EDMONTON, AB, Sept. 9, 2026 /CNW/ -- Today, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced $2.2 million in federal funding for REACH Edmonton Council for Safe Communities to support a youth crime prevention project through the Crime Prevention Action Fund (CPAF).

The project will combine two approaches to help reduce violence, gang involvement and other high-risk behaviours among Indigenous youth, racialized youth and youth who have had repeat contacts with the criminal justice system. The first focuses on early intervention among youth ages 9 to 17 through non-contact boxing, structured mentoring and coaching. These participants will build emotional regulation, confidence, and problem-solving skills, supporting school engagement and resilience against negative influences.

The second supports participants ages 18 to 30 through martial arts, mental health counselling, additional education, and employment or skill-building supports.

REACH Edmonton will work with specialized community partners to deliver this project, helping to connect participants with the services and supports they need, build community capacity, and contribute to safer, more connected neighbourhoods.

The CPAF supports evidence‑based projects that address known risk factors associated with crime among vulnerable people, focusing on youth and high-risk offenders. By helping young people develop skills, build positive support networks and remain engaged in constructive opportunities, projects like this one can reduce the likelihood of future criminal involvement and contribute to safer, more resilient communities.

The Government of Canada is taking stronger action on crime so that Canadians across the country are safer in their communities. We will continue to strengthen criminal laws, support front-line partners, and make upstream investments—including in initiatives like this one—to better address the root causes of crime, and support our youth.

Quotes

"Every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive. Through this investment in REACH Edmonton, we are helping youth access positive mentorship, develop important life skills, and strengthen their connections to their communities. By creating pathways to support and opportunity, we are helping build safer neighbourhoods and brighter futures. Investments in long-term prevention, such as housing, mental health supports, and youth programs like this one, are essential to building a safer, stronger Canada."

- The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

"This funding will allow REACH Edmonton and our community partners to deliver an innovative and holistic approach that combines non-contact boxing and physical activity with life-skills development, trauma-informed support and access to specialized services. Through Empire Fighting Chance: The Guardians of Tomorrow, young people will have opportunities to build confidence, strengthen healthy relationships and coping skills, and make positive choices that support safer, healthier futures."

- Jan Fox, Executive Director of REACH Edmonton Council for Safe Communities

Quick Facts

• The CPAF is part of the National Crime Prevention Strategy, which supports evidence-based interventions to address known risk and protective factors associated with crime among vulnerable populations, particularly children, youth, and high-risk offenders.
• The Government of Canada takes a comprehensive approach to public safety through investments to combat crime and increase community safety:
  • Investing $1.5 billion over the past 10 years to strengthen law enforcement and gang prevention programs, most notably the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence and the renewal of the Building Safer Communities Fund, for up to $157.5 million over the next three years, to help stop gun crime and gang violence before it starts.
  • Strengthening Canada's legislative framework to combat transnational organized crime, enhance border security, and provide law enforcement with modern tools to address serious criminal threats, including illegal drug trafficking, extortion, and illicit financing.
  • Investing $1.7 billion (Budget 2025) to strengthen the RCMP's response to transnational organized crime, financial crime, and money laundering, while enhancing intelligence and national security capacity.
  • Hiring 1,000 additional Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) personnel to strengthen border management and enforcement capacity, and 1,000 new RCMP personnel to increase federal policing capacity across Canada to combat crime, including online fraud, money laundering, online child sexual exploitation, and organized criminal networks that threaten Canada's economic and national security.
  • Combatting firearms-related crime and violence including through the implementation of the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program (ASFCP) which will remove dangerous, assault-style firearms from Canadian communities, implementing mandatory licence refusal for those suspected of domestic violence or stalking, restricting access to handguns, and launching a comprehensive review of Canada's firearms classification regime.
  • To help address the high rate of hate-related crimes, the Spring Economic Update 2026 proposes to provide $75 million over five years, starting in 2026-27, to Public Safety Canada for the Canada Community Security Program (CCSP). The CCSP has been helping Canadians feel safer by providing funding for communities at risk of hate-motivated incidents to enhance their security measures in places of worship, schools, community centres, and other community gathering spaces.

Associated Links

• Crime Prevention Action Fund

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SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC)