Chapter 5:
Safer, Healthier Communities

To build a better future for the next generation, the communities we are building today must be places where people feel secure, where they want to put down roots and start a family. Communities where families are safe, where entrepreneurs want to set up shop, and where people want to invest in their future are key to unlocking the future of Canada.

Building safer, healthier communities means being good stewards of the environment, and fighting climate change. From expanding parks to keeping the air, water, and soil clean, the government knows that investing in the environment today allows us to pass on the Canada we know and love, one of beautiful landscapes, clean air, and healthy ecosystems.

The government is taking action to help Canadians, businesses, and communities adapt to the effects of climate change, and make life more affordable on the track to net-zero. We're building a Canada-wide network of charging stations to make it more affordable to switch to zero-emission vehicles, and investing in public transit, rail, and ferries, to keep Canadians and communities connected as they grow.

Thriving communities need to be safe and inclusive. That's why we're investing in inclusivity, in parks, in recreation centres, in local news, and in keeping our streets safe.

Budget 2024 takes action to protect our environment and strengthen our communities, making them safer and healthier places to live, work, and raise a family.

5.1 A Clean and Safe Environment for the Next Generation

Last year, Canadians faced an unprecedented season of wildfires across the country (Chart 5.1). Climate change is real, and it must be taken seriously. That's why the government has a plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, using the most cost-effective means possible, such as carbon pricing.

We must be good stewards of the environment today. The government takes seriously its responsibility to fight climate change and protect the environment and Canadians. This is about making sure that communities have clean air and clean water, today and tomorrow. It's also about doing all we can to prevent climate change from accelerating. And, it's about building an economy that puts us on track to net-zero emissions by 2050, that will be competitive for generations, with plentiful good-paying jobs and investment opportunities.

To make up for past decades of insufficient action, the government has taken significant steps to fight climate change. The government put a price on carbon pollution that puts more money back in the pockets of eight out of ten families living in provinces where the federal fuel charge applies, through the Canada Carbon Rebate, while making sure big polluters pay.

Carbon pricing is working. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, carbon pricing alone will account for about one-third of all projected emissions reductions by 2030, while recent third-party modelling of eight major federal policies by the Canadian Climate Institute suggests that carbon pricing could account for as much as 62 per cent of projected emissions reductions post-2025.

Because of policies implemented since 2015, Canada is expected to—for the first time in history—exceed its interim climate target in 2026 of a 20 per cent reduction in emissions relative to 2005 levels.

The government has also made great progress to protect and conserve nature and is continuing its work to protect 25 per cent of land and water by 2025, and 30 per cent by 2030. And, as detailed in Chapter 4, it is growing the economy to create good-paying jobs across the country—for workers today and for workers tomorrow.

Since 2015, the federal government has committed over $160 billion to build Canada's clean economy and reduce emissions, and has invested significant additional resources to protect the environment and conserve nature. Building on these actions, Budget 2024 announces new measures to ensure a safer, healthier, and more prosperous future.

Key Ongoing Actions

• Providing more than $3.6 billion to protect nature and species at risk, and more than $1 billion to protect marine and coastal areas.
• Keeping people and communities safe from the impacts of climate change, with more than $1.6 billion to support Canada's National Adaptation Strategy.
• Committing $800 million to support Indigenous-led conservation within Canada, showcasing to the world at COP15—which Canada hosted—best practices for implementing traditional Indigenous knowledge to protect the environment.
• Banning the manufacturing of harmful single-use plastics, and working with provinces and territories towards a goal of zero plastic waste by 2030.
• Introducing the new Electric Vehicle Availability Standard, which will improve the availability of new electric vehicles across the country.
• Providing more than $2.1 billion to make zero-emission vehicles more affordable, and more than $1 billion to build more charging stations across Canada.
• Ending cosmetic testing on animals and prohibiting the sale of cosmetics that rely on animal testing data to establish safety.
• Developing and releasing an implementation plan to phase out public financing of the fossil fuel sector, including by federal Crown corporations, by fall 2024.
• Putting a price on carbon pollution, to make big polluters pay while ensuring eight out of ten families in provinces where the federal fuel charge applies get more money back through the Canada Carbon Rebate than they pay, with lower-income households benefitting most.

Cutting Pollution with the Canada Carbon Rebate

A price on pollution is the most cost-effective way to drive down carbon emissions. Canada's pricing system includes a federal backstop system for provinces and territories that don't put their own system in place. It's a system designed to be fair and affordable. Eight out of ten families get more back than they pay in provinces where the federal backstop applies. Importantly, lower- and middle-income families benefit the most—and this has been verified by independent experts. The price on pollution is revenue neutral; no direct proceeds go into general government revenue. Money is returned directly to Canadians, small- and medium-sized businesses, and Indigenous governments, while big industrial polluters pay their fair share.

As Canadians living in small and rural communities often have longer distances to travel, limited access to alternative transportation options, and other increased energy needs, we've always made sure they get a top-up that is fair. The government is proposing, through legislative amendments in Bill C-59, to make the rural top-up even more generous, by doubling it from 10 per cent to 20 per cent, starting this year.

The government is also working to expand rural top-up eligibility to more Canadians who need this support and will announce a proposal on better defining rural areas later this year.

As announced in Chapter 4, the government proposes to directly return proceeds to approximately 600,000 small- and medium-sized businesses in provinces where the federal pollution pricing fuel charge applies. Recognizing the essential role farmers play for our food security, the government also returns fuel charge proceeds from on-farm natural gas and propane back to farmers through a refundable tax credit. Additionally, in recognition of the impacts of climate change on Indigenous communities, the government has doubled the share of pollution pricing returns to Indigenous governments from 1 per cent to 2 per cent.

The Costs of Climate Inaction Are Too High to Pass On

The Canadian Climate Institute estimates that the health costs of climate change could be $87 billion per year by mid-century, before reaching $246 billion annually by the end of this century. Over a period of ten years, the Canadian Climate Institute projects that ozone exposure could be associated with over 270,000 hospitalizations and premature deaths. Reducing emissions to fight climate change is imperative to protecting the health and well-being of Canadians today and for generations ahead.

In their report, Damage Control: Reducing the costs of climate impacts in Canada, the Canadian Climate Institute modelled the long-term physical impacts of climate change to infrastructure, populations, and economic activity across Canada, using as a basis for comparison two scenarios of future global greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the century:

• a low emissions scenario resulting in an estimated 2.5 degrees Celsius of global warming above pre-industrial levels (4 degrees of warming in Canada); and
• a high emissions scenario resulting in an estimated 4 degrees Celsius of global warming above pre-industrial levels (7.5 degrees of warming in Canada).

The report estimatesthatby mid-century, Canada could experience annual losses to real GDP of between $78 billion and $101 billion under low and high emissions scenarios respectively, and $391 billion and $865 billion respectively by end of century, relative to projections that assume no further negative impacts from climate change going forward.

The Canadian Climate Institute also presented estimates of the economic impact of these two scenarios across household income quintiles, finding that lower-income Canadian households are disproportionately impacted (Figure 5.2). As detailed in Chapter 4, the government is investing to accelerate the net-zero transition, to ensure our economy grows to overcome the costs of climate change by creating good-paying jobs.

Extreme Weather Early Warning System

Climate change is causing more frequent, extreme weather and natural disasters, particularly floods and storms, wreaking havoc on communities across the country. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, over the past 40 years, the costs of weather-related damage have risen from hundreds of millions of dollars to billions of dollars annually—from 2011 to 2020, insured losses were $2.3 billion per year on average, more than five times the average annual losses of $440 million between 1983 and 2000.

Since 1876, the Meteorological Service of Canada has provided early weather warnings that have been vital for helping keep Canadians safe. As extreme weather increases in frequency and intensity due to climate change, it is critical that the early warning system continues to accurately forecast and notify Canadians of natural disasters, including floods and storm surges.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $6.9 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $1.4 million ongoing for the Meteorological Service of Canada's early warning system for extreme weather events, with a focus on floods and storm surges.

More Affordable Electric Vehicles

As Canada builds its electric vehicle supply chain, which is leading the world and creating more good-paying jobs, the government is helping Canadians make the shift to cleaner, zero-emission vehicles. To connect electric vehicle drivers from coast to coast to coast, the federal government has committed more than $1 billion to build charging stations through Natural Resources Canada's Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure program and financing through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

Since the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles program launched in 2019, zero-emission vehicles have grown as a share of all new vehicle sales from 3 per cent to 11 per cent in 2023, supported by the program's rebate of up to $5,000. From 2019 to September 2023, Canadians purchased or leased over 450,000 zero-emission vehicles—and the government is helping more Canadians join them.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $607.9 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to Transport Canada to top-up the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles program.

Investing in Canada's Parks

Canadians take great pride in the natural wonders that our country has to offer. From the oceans to the mountains, to the tundra, and the lakes, grasslands, and deserts in between, Parks Canada protects and conserves some of the most iconic places in Canada for the enjoyment of Canadians—and visitors from around the world. There are over 200 world-renowned national parks, national marine conservation areas, national urban parks, and national historic sites in Canada. These parks support good jobs, support our tourism industry, and they preserve and protect Canada's natural and historical legacy. We need to make sure that they continue to be there for generations to come.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $156.7 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $388.5 million in remaining amortization, to the Parks Canada Agency for capital investments in Canada's national parks, national marine conservation areas, and historic sites.

Pituamkek National Park Reserve on PEI

Parks Canada has been working in lockstep with the Prince Edward Island Mi'kmaq First Nations, and other stakeholders to establish the Pituamkek National Park Reserve. This area, located on an island off the northwest coast of Prince Edward Island, is known for its unique sandhill ecosystem and its cultural significance to the Mi'kmaq, whose stories of the islands reach back generations. Home to multiple archaeological sites, rare geological formations, and ceremonial lands, protecting Pituamkek means ensuring that the connection of the Mi'kmaq to these ancestral lands is protected and preserved.

Establishing a new park will also support and conserve the ecological integrity of the area and the wildlife that calls it home. From ensuring a coastal barrier remains untouched, to growing the Island's tourism industry and creating jobs, Pituamkek National Park Reserve, Canada's 48th national park, will ensure this unique ecosystem can be enjoyed for generations.

• Budget 2024 announces that the government is establishing the new Pituamkek National Park Reserve and proposes to provide $71.9 million over 12 years, starting in 2024-25, with $30.7 million in remaining amortization, and $7.5 million per year ongoing, for its creation and operation.

Protecting B.C.'s Great Bear Sea

Through its national marine conservation areas, Parks Canada protects and conserves over 120,000 square kilometers of all of Canada's marine and freshwater ecosystems. Conserving this marine area protects diverse and abundant marine species and some of the largest kelp beds in British Columbia. The government is committed to expanding our network of national parks and marine conservation areas to ensure Canadians and visitors can enjoy our natural heritage today and for generations.

Parks Canada has partnered with the Wuikinuxv, Heiltsuk, Nuxalk, Kitasoo Xai'xais, Gitga'at, and Gitxaala Nations, as well as the province of British Columbia, to advance a new marine conversation area reserve, nestled within the Great Bear Sea, also known as the Northern Shelf Bioregion. This is one of the richest marine environments in the world, home to extraordinary marine mammals, such as orcas and sea otters, as well as ecological features, such as coral and sponge reefs, kelp forests, and eelgrass beds.

• Budget 2024 announces that the government is establishing the new Central Coast National Marine Conservation Area Reserve in British Columbia, and proposes to provide $109.6 million over 11 years, starting in 2025-26, with $57.9 million in remaining amortization, and $10.7 million per year ongoing, for its creation and operation.

Established through a process that has been guided by Indigenous knowledge and world-class science, this new national marine conservation area will not only protect the health of this unique ecosystem, but also the traditional practices and wellbeing of local communities.

A New National Urban Park in Windsor

In 2015, the federal government created Canada's first national urban park, Rouge National Urban Park in the Greater Toronto Area, which will protect nearly 80 square kilometres once fully established and provide critical flood protection for Toronto.

Urban parks such as Rouge protect nature and support urban biodiversity, while providing Canadians with access to green spaces for recreation and learning in an urban environment. A World Health Organization review of health effects of urban green spaces found that urban green spaces can promote mental and physical health, improve air quality, and reduce exposure to excessive heat.

To build healthier communities, the federal government is investing to create more natural and green spaces for urban residents.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $36.1 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $8.2 million in remaining amortization, and $4.6 million per year ongoing to create Ojibway National Urban Park in Windsor, Ontario.

Ojibway National Urban Park, developed in partnership with the City of Windsor and Indigenous partners including the Walpole Island and Caldwell First Nations, is another example of how different orders of government can work together to protect the environment and advance reconciliation.

Protecting Canadians and the Environment from Harmful Chemicals

Chemicals are found everywhere—in consumer products, industrial processes, hospitals, laboratories, and the natural environment. And the safe and effective management of harmful chemicals is essential to protecting people and the environment from the risks of exposure, such as higher rates of cancer.

The federal government is ensuring industry does not cut corners when it comes to providing products and services to consumers, to protect the health and safety of Canadians and our environment—today and for the next generation.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $190.9 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $0.1 million in remaining amortization, to Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada to reduce human and environmental exposure to harmful chemicals through its Chemicals Management Plan, which protects Canadians from being exposed to some 30,000 chemicals, including by advancing scientific research to phase out animal toxicity testing.
• Budget 2024 also announces the government will begin work this year to enhance the Chemical Management Plan's existing cost recovery framework, ensuring big industry pays its fair share, to protect Canadians and the environment.

Impacts report

Find out more about the expected gender and diversity impacts for each measure in section 5.1 A Clean and Safe Environment for the Next Generation.

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5.2 Vibrant and Inclusive Communities

Diversity is Canada's strength. One in three people in Canada is a member of a racialized or religious minority community, making our country a vibrant home of cultures and traditions for everyone to enjoy. Every Canadian deserves to feel safe and respected in their community, no matter their race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or where they are from.

For generations, Canada has welcomed newcomers from around the world, who have worked hard to build a new life in their new country. That's why the government is making our communities more inclusive, welcoming, and resilient for all Canadians. This includes making sure our immigration system maintains its integrity and that we are doing more to combat hate in all its forms, through Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate.

Thriving inclusive communities are ones that find ways to bring people together. Journalism, arts, culture, and sport enrich our lives and make for more vibrant and connected communities. That's why the government is investing in making sport more accessible for all Canadians, working to support Canadians' access to independent journalism and Canadian content in both official languages, and supporting the performing arts.

Budget 2024 will empower community organizations to create strong, vibrant, and inclusive communities across the country.

Key Ongoing Actions

• The largest official languages investment of any federal government in Canadian history—$4.1 billion through the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration.
• Supporting gender equality in sport and addressing barriers to participation, including for racialized people and other equity-deserving groups, with over $190 million to enhance accountability and combat abuse, harassment, and maltreatment in sport.
• Doubling the budget of the Canada Council for the Arts between 2016 and 2021, with $1.1 billion in new funding for the Canada Council for the Arts since 2015-16, and $180 million ongoing.
• Building a vibrant audiovisual industry, including ensuring online streaming platforms contribute to the development and promotion of Canadian stories and creators, as well as over $780 million in direct support for the industry through the Canada Media Fund, Telefilm Canada, the Indigenous Screen Office, and the National Film Board of Canada.
• Supporting local news in underserved and rural communities with $70 million through the Local Journalism Initiative, at a time when media conglomerates have abandoned their responsibilities to maintain news services in small and regional markets. In 2023, the government also announced that, as a result of the Online News Act, Google will contribute $100 million in financial support annually to news businesses across the country.
• Making sure that as the media market changes, journalists are still fairly compensated, by increasing the yearly limit on labour costs under the Canadian journalism labour tax credit from $55,000 to $85,000 per eligible employee, and temporarily increasing the tax credit rate from 25 per cent to 35 per cent.
• Supporting the charitable, non-profit, and other social purpose organizations, through Budget 2021's investment of $755 million for the Social Finance Fund. This long-term program will run until March 31, 2039, and increase access to flexible financing opportunities for projects that create positive social and environmental impacts.
• Since 2018-19, investing over $260 million, for Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy, Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate, and the Canada Race Relations Foundation to fight racism and hate and ensure that our society continues to be strengthened by Canada's remarkable diversity.
• Building a better, more inclusive future for Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and additional sexually and gender diverse people (2SLGBTQI+), by investing nearly $150 million over 10 years, to support Canada's first Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan, a whole-of-government approach to prioritize and sustain 2SLGBTQI+ community action, to advance and strengthen 2SLGBTQI+ rights at home and abroad, and to embed 2SLGBTQI+ issues in the work of the Government of Canada.
• Producing detailed statistics to highlight the diverse lived-experiences of different groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples, racialized groups, and persons with disabilities, with $172 million over five years, and $36.3 million ongoing, for Statistics Canada's Disaggregated Data Action Plan, starting in 2021.
• Supporting musicians and the music industry by providing $336 million, from 2015-16 to 2022-23, through the Canada Music Fund, for the development and promotion of Canadian artists and their music.
• Supporting the performing arts sector by providing $353.5 million, from 2015-16 to 2022-23, through the Canada Arts Presentation Fund, for organizations that professionally present arts festivals or performing arts series.

Combatting Hate

Hate has no place in Canada. The government is committed to combatting hate in all its forms, so that everyone in Canada is safe in our homes, on our streets, in our places of worship, and in our local communities.

The government remains steadfast in its commitment to protect the rights and dignity of all Canadians, fostering an inclusive Canada welcoming for all, regardless of their race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

By investing and scaling up efforts to combat hate, the government is strengthening the resiliency of our communities and institutions, so that together, we can build a fairer, safer Canada for every generation.

• To confront hate in all its forms, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $273.6 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, with $29.3 million ongoing, for Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate to support community outreach and law enforcement reform, tackle the rise in hate crimes, enhance community security, counter radicalization, and increase support for victims. These investments include:

  • $10 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to support the Changing Narratives Fund. This builds on previous funding of $5 million provided in Budget 2022;
  • $25 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to support Anti-Hate programming and promoting intercultural ties and community-based activities;
  • $5 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to support the construction of the new Montréal Holocaust Museum, which will greatly expand the number of people, including schoolchildren, who can learn from its important collections;
  • $12.9 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, with $0.9 million ongoing, to support a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Canadian Heritage and Statistics Canada to improve the collection and availability of hate crime data in Canada;
  • $19.5 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to Public Safety Canada for the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence;
  • $26.8 million over four years, starting in 2024-25, to Public Safety Canada to support police colleges to increase training on handling hate crimes;
  • $28 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Justice for the Federal Victims Strategy to provide support to victims following a hate-motivated crime;
  • $1.5 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Justice for developing and delivering specialized training to Crown prosecutors and to raise awareness in the judiciary about the unique dynamics of hate crime;
  • $12 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to Women and Gender Equality Canada to fund projects aimed at combatting hate against the 2SLGBTQI+ community;
  • $3 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to Women and Gender Equality Canada to support security needs for Pride festivals;
  • $20.2 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, and $3.2 million ongoing, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Police College to enhance their anti-hate work with the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and policing partners through the Hate Crimes Task Force. This funding is offset by cost recovery of police colleges of $3.8 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, and $1.3 million ongoing;
  • $18 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, and $3 million ongoing, to the Canadian Race Relations Foundation to expand the scope of their work and create a stand-alone Combatting Hate: Community Information Resource Hub. The Hub will bring together, government, law enforcement and professionals to collect hate-crime related data, develop common standards for reporting and defining hate crimes; and provide important hate-crime related training; and,
  • $45 million over five years, starting in 2025-26, and $9 million ongoing, to support the capacity of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. 

As detailed below, Budget 2024's investments in Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate also includes funding for the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism, the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, and for enhancing the Security Infrastructure Program.

Addressing the Rise in Antisemitism 

Recently, Canada has witnessed a worrying increase in Antisemitism, underscoring the need for urgent collective action. United against hate, the government is resolute in protecting Jewish communities from bigotry, hate, and religious discrimination. 

• As part of Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $7.3 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, with $1.1 million ongoing, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to support the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism. This builds on previous funding in Budget 2022 of $5.6 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, and $1.2 million ongoing.  

These investments will help build a more inclusive society, ensuring that current and future generations of Jewish people in Canada can feel safe at home.

Addressing the Rise in Islamophobia

Recently, Canada has witnessed a worrying increase in Islamophobia, underscoring the need for urgent collective action. The government is resolute in protecting Muslim communities from bigotry, hate, and religious discrimination. 

• As part of Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $7.3 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, with $1.1 million ongoing, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to support the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia. This builds on previous funding in Budget 2022 of $5.6 million over five years, starting 2022-23, and $1.2 million ongoing.

These investments will help build a more inclusive society, ensuring that current and future generations of Muslim people in Canada can feel safe at home. 

Enhancing the Security Infrastructure Program

Every Canadian has a right to feel safe. No one should feel targeted for who they are, or the religion they believe in. Freedom to practice one's religion without discrimination or persecution is a Charter protected right—and the federal government is taking action to uphold this right.

To help people feel safe to practice their faith, the Security Infrastructure Program provides funding to organizations to protect communities at risk of hate-motivated crime by enhancing physical security at their gathering spaces.

In 2023, the Security Infrastructure Program allocated an additional $10 million to help Canadian communities at risk of hate-motivated crimes protect and strengthen the security of their community centres, places of worship, day schools, and other institutions.

• As part of Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $32 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, and $11 million ongoing, for Public Safety Canada to further enhance the Security Infrastructure Program.

This includes making the increased funding of $11 million per year, starting in 2024-25, provided in Budget 2023 permanent. Budget 2024 also announces the government's intention to cut red tape and evolve the Security Infrastructure Program to make it easier and more efficient for organizations to access security support when they need it.

Preserving Holocaust Remembrance

Preserving the memory of the Holocaust is important to ensuring it never happens again. By educating current and future generations of Canadians about the Holocaust, the government will advance its fight against denial and Holocaust-related disinformation, and raise awareness of Antisemitism.

• To create a new National Holocaust Remembrance Program, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $5 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, and $2 million ongoing, to the Department of Canadian Heritage, to support initiatives that seek to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and help improve Canadians' understanding, awareness towards the Holocaust and Antisemitism.
• Budget 2024 announces that the Department of Canadian Heritage will launch a project to review and renew Canada's National Holocaust Monument, using existing resources, including to broaden its visibility and engagement in Ottawa and with Canadians across the country.

Supporting the Mental Health of Black Canadians

Black Canadians have historically faced disproportionate social and systemic challenges, including experiences of racism and discrimination, socioeconomic inequality, a lack of access to culturally appropriate services, and stigma related to accessing mental health care.

To close these gaps, the Mental Health of Black Canadians Fund supports community-based and culturally focused initiatives that aim to increase health equity and address the underlying determinants of mental health, including anti-Black racism.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $4 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, for the Public Health Agency of Canada to continue supporting initiatives through the Mental Health of Black Canadians Fund that aim to increase health equity and address mental health and its determinants for Black Canadians.

Federal Investments Supporting Black Canadians

Since 2015, the federal government has committed more than $760 million to programs that support Black Canadians and their communities. These investments include:

• Up to $265 million for the Black Entrepreneurship Program to help Black business owners and entrepreneurs grow their businesses and succeed now and into the future through access to loans, mentorship, financial planning services, and business training, as well as advancing research on Black entrepreneurship in Canada;
• $200 million in grants and contributions to strengthen the foundational capacity (e.g., governance, fiscal management, etc.) of Black-led and Black-serving community organizations through the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative;
• $200 million to establish the Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund, which serves as a sustainable source of funding for community-led projects that help combat anti-Black racism and improve social and economic outcomes in Black communities;
• $60.5 million in support for targeted scholarships and fellowships for promising Black researchers;
• $49.6 million to establish mental health supports for Black public servants and dedicated career development programs, including to support career advancement of Black public service leaders in executive positions; and,
• $9.6 million for community-based mental health initiatives through the Mental Health of Black Canadians Fund.

Investing in CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is key to our democracy. As Canada's national public broadcaster, CBC/Radio-Canada ensures people in all parts of Canada, including rural, remote, and Indigenous communities, have access to local and Canadian news and entertainment, in their preferred official language. Like many media organizations, CBC/Radio-Canada has experienced declining advertising and subscription revenues that threaten its ability to fulfill its mandate of providing public television and radio programming.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $42 million in 2024-25 for CBC/Radio-Canada news and entertainment programming, ensuring Canadians across the country, including rural, remote, Indigenous, and minority language communities, have access to high-quality, independent journalism and entertainment.

Promoting Local Journalism

Access to high quality and independent news and information is a key pillar of any democracy. Over the years, private corporations have bought up media outlets, including small community papers and broadcast channels, but have not been there to support the journalists who are the heartbeat of news. Combined with shifts to the digital platforms of multinational tech giants who are reducing revenue streams, local news is facing critical challenges. If we allow the erosion of news media, we are enabling the sort of unchecked disinformation and misinformation that will erode our democracy.

The government believes that Canadians, no matter where they live, especially those in small, underserved, and official language communities, need to be able to have access to independent local journalism.

To support the production of independent, reliable, and diverse local news across the country, the government announced $58.8 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage for the Local Journalism Initiative. This support would be available to written press, community radio and television, and online news services.

Investing in Public Interest Programming Services

Public interest programming services, including the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC), Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), Accessible Media Inc (AMI), ICI Television, and TV5 Québec Canada, among others, play important roles providing news programming to Canadians, and ensuring diverse voices are heard and accessible across the country.

The services provided by not-for-profit media organizations, like APTN, which amplifies Indigenous voices covering Indigenous news, for Indigenous communities across the country, need urgent support to continue delivering the news.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $15 million over two years, starting in 2024‑25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to support public interest programming services, including $5 million in 2024-25 to support CPAC's capital requirements.

Supporting Canada's National Athletes

Our high-performance national athletes represent Canadian sporting excellence on the world's biggest stages, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They inspire the next generation of athletes to dream big.

The Athlete Assistance Program provides financial support for high-performance athletes, enabling them to combine their sport, working, and academic careers while training to compete for Canada.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $35 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, and $7 million ongoing to the Department of Canadian Heritage, for the Athlete Assistance Program. This would increase the funding allowance for supported athletes and support additional athletes in new Olympic Paralympic sport disciplines.
• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $16 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage for the Sport Support Program. This will help create a safer and more welcoming sport environment for athletes, from amateur to Olympian. Priorities will include preventing and addressing maltreatment, supporting those with concussions and mental health issues, and advancing inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.

Community Sports for Everyone 

Community sports for youth, for seniors, and for newcomers can help people live healthier, happier lifestyles, and feel a greater sense of belonging and connectedness with their community. Helping more Canadians, of all ages, to build a healthier life can mean fewer trips to the doctor, lower risk of major life-changing illnesses, and, in general, aging with more energy and more independence. Sport enables people to more fully participate in the economy, and lowers the burden on our health care systems, reducing costs in the long-term.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $15 million over two years, starting in 2024-25 to the Department of Canadian Heritage to help support community sport programming and reduce barriers to sport participation.

This funding makes sports more accessible for young Canadians by helping cover the costs of community sports programs, ensuring every child has the opportunity to participate.

Supporting Canadian Film Producers

Canadian film tells the stories of all of Canada's diversity to audiences at home and around the world—and the federal government is committed to supporting Canadian content and the producers, artists, scriptwriters, and more who make it possible.

By investing in our filmmakers, we are supporting 183,716 full-time equivalent jobs directly linked to the sector, which contributes $20.3 billion to the Canadian economy every year. Federal support for filmmaking also plays a critical role in strengthening our official languages by promoting francophone productions.

On January 31, 2024, the government announced $100 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, for Telefilm Canada to elevate a diverse range of content creators and producers across Canada's vibrant film industry.

As detailed in Chapter 6, the government also supports Indigenous filmmakers to share their stories with Canada and the world through the Indigenous Screen Office.

A Stronger Canadian Music Scene 

Canadian musicians need support to compete in an industry driven by global streaming giants, and facing increasing production costs. In 2022, Canada's music industry was the eighth largest market in the world, and grew by 8.12 per cent—nearly double the rate of the U.S. music industry at just 4.8 per cent. The federal government is supporting the vibrancy of Canada's music sector to ensure it remains vibrant and can continue contributing to our culture for the enjoyment of all Canadians.

On March 24, 2024, the government announced $32 million over two years, starting in 2024‑25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage for the Canada Music Fund to support the development and promotion of Canadian musicians and Canadian music.

Vibrant Festivals and Performing Arts 

Festivals, film, and live performance events help weave a vibrant tapestry of culture, community, and diversity. Whether it is displays of multiculturalism during cultural festivals or artistic and musical performances, these platforms serve as catalysts for unity, understanding, and the appreciation of Canada's rich cultural heritage. The performing arts sector, and the vibrant festivals hosted in communities across the country, also help artists develop and grow, attract tourists, and make life more enjoyable for Canadians.

Each year, through the Canada Arts Presentation Fund, the government supports approximately 680 professional arts festivals and performing arts series in more than 270 cities and towns across the country. The government also recognizes the important work of independent local festivals in making communities across the country more vibrant for Canadians, which is why it is providing new support to ensure their continued success.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $31 million over two years, starting in 2024‑25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage for the Canada Arts Presentation Fund to help support organizations that professionally present arts festivals or performing arts series. A portion of this funding will be used to support the following:

  • La TOHU in Montreal, Quebec, to support the Festival Montréal Complètement Cirque that brings people together with stunning circus programs.
  • The Festival TransAmériques in Montreal, Quebec, which is a contemporary dance and theatre festival that showcases innovative and groundbreaking performances from artists around the globe.
  • The Sherbrooke Film Festival in Quebec, which is a platform for emerging and established filmmakers, highlighting independent films across various genres from around the world.
  • The Festival des traditions du monde in Sherbrooke, Quebec, which is a vibrant celebration of global cultures, offering music, dance, food, and crafts from around the world.
  • The Vancouver Fringe Festival in British Columbia, which is a celebration of independent theatre, featuring a wide range of performances by artists of all levels of experience.
• Budget 2024 also proposes to provide $38 million over three years, starting in 2024‑25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to support the following:

  • $23 million over three years, starting in 2024-25 for The Toronto International Film Festival, which attracts leading filmmakers and actors from around the world, playing an important role in Toronto's entertainment and tourism industries.
  • $15 million in 2024-25 for the Shaw Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, which showcases plays by George Bernard Shaw and his era. Funding will support their ambitious All.Together.Now expansion campaign.
• Budget 2024 also proposes to provide $1.8 million in 2024-25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to support the Indus Media Foundation, in Surrey, British Columbia, to support completion of their short film that highlights the shared military heritage of Canadian and Indian soldiers in the First and Second World War.

Building New Museums and Cultural Centres

Our society is made stronger every day by Canada's cultural and ethnic diversity. Canada's rich cultural fabric is full of long and celebrated histories and telling these stories both informs and builds bridges of understanding. The government is committed to preserving the past and supporting the future of Canada's remarkable diversity.

• Budget 2024 proposes $11 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to:

  • Support the Sikh Arts & Culture Foundation and the Royal Ontario Museum to create a museum space in Toronto dedicated to Sikh arts, culture, and heritage; and,
  • Support the operations of the Hellenic Community of Vancouver.

Beyond these funding allocations, the federal government is committed to being a funding partner for a new museum and a new cultural centre in British Columbia. Once further details are announced, the federal government will contribute to build a new museum highlighting the histories, cultures, and contributions of Canadians of diverse South Asian heritages, as well as a new Filipino cultural centre that will create a designated space for the Filipino community to come together and celebrate its culture and heritage.

Supporting the Canadian Book Industry

Canada has given the world some of the best books, written by some of the best authors. Novels draw readers in Canada and around the world into our uniquely Canadian landscapes and our diverse perspectives. Biographies, histories, and non-fiction that critique Canadian society ensure a faithful record of the Canadian experience and perspectives are kept.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $10 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to Canadian Heritage for the Canada Book Fund to elevate Canadian authors and stories both at home and abroad through increased supports for Canadian authors and book publishers.

Supporting the National Arts Centre

The National Arts Centre is Canada's home for the performing arts and supports over 1,400 arts events across Canada every year. It is the largest bilingual performing arts centre in Canada and nurtures the next generation of artists, musicians, dancers, playwrights, choreographers, actors, and directors from across the country.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $45 million over three years, starting in 2025-26, for the National Arts Centre to ensure continued support for artists and productions across the country.

Supporting Harbourfront Centre

Harbourfront Centre is Toronto's waterfront home to arts, cultural, and recreational programming. Each year, Harbourfront Centre hosts more than 4,000 events, attracting world-renowned exhibitions and artists to the heart of the city. Harbourfront Centre introduces Toronto audiences to a broad range of programming not typically shown at commercial venues, positioning it as a key economic and cultural asset for the city, which attracts millions of visitors every year.

Today, this Toronto institution is in need of repairs in order to continue welcoming visitors from Toronto and beyond.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $10 million over two years, starting in 2024‑25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage, to support Harbourfront Centre's ability to make critical capital repairs.

Supporting Charities and Non-Profit Organizations

Charities and non-profits are pillars of communities across Canada. They deliver child care, affordable housing, and frontline services to Canadians in need. Since 2015, the federal government has worked in even closer partnership with the charitable and non-profit sector to deliver more support to Canadians, providing over $2 billion in support to the charitable sector.

This support includes:

• Supporting non-profit housing providers through programs like the Affordable Housing Fund, which is helping to build 60,000 new homes and repair or renew 240,000 more;
• The delivery of both the Emergency Community Support Fund and the Community Services Recovery Fund to provide $750 million to charities and non-profits to weather the storm of the pandemic and to emerge from the crisis even stronger;
• Investing in social finance through $755 million for the Social Finance Fund and $100 million for the Investment Readiness Program, so charities can maximize the impacts of their work and establish greater financial resilience to ensure they can continue serving their clients;
• $200 million for a new Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund as well as $200 million for the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative. These investments are improving economic and social outcomes in Black communities and supporting capacity-building of Black-led non-profit organizations;
• Youth employment support through the Canada Summer Jobs Program and Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program. The Canada Summer Jobs Program provides wage subsidies to hundreds of non-profit organizations every year;
• Strategic investments through the Social Development Partnerships Program to help improve the life outcomes of Canadians;
• Community building projects such as New Horizons for Seniors, which promotes volunteerism among seniors and other generations to make our communities more senior-inclusive;
• Employment supports including the Sectoral Workforce Strategy and partnering with the not-for-profit sector to drive the Employment Strategy for Persons with Disabilities through the Opportunities Fund;
• Arts and cultural programming that supports non-profits in presenting festivals through the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Fund and museums in holding exhibitions through the Museum Assistance Program; and,
• Settlement and newcomer supports, such as the Racialized Newcomer Women Pilot.

Additionally, the federal government has made important structural changes to enable charities and non-profits to more easily do their work in a friendlier regulatory environment, including:

• Allowing charities to fully engage in public policy dialogue and development, free from political harassment, by amending the Income Tax Act in 2018;
• Establishing a permanent advisory committee on the charitable sector in 2019 to engage charities on policy and regulatory issues;
• Allowing charities to provide resources to organizations that are not qualified donees beginning in 2022, so they can better serve their clients; and,
• Making sure the money Canadians donate to charities is invested into our communities and front-line services as expected by unlocking investment assets held by foundations and boosting grantmaking to charities.

Criminal Justice Legal Aid

All Canadians have a right—enshrined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms—to equal protection under the law and equal benefit of the law. To deny access to justice is to deny people their dignity, to say that some people are worthy of justice and some aren't.

To support Canadians in their access to justice, the federal government has provided $804 million for criminal justice legal aid services since 2019. When defendants have access to counsel cases can move through the system more quickly, which makes the criminal justice system work better for everyone.
To help reduce court delays:

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $440 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Justice to support access to legal aid in the criminal justice system.

Immigration and Refugee Legal Aid

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects a number of rights of individuals in Canada—regardless of if they are an immigrant or refugee—including the right to life, liberty, and security of the person. Access to legal aid helps support these rights and uphold the integrity of the asylum system by ensuring fair adjudication of asylum claims while also supporting a timely, and efficient process.

The federal government funds immigration and refugee legal aid services, in partnership with provinces and service providers, to support the fairness and integrity of the asylum system and access to justice for those who are coming to Canada—often fleeing violence, war, or persecution—but are unable to pay for legal assistance.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $273.7 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, and $43.5 million ongoing to the Department of Justice for immigration and refugee legal aid services.

Protecting Official Language Rights 

Canada's official languages must be protected and promoted. The modernized Official Languages Act enacted new responsibilities to strengthen the use of French and support official language minority communities across Canada, from Acadians in the Maritimes to the vibrant Francophone communities in the Prairies and Northern Ontario. This includes timely translation of court decisions to support access to justice in both official languages.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $26 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, and the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages to support the implementation of An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official Languages.
• Budget 2024 also proposes to provide $9.6 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to the Courts Administration Service to enhance its capacity to deliver translated decisions by federal courts.

Upholding Democratic Participation in Official Languages

Canadians have a right to listen to and engage in their Parliamentary process in their preferred official language. The federal government plays an important role in protecting official language rights for all Canadians—no matter where in Canada they live.

Parliamentary translators and interpreters enable Canadians to tune in to Parliamentary debates—in their preferred official language—by providing timely and high-quality translation and interpretation in English and French at all stages of the Parliamentary process. Labour shortages and resource constraints have strained translation services, putting Canadians' ability to engage in democracy at risk.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $31.9 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, and $3 million per year ongoing, to Public Services and Procurement Canada's Translation Bureau to expand translation and interpretation capacity in Parliament and uphold Official Languages Act requirements.
• To train the next generation of official language interpreters, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $1.1 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, and $0.2 million ongoing for Public Services and Procurement Canada to establish a scholarship program. Funding will be sourced from the department's existing resources.

Impacts report

Find out more about the expected gender and diversity impacts for each measure in section 5.2 Vibrant and Inclusive Communities

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5.3 Safer Communities

The federal government is building communities where Canadians want to live. This means ensuring they feel confident and safe wherever they choose to live, work, and raise their families. 

At a time when rates of auto theft are on the rise, especially in Ontario and Quebec, and emerging threats to our children's online safety are making some Canadians feel unsafe in their communities, the government is taking action to protect Canadians.

Budget 2024 announces expanded authorities to combat auto theft, keep assault-style firearms off our streets, and combat gang violence. The government is also announcing new protections for Canadians, particularly children, from harmful online content, and enhanced support for the heroic Canadians who serve as volunteer first responders.

Key Ongoing Actions

• Combatting gun and gang violence to make our streets safer, through the Building Safer Communities Fund, which provided funding of $215 million from 2018 to 2023, and will provide an additional $390 million from 2023 to 2028, as well as through the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence.
• Progress towards a Canada free of gender-based violence, with $1 billion since Budget 2021 to advance the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, to support victims, survivors, and their families, no matter where they live.
• Improving policing transparency and accountability, including through a National Body-Worn Camera Program for frontline RCMP officers to improve policing transparency and accountability, supported by funding of $238.5 million over six years, starting in 2020-21, and $50 million ongoing.
• Supporting youth who encounter the criminal justice system to build a better future, including through the Youth Justice Services Funding Program, which in Budget 2021, received $216.4 million over five years, and $43.3 million ongoing.
• Protecting communities from hate through the Security Infrastructure Program. Budget 2023 invested $49.5 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, and an additional $10 million was reallocated by Public Safety Canada in fall 2023, to help communities at risk of hate-motivated violence with security infrastructure at their gathering places.

Cracking Down on Auto Theft

Auto theft harms thousands of Canadians every year. In 2022, the Insurance Bureau of Canada estimated a record $1.2 billion in theft claims were paid out. This illegal activity is hurting innocent Canadians, burdening them with higher insurance rates, the stress of replacing a vehicle, and in the worst cases, leaving them out of pocket for tens of thousands of dollars. While insurance may help those with full coverage to recoup some of these costs, the damage of losing one's sense of security in their own neighbourhood cannot be repaid.

No one should wake up to discover their means of getting to work, school, or the grocery store has been taken from them. The government is cracking down on auto theft with a robust plan to make it harder to steal vehicles and to export stolen vehicles. The government is also moving forward with harsher penalties under the Criminal Code for those who commit an auto-theft related offence.

• Budget 2024 announces the government's intent to amend the Criminal Code to provide additional tools for law enforcement and prosecutors to address auto theft. These include:

  • New criminal offences related to auto theft involving the use of violence or links to organized crime; possession or distribution of an electronic or digital device for the purposes of committing auto theft; and laundering proceeds of crime for the benefit of a criminal organization; and,
  • A new aggravating factor at sentencing if an offender involved a young person in committing an offence under the Criminal Code.
• Budget 2024 also announces the government's intention to amend the Radiocommunication Act to regulate the sale, possession, distribution, and import of devices used to steal cars. This will enable law enforcement agencies to remove devices believed to be used to steal cars from the Canadian marketplace.

Recent Action to Crack Down on Auto Theft

• $28 million was announced on February 7, 2024, to strengthen the Canada Border Services Agency's capacity to detect and search containers with stolen vehicles, and for testing technologies that could support the work of border services officers.
• $15 million was announced on February 21, 2024, for Public Safety Canada to allocate funding to provincial, territorial, and municipal police forces to address auto theft, and to strengthen policing to crack down on international organized crime.
• On April 3, 2024, the Canada Border Services Agency, in collaboration with police forces across Ontario and Quebec, announced the success of an operation that recovered nearly 600 stolen vehicles from the Port of Montreal.

Doubling Volunteer Firefighter and Search and Rescue Tax Credits

Every year about 100,000 Canadians volunteer their time, and sacrifice their own safety, to keep their neighbours safe by firefighting and through search and rescue. From flooding in Nova Scotia to hurricanes hitting Newfoundland and Labrador, to fires in British Columbia, the Prairies, and the North, these remarkable volunteers have gone beyond the call of duty over the past few years.

The Volunteer Firefighters Tax Credit and the Search and Rescue Volunteers Tax Credit are there to support the service of remarkable Canadians and encourage more people to do this critical, lifesaving work. From West Hants, Nova Scotia to Ucluelet, British Columbia, volunteer first responders are often the only first responders of their kind in small communities. As Canada grows, and climate change increases the number and severity of natural disasters, we need more people volunteering alongside them to meet rising demand in growing communities.

• Budget 2024 announces the government's intention to amend the Income Tax Act to increase the tax credits, from $3,000 to $6,000, in recognition of the important role played by these volunteers in contributing to the security and safety of Canadians. Enhancing the tax credits will provide these essential volunteers with up to an additional $450 back on their taxes, at an estimated cost to government of $105 million over six years, starting in 2023-24.

More Support for Firefighting Training

Canada is facing more frequent and more extreme wildfires, and this trend will continue as climate change causing intensifying wildfire seasons. Equipping responders with advanced skills tailored for modern wildfire scenarios strengthens our capacity to mitigate risks and protect Canadians and critical assets.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $800,000 to Natural Resources Canada in 2024-25 to continue to partner with the International Association of Fire Fighters to help build wildfire fighting capacity and enhance training best practices, with a focus on the wildland-urban interface. This builds on existing funding to support the federal government's commitment to train 1,000 wildland firefighters.

Taking Assault Weapons Off Our Streets

Every Canadian should feel safe in their community. But in recent years, we have seen shootings take innocent lives, leaving communities with generational trauma from the brutality of such crimes. Gun violence is an unacceptable and preventable threat to the safety of Canadians across Canada, with 41 per cent of all homicides in 2022 involving a firearm.

To keep our streets safe today and tomorrow, the federal government banned assault-style firearms in 2020, and is now moving forward with a plan to buy back these assault weapons from retailers and Canadians to ensure they never fall into the hands of criminals. Budget 2024 proposes to provide:

• $30.4 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to Public Safety Canada for the buyback of assault-style firearms, sourced from existing departmental resources.
• $7.4 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $1.7 million in remaining amortization, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to modernize the Canadian Firearms Program's telephone and case management systems.

Protecting Children from Online Harm

Social media is simply a fact of life today; it is with us in our pockets, wherever we go. While online platforms offer connection, social media is also becoming increasingly filled with hate and risks of harm. And our children are spending more and more time online.

Social media and other online platforms need to do more to keep our children safe from being deceived, exploited, and taken advantage of by those with malicious motives. No child should ever fall victim to bullying, threats, or predators, but online platforms are failing to protect our children from known harms that exist online. Online platforms are failing to protect our most vulnerable, and must do more to ensure harmful content is not being prioritized and served to our children. We must ensure online platforms are safe places that enable the participation, connection, and freedom of expression of all Canadians, particularly the youngest generations.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $52 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $2.1 million in remaining amortization, to Canadian Heritage and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to protect children, and all Canadians, by subjecting large online platforms to a duty to act responsibly, ensuring that the platforms are reducing a user's exposure to harmful content online and by creating a Digital Safety Commission to ensure this duty is being adequately met. The government will also establish a Digital Safety Ombudsperson to be a resource and advocate for users and victims of online harm.
• Budget 2024 also proposes to provide $2.5 million in 2024-25 to Public Safety Canada to support the important work of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection in preventing and responding to online child sexual exploitation, of which $1.5 million will be sourced from existing resources.

Kids Help Phone

The mental health challenges facing young people, particularly Gen Z, have only grown more complex in recent years, whether it is from problems at home, online, or at school. Their emotional and mental health needs require a competent, understanding, and sympathetic ear.

Kids Help Phone is Canada's only 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, confidential support to young people in English and French, and 100 other languages. Because every child deserves the best start in life, the government is investing to ensure Kids Help Phone is there for any younger Canadian that needs it.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $7.5 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support Kids Help Phone in their work providing mental health, counselling, and crisis support to young people.

Future of Sport in Canada Commission

For young people, playing sports is a part of life. It is not just about being active and healthy, it's about being on a team, having a group of friends, and discovering the excellence that you're capable of achieving. For some, that can lead them to competitive leagues and high-level training that means being away from their families for hours, if not weeks at a time. No matter the level of competition, as young athletes train, they must always be safe.

Shocking evidence and allegations of sexual abuse and unsafe environments in Canadian competitive sports have brought to light a culture that has left young athletes at risk. This is absolutely unacceptable. A thorough review of sports in Canada is needed to protect young Canadians, and ensure they can safely participate in, and enjoy, their favourite sports.

The Minister of Sport and Physical Activity announced the Future of Sport in Canada Commission on December 11, 2023, to engage and seek input from the sport community and make recommendations to improve safety in sport.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $10.6 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to Canadian Heritage, to support the operations of the Future of Sport in Canada Commission in its review of the Canadian sport system.

Addressing the Overdose Crisis in Municipalities and Indigenous Communities

Too many Canadians have been lost to the ongoing overdose crisis facing communities from coast to coast to coast. Increasing drug toxicity and high opioid-related death rates remain urgent public health concerns across the country. The overdose crisis and toxic illegal drug supplies take the lives of an average of 22 Canadians per day—many of whom are experiencing homelessness and acute mental health needs.

• Building on historic health care investments, including in mental health and substance use, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $150 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to Health Canada for an Emergency Treatment Fund, open to municipalities and Indigenous communities to help provide rapid responses to emergent, critical needs related to the opioid crisis.

Combatting Workplace Sexual Harassment

Everyone should feel safe at work, but workplace sexual harassment continues to impact the health and well-being, particularly of women, young people, 2SLGBTQI+ persons, Indigenous people, and racialized Canadians. To support access to justice for people who experience sexual harassment and to work toward safer workplaces, the government helps fund legal supports for survivors.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $30.6 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to Justice Canada to continue funding legal advisory and education services for victims of workplace sexual harassment.

More Judges for Faster Access to Justice

Canada's court system plays a critical role in the safety, well-being, and delivery of justice for Canadians. However, Alberta has been allocated judicial seats which they have chosen not to create, resulting in 17 unused judicial seats intended for unified family courts. This slows down Canadians' access to justice.

To accelerate Canadians' access to justice, the federal government is appointing more judges where they are needed, and will be used. By redistributing positions to courts in jurisdictions where they will be put to use, the federal government will ensure funding for Canada's justice system does not go to waste, as some provinces have chosen to do.

• Budget 2024 proposes to reallocate $50.2 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, and $10.9 million ongoing for the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs to redistribute 17 judicial positions to provincial superior courts currently experiencing capacity issues.
• To implement this change, Budget 2024 announces the government's intention to amend the Judges Act to move 17 superior court judicial positions from Unified Family Courts to provincial superior courts.
• Budget 2024 also announces the government's intention to launch consultations on repealing the residency requirements for Federal Court and Tax Court judges. Eliminating residency requirements would allow for a wider and more diverse pool of applicants.

Impacts report

Find out more about the expected gender and diversity impacts for each measure in section 5.3 Safer Communities

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5.4 Infrastructure for Growing Communities

Growing communities need to build more infrastructure to build more homes. From water, sewer, and power lines to child care centres, libraries, and parks, liveable communities require major investments to keep growing. The federal government is doing its part and investing in projects in cities and towns across the country to keep Canadians connected—be it broadband internet in our smallest towns or railways to the most remote places.

Reliable transportation systems and resilient public infrastructure improve the lives of Canadians. By supporting the efficient movement of goods and people, our transportation systems drive economic growth and connect communities across the country. And by fostering healthy and liveable communities, public infrastructure, such as public transit systems, water treatment facilities, and cultural centres, helps create communities where people and businesses can thrive. 
The federal government is investing in Canada's transportation systems and public infrastructure to ensure they are safe, reliable, and resilient today, that our goods keep flowing to market, people keep moving, and our economy keeps growing.

Key Ongoing Actions

• $33.5 billion through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, to support infrastructure projects in every province and territory across four streams: public transit; green infrastructure; community, culture, and recreation infrastructure; and rural and northern communities infrastructure.
• Public transit programming, including $2.4 billion for the Zero Emission Transit Fund, $400 million for the Active Transportation Fund, and $150 million for the Rural Transit Solutions Fund. Starting in 2026-27, the government will provide $3 billion per year in permanent public transit funding for projects across the country.
• $4.3 billion under the National Trade Corridors Fund to improve the movement of people and goods in Canada, and help Canadian businesses compete in key global markets.
• $3.8 billion through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund to support projects that are increasing the resilience of communities affected by natural disasters triggered by climate change.
• $1.5 billion under the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program, which supports green and physically accessible retrofits, repairs, and upgrades of existing public community facilities, and the construction of new publicly-accessible community facilities.
• Escalating annual funding through the Canada Community-Building Fund, which provided $2.4 billion in 2023-24 to cities for 19 different infrastructure categories, such as public transit, drinking water, wastewater, community energy systems, and culture.
• $35 billion to be invested by the Canada Infrastructure Bank in revenue-generating infrastructure projects that are in the public interest across the following sectors: clean power, green infrastructure, public transit, trade and transportation, and broadband. 

Update on Infrastructure Funding

Since 2015, the federal government has supported communities across the country to build the infrastructure they need to grow. Helping communities grow means workers can find a place to live closer to work. When workers can afford to live near their jobs, short commutes turn into high productivity. This helps our economy grow, because businesses will only choose to scale-up in communities where workers want to live.

Between 2015-16 and 2022-23, the government provided $43.4 billion for infrastructure investments across the country. These investments are helping to advance projects like an expansion of the cycling network in Richmond, British Columbia, Calgary's Green Line Light Rail Transit project, Yellowknife's Flood Hazard Mitigation project, the short line track enhancement project with Central Manitoba Railway, the retrofit of the Kingston Native Centre and Language Nest, the rehabilitation of the Port of Forestville in Quebec, the construction of Charlottetown's Library Learning Centre, and a new youth innovation hub in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

As announced in Budget 2023, provinces have fully committed their Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program funding to projects in their jurisdictions (territories have until March 31, 2025, to do so). With over 6,000 projects approved in communities across the country, funding under the program will continue to flow for the next ten years, through to 2033-34.

In fact, federal funding for infrastructure has yet to peak. As shown in Chart 5.5 below, in 2024-25, an estimated $8.3 billion in federal funding will be disbursed across the government's suite of infrastructure programs. Funding will continue to grow over the coming years, with a projected peak of $11.3 billion in 2027-28. In total, the federal government expects to provide $57.3 billion in support of infrastructure projects across the country from 2023-24 until 2028-29. This disbursement of federal funding from existing programs aligns with the construction progress of infrastructure projects, as well as the permanent public transit funding starting in 2026-27.

Within the federal government's suite of infrastructure programming, the Canada Community-Building Fund and the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program provide broad-based support to infrastructure projects across the country. As shown in Table 5.3 below, across these two programs alone, the federal government expects to provide $56.1 billion from 2023-24 to 2033-34.

These investments do not include new measures announced in Budget 2024 to further support the needs of growing communities. As announced in Chapter 1, the government is launching a new Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund and the Canada Infrastructure Bank is leveraging its $35 billion envelope to launch a new Infrastructure for Housing Initiative.

More Community Centres 

Community facilities, like libraries, cultural and community centres, and recreation facilities, are essential spaces for social interaction where Canadians can come together as neighbours. Recreation facilities help people build healthier lives, improving well-being and longevity. Libraries build literacy and learning, especially for young minds, and provide internet access for people with low incomes who can't afford it at home.

The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program is providing $1.5 billion to support green and accessible retrofits and upgrades of existing public community facilities, as well as the construction of new publicly-accessible community facilities across Canada.

The program is investing in projects like the retrofit of the Connections Early Years Family Centre in Windsor to make it more accessible and energy efficient, and an upgraded, energy efficient Band Office and daycare facility in Kapawe'no First Nation in Alberta.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $500 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to Infrastructure Canada to support more projects through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program.

Investing in Passenger Rail Across Canada

Canadians are increasingly switching to clean transportation options, and taking the train is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to travel across our country. And, taking the train is often the only means of surface transportation for rural, remote, and Indigenous communities such as Churchill, Manitoba; Collins, Ontario; and Schefferville, Quebec.

Budget 2024 proposes to provide:

• $462.4 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $120.7 million in remaining amortization, for VIA Rail network operations;
• New funding for VIA Rail to replace its aging fleet on routes outside the Quebec City-Windsor corridor. Funding amounts are not being released to protect the government's negotiating position for an upcoming procurement; and,
• $63.1 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, for Transport Canada to renew the Remote Passenger Rail Program, which supports Indigenous-owned rail operators providing services to communities in Manitoba, Quebec, and Labrador.

Advancing High Frequency Rail

Canada's busiest passenger railway is between Quebec City and Toronto, home to nearly half of Canada's population—and the region is only expected to grow. But increasing congestion and travel delays are making it harder to get between major cities in Ontario and Quebec.

Increasing rail passenger traffic is a key step towards reducing air travel congestion and delays, while also lowering emissions. Rail service must be quicker and more convenient to encourage more Canadians to take the train.

In 2022, the government created a new Crown corporation, VIA HFR-VIA TGF Inc., to lead the development and implementation of a potential high frequency rail project between Quebec City and Toronto. In October 2023, the government launched a request for proposals to further design and develop the potential project, which could be one of the largest Canadian infrastructure projects in generations.

• Budget 2024 announces the government's intent to introduce legislative amendments to make VIA HFR-VIA TGF Inc. an Agent of the Crown, enabling VIA HFR-VIA TGF Inc. to deliver high frequency rail on behalf of the government. 
• Budget 2024 also proposes to provide $371.8 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, to VIA HFR-VIA TGF Inc. and Infrastructure Canada to advance design and development of high frequency rail.

The government will release further details on high frequency rail upon the completion of the request for proposals.

Small Craft Harbours

From the Atlantic shores of Newfoundland and Labrador to the Arctic Ocean in Nunavut to the Pacific coast of British Columbia, small craft harbours are at the heart of Canada's coastal communities. They are vital to fish harvesters from coast to coast to coast, and support tourism and safe access to our waterways for everyone.

Many harbours are in need of repairs, both because of regular wear and tear, and due to the extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent and severe with climate change. For instance, harbours across Atlantic Canada and Eastern Quebec suffered significant damage from Hurricane Fiona in 2022.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $463.3 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, on a cash basis, to Fisheries and Oceans Canada to repair and maintain small craft harbours, including those damaged by Hurricane Fiona. This investment will support local economic development for generations to come, particularly benefitting Canadians working in the fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, construction, and marine engineering sectors.

Reliable Transportation in Atlantic Canada

Being able to travel easily is important for communities, and important for keeping our economy moving. This is true no more so than in Atlantic Canada, where many communities and businesses rely on bridges and ferry services for transportation.

The federal government supports key transportation services in Atlantic Canada through Marine Atlantic Inc., a Crown corporation that provides ferry service between Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia, and the Ferry Services Contribution Program, which funds ferry service between New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Eastern Quebec. The federal government is also responsible for the Confederation Bridge connecting Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, which is managed through an agreement with a third-party bridge operator.

Through Budget 2024, the government is taking action to ensure that these services can reliably and affordably connect Atlantic Canadians and their communities. Budget 2024 proposes to provide:

• $124.1 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $32.9 million in remaining amortization, to Marine Atlantic Inc. to support its continued operations and keep fares affordable;
• $2.5 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to Transport Canada to freeze fares under the Ferry Services Contribution Program until December 2025; and,
• $13.7 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to Transport Canada to negotiate a continued toll freeze on the Confederation Bridge in 2025 and 2026.

Impacts report

Find out more about the expected gender and diversity impacts for each measure in section 5.4 Infrastructure for Growing Communities

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