Conservatives announce $223,000 for Surveillance at Montreal Synagogues and Primary Schools

September 3, 2009

Conservatives announce $223,000 for Surveillance at Montreal Synagogues and Primary Schools

A quarter million dollars aimed at groups who are victims of hate crimes will flow to ten Jewish groups in Montréal, according to a recent announcement by the federal government.

The funding, which comes from the Ministry of Public Safety, "helps defray the costs of security infrastructure enhancements at not-for-profit community centres, provincially recognized educational institutions, and places of worship linked to a community with a demonstrated history of being victimized by hate-motivated crime."

Funds can be used for:

-security assessments (not to exceed 25% of total project costs)

-security equipment and hardware, such as alarm systems, closed-circuit televisions, digital video recorders, fences, gates, lighting, intercom systems;

-minor construction costs related to the project, such as contractor fees, labour, equipment rental, installation fees; and

-training costs directly related to the new security infrastructure

Ten Jewish organizations in Montréal will split the disbursement of $223,003.

The announcement brings to mind Yves Engler's recent piece, Silencing the Critics. He states:

Today, Jews are largely seen as white people. Canada's Jewish community is well represented among institutions of influence in this country and there is very little in terms of structural racism against Jews (which is not to say there isn't significant cultural stereotyping, which must be challenged). But in an inversion of reality, the more anti-Semitism declines as a social force the more it concerns the political elite.