are no longer accepting funding proposals. Please check this web site periodically for updates.

The Victims Fund provides grants and contributions to support projects and activities that encourage the development of new approaches, promote access to justice, improve the capacity of service providers, foster the establishment of referral networks, and/or increase awareness of services available to victims of crime and their families. 

The Victims Fund made more than $21 million available to provincial and territorial governments and non-governmental organizations in fiscal year 2016-2017. The following are multi-year agreements between the Department of Justice and provincial and territorial governments that have been announced. Additional agreements will be included as they are announced.

British Columbia

Value
$3,411,450
Duration
5 years, April 1, 2016 - March 31, 2021
Recipient
Victim Services and Crime Prevention Division, Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Government of British Columbia
Description
Enhancing and Supporting Services to Victims in British Columbia is a project comprised of 11 primary activities that include pilot projects, building service delivery capacity, networking, training sessions and raising awareness.
Activities
  • better coordination between victim service providers and police investigators in homicide cases;
  • better planning and delivery of local victim services in a number of remote and Indigenous communities;
  • provincial networks of Child Advocacy Centres and Domestic Violence Units will have been established;
  • increased awareness about the services available to victims of crime;
  • improved response to trafficked children and youth through training for youth serving agencies and social workers;
  • enhanced trauma-informed support for victims and survivors of crime by training and educating criminal justice system personnel in line with recommendations from British Columbia's Fifth Justice Summit; and
  • Improved consistency in implementing a provincial sexual assault policy by training for service providers.

New Brunswick

Value
$3,756,500
Duration
5 years, April 1, 2016 - March 31, 2021
Recipient
Department of Public Safety, Government of New Brunswick
Description
The agreement will advance victim services and access to justice for victims and witnesses, while giving victims a more effective voice in the criminal justice system in New Brunswick.
Activities

Programs and Services

  • Victims of intimate partner violence will have greater awareness of information and more access to the resources, tools, and services that are available to assist them.
  • An Aboriginal Domestic Violence Outreach Program will be implemented in First Nation communities in northern New Brunswick.
  • There will be a model for coordinating community resources in response to very dangerous cases of intimate partner violence.
  • Support group programs for victims of sexually based crimes will be enhanced.
  • There will be safety planning tools for women living in abusive relationships, particularly in rural areas, as well as a safety plan for children.
  • The Court Support Volunteer Program will be established to provide support services to children and vulnerable victims who testify in court.

Building capacity

  • There will be extra cameras in the courtroom to allow victims to identify the accused and also view the proceedings unimpeded while testifying from a separate room.
  • An updated data management system will help ensure the quality of data and that appropriate performance measurements are in place.
  • There will be a case management system, a data management system and a revised curriculum and policy and procedures manual to account for changes in legislation resulting from the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights.
  • There will be specialized training for Victim Services Coordinators.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Value
$3,255,700
Duration
5 years, April 1, 2016 - March 31, 2021
Recipient
Victim Services, Department of Justice and Public Safety, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
Description
The agreement will advance victim services and access to justice for victims in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Activities
  • Increase the capacity to deliver direct services to victims.
  • Enhance tools available to staff in delivering services, including the use of portable computers and the development of information resources.
  • Enhance the community presence and professional development of Victim Services staff.
  • Reduce travel costs of victims to access counsellors and to participate in criminal justice processes such as sentencing hearings.
  • Offer free and independent legal advice to victims of sexual assault.
  • Raise awareness of the Victim Services Program and of issues and legislation relevant to victims of crime.
  • Enhance the video-conferencing equipment used by the courts.
  • Support collaboration between the Government and Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in addressing issues and concerns that are important to victims and survivors of crime.
  • Enhance the tracking and reporting of statistical information.

Northwest Territories

Value
$3,750,000
Duration
5 years, April 1, 2016 - March 31, 2021
Recipient
Department of Justice, Government of the Northwest Territories
Description
This agreement will advance victim services and access to justice for victims and witnesses in the Northwest Territories
Activities
  • The Outreach Victim Services Program will enhance programs that provide direct victim services to communities.
  • Implementation of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights will be supported with activities that include helping victims prepare impact statements, provide testimony and apply for restitution.
  • Victims of Crime Emergency Fund will provide emergency funding to victims to cover immediate costs resulting from serious violent crimes;
  • A half-time Victim Services Manager and a full time Victim Services Coordinator will be dedicated to implementing and advancing victim initiatives in the territory; and
  • Victim services providers will participate in various training initiatives to help build the capacity and leadership
  • Public education documents about victim services will be updated to reflect new best practices and legislative changes.

Nova Scotia

Value
$4,560,000
Duration
5 years, April 1, 2016 - March 31, 2021
Recipient
Victim Services, Court Services Division, Nova Scotia Department of Justice.
Description
This agreement will advance victim services and access to justice for victims and witnesses, while giving victims a more effective voice in the criminal justice system in Nova Scotia.
Activities
  • Victims of crime who are Aboriginal in the Provincial Victim Services Program will have access to an Aboriginal Victim Case Coordinator.
  • Culturally supportive victim services will be delivered by the Mi'kmaw Legal Support Network.
  • A restitution coordinator will provide direct support to victims who are pursuing civil enforcement of unpaid restitution orders.
  • Victim services officers will be retained on-call to provide services in communities as necessary.
  • Victims will receive funding to travel to sentencing hearings to deliver victim impact statements.
  • Specialized training will be delivered to Victim Services Officers.
  • The delivery of services will be improved through technological enhancements that will reduce time spent on administrative tasks.
  • Witnesses will be able to access new testimonial aids such as video conferencing equipment.
  • Nova Scotia Public Safety Victim’s Services will have more capacity to undertake projects aimed at improving service delivery.

Prince Edward Island

Value
$2,443,271
Duration
5 years, April 1, 2016 - March 31, 2021
Recipient
Victim Services, Department of Justice and Public Safety, Government of Prince Edward Island
Description
The funding will support to two five-year projects that are being delivered by the Prince Edward Island Department of Justice and Public Safety. The projects support victims' access to services with activities that include pilot projects, building service delivery capacity, networking, training sessions and raising awareness.
Activities

Improving Access to Justice Services for Victims of Crime in PEI - 2016-2021

  • ongoing assistance for victims in five courts, eight police jurisdictions, francophone communities and Indigenous communities, both on and off reserve.
  • more knowledge and awareness among Indigenous people about their rights and the process to apply for an emergency protection order;
  • greater participation in a new model of intervention to address situations of acutely elevated risk involving children and youth, and their families;
  • new training for victim service providers working with government, police services and communities in assessing and responding to potential risks of domestic violence and child abuse; and
  • better information sharing on victim issues and best practices in service delivery;

Deputy Sheriff Position to Enforce Payment of Restitution Child-Friendly Waiting Rooms and Testimonial Aids Report Creation

  • better results for victims of crime in the area of restitution enforcement; and
  • enhanced court services for witnesses including child-friendly waiting rooms, interpretation/translation services and testimonial aids for vulnerable witnesses.