The City of New Westminster will receive up to $1.04 million in federal funding for gun and gang violence prevention.
At a July 27 news conference in downtown New Westminster, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced the federal government is providing the city with funding through its Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF).
“Good policing is critical to dealing with guns and gangs, but it takes a lot more. We have to reach young people before they ever think about taking the wrong turn,” Anandasangaree said.
Anandasangaree said the Building Safer Communities Fund was created with the clear understanding that local communities know their needs best.
“It gives money directly to municipalities to support local designed prevention and intervention programs that address the root causes of gun and gang violence,” he said.
Anandasangaree said the federal investment provides New Westminster with the resources it needs to build, expand and tailor grassroots programs to meet the specific challenges faced in the community. In his previous work as a youth advocate, he said he saw too many young people buried way before their time or end up in jail, and many families ripped apart because of addiction.
“All of this, in many ways, with the right supports, can be prevented. It cannot be eliminated but certainly reduced,” he said. “And that’s exactly what we are trying to do here today.”
The news conference was held at Dan’s Diner, a social enterprise in New Westminster that works to help youth build self-esteem, maintain positive mental health and secure employment in the food service industry. It is operated by the Dan’s Legacy Foundation.
New Westminster–Burnaby–Maillardville MP Jake Sawatzky said his first-ever statement in the House of Commons as a member of Parliament was about Dan’s Legacy. He said he’s been working with Anandasangaree and Public Safety Canada to bring resources and opportunities to New West.
“What makes this investment particularly meaningful is that it recognizes that the people closest to the challenges are often closest to the solutions, and local communities know their needs,” he said. “Whether it is mentorship programs, outreach initiatives, employment supports or services for at-risk youth, the people closest to those challenges are often closest to the solution. The federal government has delivered the funding . The next step is for the city and the community partners to determine how these resources can best support local needs and achieve the greatest impact.”
Elder William Nelson, the Elder-in-residence at New Westminster City Hall, spoke about the importance of programs for youth.
“I am part of the dark history of this country,” he said. “There are individuals who made a difference in my life. They were the teachers. They were the youth workers. They were the ones that seen me and called my name. I didn’t have to be in trouble and cause trouble to be visible to them; they seen me. And when you see this program … our healing becomes their healing, and their healing will spread to other youth.”
In 2022, Public Safety Canada provided the City of New Westminster with $1.72 million through its Building Safer Communities Fund. The city used the funding to launch and operate several initiatives, including:
· Dan’s Diner (led by Dan’s Legacy)
· New West Youth Hub (led by Lower Mainland Purpose Society)
· Youth Situation Table (facilitated by the city in partnership with more than 25 youth-serving organizations)
In March 2026, the Government of Canada announced renewed support of the BSCF providing $157.5 million over the next three years, building on the $250 million announced in March 2022, according to a July 27 news release.
Mayor Patrick Johnstone said the Building Safer Communities Fund has given New Westminster an “extraordinary opportunity” to invest in prevention instead of crisis.
“This investment allows us to continue bringing together community organizations, educators, health-care professionals, social service agencies, law enforcement and all levels of government all around one shared goal: ensuring that young people receive the support they need, the connections they need in community before they reach a point of crisis,” he said. “The city’s role has been to connect partners, to steward the investment and to strengthen that collaboration. We know that no one single organization can solve these complex challenges alone, but together we can build something far greater than anyone of us could achieve individually. And together we have created a coordinated network of care that is changing lives.”
Johnstone said the youth situation table has brought together dozens of professionals from nearly 30 organizations to identify youth who are facing elevated risk and to respond quickly, collaboratively and compassionately to that risk. Other funds allowed the Lower Mainland Purpose Society to establish the Youth Hub, which is visited by 350 young people each year, while the Dan’s Legacy Foundation supported more than 1,280 youth through over 10,000 service interactions in 2025.
Earlier this year, community members rallied around the New West Youth Hub when it feared it would lose its funding and have to close its doors. Johnstone wrote to the federal government urging the renewal and expansion of funding through the Building Safer Communities Fund to support at-risk youth programming in New Westminster.
“It was always uncertain. It’s good to get the announcement now that they have actually committed to it,” Johnstone told Freshet News. “It’s a tough time for all senior governments in regard to funding; it’s a time of austerity in a lot of ways. I am glad to see this program was continued and we have another three years of funding and will be able to continue the programming.”
Gurbir Mondair, a director with the Dan’s Legacy board of directors and an inspector with the RCMP, said his policing career has given him the opportunity to participate in both enforcement and prevention initiatives. While enforcement is necessary, he said prevention is an opportunity to intervene before a young person enters the criminal justice system or becomes trapped in a high-risk lifestyle.
“There is rarely one single reason why a young person becomes involved in a gang. Childhood trauma, difficult family circumstances, low self esteem, lack of positive role models and need for belonging and acceptance can all increase a young person’s vulnerability,” he said. “That is why prevention must be about more than simply telling young people what not to do. We must give them something positive to move towards.”
Isabel Atherton told officials gathered at the news conference that she felt like her life “had stopped moving” before she found Dan’s Legacy.
“I spent most of my days isolated in my bedroom convinced nothing was ever going to change,” she said. “I couldn’t find work, despite countless job applications. I was living with constant uncertainty about my future and whether I’d have a stable place to call home.”
While sitting in a doctor’s office, Atherton saw a pamphlet for the Dan’s Legacy Foundation and decided to reach out. Through its programming, including Dan’s Diner, she learned culinary skills, obtained employment, and began to believe in herself.
“Today, I wake up excited about where my life is headed. My goal is to complete culinary school, continue into pastry arts and one day open a bakery of my own,” she said. “I learned I had a future because people at Dan’s Legacy saw it before I did. Dan’s legacy didn’t just help me find employment, it helped me find a purpose. It gave me hope, confidence and community where I finally felt seen, heard and valued.”
By Theresa McManus, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Jul 27, 2026 at 19:00
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