Charan Pal Singh Gill

A Surrey immigrant society that helps South Asians is among the first to get federal cash to bolster security and fight hate crimes.

The funding of $28,473 was awarded to the Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) of Surrey by Stockwell Day, Canada’s minister of public safety.
It’s part of a $3-million package that Harper’s Conservative government promised last summer in an effort to help minority groups combat hate crimes under a two-year Security Infrastructure Pilot program.

Since PICS’s inception in 1985, there have been several incidents of hate crimes, according to CEO Charan Pal Singh Gill. He has come to work in the morning several times only to find graffiti and paint splashed on his organization’s walls.

“Surrey has a long-term problem of racism and hatred,” he said. Gill has been a volunteer working for social justice for the disadvantaged, the poor and immigrants for the past 25 years.

Although the hate crimes directed at PICS has been limited to vandalism, Gill pointed out that the community as a whole was suffering from intolerance and bigotry.

“There are instances where Sikhs have their turbans knocked off in the streets,” he said. “One security guard was even killed by skinheads,” he added, referring to Nirmal Singh Gill, who was stomped to death in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in 1998 by five white supremacists.

Gill, whose organization offers services for the Punjabi Sikh and South Asian communities, says that the federal money will go to enhanced security features, like extra lighting and cameras for their new building on 80th Avenue and 127th Street in Surrey.
He hopes the new security additions will ward off would-be wrong doers.

“People will be less likely to make harm now that they know we will have evidence,” he said.
Nine Jewish groups and a Muslim group in Brantford, Ontario were also chosen from among 100 applicants nation-wide.

PICS was the only sucessful applicant from B.C.
Three other B.C. groups had applied for funding.Bernard Beckhoff, spokesperson for Public Safety Canada would not release details of the unsuccessful applicants from B.C., citing privacy issues.

Public Safety Canada is now accepting a second round of applications until April 15, 2008. Unsuccessful applicants from the first round are encouraged to resubmit their applications.
There are several likely candidates for the funding in the Lower Mainland area, including Reverend Glenn Dion from the Holy Rosary Cathedral in downtown Vancouver.
His Cathedral was thrust into the media spotlight last year when the infamous “church mugger” attacked an elderly man who had given him money for five days in a row.
Darcy Lance Jones was caught on camera snatching Peter Collins’ wallet and then throwing the 79-year-old retired doctor to the floor of the Holy Rosary Church foyer — just as Collins was about to give him another $5.

“I guess our particular crime was aired across the country when it happened and because of that we thought we better beef up our camera system,” said Rev. Dion.
“This is exactly what we did and of course it cost us quite a bit of money.” Had he known about the available funding, Rev. Dion says he would have applied. “Who would have known about that? At least, I wouldn’t right from the get go,” he added.

Now that he knows about the SIP program, he plans on applying before the April 15 deadline.

Eligible applicants for the federal program include not-for-profit community centres, provincially recognized educational institutions, and places of worship that are clearly linked to a community with a demonstrated history of being victimized by hate-motivated crime.
All recipients have to match the federal funds with either a dollar-for-dollar scheme or with contributions such as labour, equipment or expertise.

“We are fortunate as a country to enjoy peace and stability and embrace the many cultures of the world,” said Jason Kenney, Secretary of State.
“This pilot program strives to preserve the values and freedoms of all Canadians and will help to ensure a greater sense of security to ethnic and religious communities.”

While the SIP program involves sizable hand-outs of $3 million in tax payers’ money for private security, in 2006 Canada’s Conservative government doled out $25 billion to not-for-profit and for-profit organizations in grants, contributions and subsidies, points out Maureen Bader, B.C. Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a taxpayer advocacy organization.

Although PICS does not pay taxes, yet is the beneficiary of tax payers’ money, Bader, believes if used properly, the money is well spent.