Parliamentary Committee Notes: Anticipated Questions

Q1: In July, American and Canadian Officials met as part of the 2024 U.S.-Canada Cross Border Crime Forum.  Can you tell the Committee, what discussions were had and the outcomes that came out of this meeting?

• At the July 11, 2024 Cross-Border Crime Forum (CBCF) in Washington, D.C., Department of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Minister Virani, and I participated in a day-long meeting alongside our U.S. counterparts, U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General Garland and Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Mayorkas.
• A joint statement was issued and I’d be happy to provide it to the committee clerk. 
• The discussions we had were collaborative and joint commitments were made to deepen our partnerships in areas of mutual concern
  • For example, on foreign interference and national security, we agreed on the need to preserve the cross-border flow of data between allies and partners, while ensuring that the security of sensitive personal data is maintained.
  • We agreed to continue to participate in international fora. We want to benefit from the exchange of best practices and lessons learned to understand how threats manifest, and effective strategies to counter them.
  • To combat opioid and firearm trafficking, we agreed to enhance information sharing efforts and reaffirmed our commitment to provide clear policy direction and training.
  • This will ensure that institutional policies and practices maximize information sharing within the context of our respective policies, laws and regulations.
• Specific to sex offender travel, I committed to a review of Canada’s Sex Offender Information Registration Act, and will be bringing forward proposed amendments. Additionally, I am advancing an Order in Council to bring the High Risk Child Sex Offender Database Act into force on December 31, 2024.
• This will create a requirement for the Government to move forward with the development of a publicly accessible national database of people convicted of sexual offences against children and who pose a high risk of committing crimes of a sexual nature.
  • When it comes to online and hate crimes, we agreed that tightly-controlled lawful access to communications content is vital to the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes, including terrorism and online child sexual exploitation and abuse. We agreed to work with our international partners, and to include law enforcement, non-governmental organizations, the technology industry, and others to combat this issue.
• These efforts support leader level commitments previously agreed to by President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau, as well as the Statement of Partnership signed by the four Ministers in 2023 to prevent, investigate, prosecutive and disrupt cross-border crime.

Q2: In addition to the US-Canada Cross Border Crime Forum, are there other partnerships between Public Safety Canada and the US Department of Homeland Security focused on dealing with public safety issues that transcend our borders.  Can you provide us some examples and the work done they accomplish?

• In addition to the CBCF, the Public Safety Portfolio is part of the Cross-Border Law Enforcement Advisory Council (CBLE-AC), which brings together the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
• This partnership is the leading operators’ level forum where information and intelligence for each area of the border is shared between Canada and the U.S., and where both countries partnership joint investigations.
• In 2024, the CBLE developed an all-vectors joint threat assessment for the most vulnerable areas of the border, and an information-sharing handbook. Soon, the Council will be providing integrated training on information-sharing.
• The Public Safety Portfolio also partners with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies under the Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBET) assigned to each border area. These teams ensure joint action, information-sharing and investigations on all illicit flows that threaten the joint border.
• IBETs were responsible for the dismantling, earlier this summer, of a large smuggling ring in the area of Cornwall, Ontario.

Q3: Funding in these estimates are set aside for the new Canada Community Safety Program and the Canada Center for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence.  Can you speak to us about how the new Canada Community Safety Program builds off the success of SIP to keep safe communities at risk of experiencing hate?  Additionally, can you tell us about the important work the Canada Center is daoing especially in the counter radicalization space?

• The Canada Community Security Program (CCSP) contributes to the Government of Canada’s efforts to help everyone feel safe in their community gathering spaces. The CCSP replaces and enhances the work undertaken by the former Security Infrastructure Program (SIP).
• The CCSP provides time-limited funding to private, not-for-profit organizations that are at risk of experiencing hate-motivated crime. Eligible recipients include places of worship, provincially/territorially recognized private educational institutions, shelters for victims of gender-based violence, community centres, cemeteries, child care centres and office and administrative spaces.
• Public Safety Canada has designed the CCSP to be responsive to community needs. The Government has expanded, and improves on, the SIP and its success, by making the following changes for the CCSP:
  • Eligibility for funding has expanded to include office and administrative spaces, cemeteries, and child care centres.
  • Funding for time-limited third-party licensed security personnel is now eligible.
  • Up to 70% of a project's eligible costs may be covered, an increase from 50% of the cost under the SIP.
  • The maximum level - or stacking limit - of total government assistance (across federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal sources) has been removed, which opens up more opportunities for organizations to apply for other sources of funding.
  • Application requirements have been changed to reduce administrative barriers.
  • Organizations can apply for funding at any time throughout the year through a continuous intake process.
• Taken together, these measures will make it easier for organizations to fund their projects and protect their community gathering spaces.
• To date, under the SIP, the Government of Canada has invested over $30.0 million in funding to over 770 projects.
• The funding of $19.5 million over 3 years allocated by the Government to Public Safety’s Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence is primarily related to:
  • Boosting support to frontline initiatives, such as psychosocial services, aimed at countering radicalization to violence;
  • Expanding research and data analysis to understand and address the evolving threat environment; and,
  • Continuing the Government of Canada’s strong commitment to the Christchurch Call to Action, targeting online extremist content and advancing collaboration between governments, industry and civil society
• Budget 2024 invested $273.6 million over six years for Canada’s Action Plan on Combatting Hate, with ongoing funding of $29.3 million.
• This includes $19.5 million over three years to Public Safety’s Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence (Canada Centre) to: expand the Community Resilience Fund; advance Christchurch Call Foundation commitments aimed at eliminating terrorist and violent extremist content online; and building an open-source data integration team o better identify and mitigate emerging risks.
• The Canada Centre leads efforts to counter radicalization, including funding research and prevention programs. Through the Community Resilience Fund, over $69 million has supported 78 projects since 2017, including initiatives addressing antisemitism and radicalization.
• Public Safety Canada also received funding to expand the Canada Community Security Program (CCSP) and allow it to better address the evolving security requirements of communities.
• Budget 2023 provided $49.5 million over five years and Budget 2024 provided $21 million over five years, with $11 million in ongoing funding starting in 2029-30.

Date modified:

2025-03-28