The City of Salmon Arm is applying for a provincial grant to create an anti-racism strategy with local partners.
Grants of up to $15,000 are available through the BC Healthy Communities and its Plan H program.
The BC Healthy Communities website explains the the program "is to support Indigenous and local governments, including health authorities, to advance policies, programs and strategies aimed at improving health equity and well-being for all."
Salmon Arm will be applying for $15,000 to create an anti-racism strategy, working in partnership with the Shuswap Immigration Services Society (SISS), School District 83 and Interior Health.
In a report to city council at its June 24 meeting, planning and community services director Gary Buxton explained this is the first time the city has applied for a Plan H grant and that support is "prioritized for collaborative, multi-sectoral projects and applications from rural and smaller communities…"
"Developing an anti-racism strategy entitled 'Embracing Equity and Inclusivity,' with strong community partnerships, appears to match well with the outlined grant criteria," commented Buxton in a written report, later noting that in January 2023 the school board approved an anti-racism policy that provides codes of conduct to address racism and discrimination. The proposed strategy would build on that policy, and the Hive program, a weekly after-school program to support immigrant youth and teens created through the city's Building Safer Communities Fund in partnership with SISS.
The grant application will include a letter from Mayor Alan Harrison. In the letter he explains the city is "deeply committed to promoting equity, inclusivity and social justice within our community."
"We recognize the significance of creating a city where all individuals feel valued, respected and empowered," reads the letter. "The proposed Anti-Racism Strategy aligns perfectly with our organizational values and goals by seeking to build relationships across sectors, develop engagement objectives and strategies, research best practices and co-develop an action plan with key partners."
