Ottawa, ON, January 22, 2014 – The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, released a statement following a community roundtable today:
“I was pleased to meet with members of the Muslim and Somali-Canadian communities of Ottawa-Gatineau today, as part of our Government’s commitment to maintaining ongoing and productive dialogue with Canada’s diverse communities. As Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, I look forward to every opportunity to discuss various issues related to countering crime and promoting the prosperity, safety and security of our communities.”
“Today, we discussed a number of issues that represent key concerns of these communities, including youth and crime, employment, education, profiling and funding opportunities for community programming. We also considered our shared concern over the threat posed by terrorism.”
“By openly communicating, and by building partnerships and trust with communities, we ensure that we are all informed about the public safety issues facing Canadian communities and that we can work together to build the resilience of our society to all forms of crime and violence.”
Mr. Farah Aw-Osman, Executive Director of Canadian Friends of Somalia, provided this statement following the roundtable: "These issues facing our community and others are challenging and complex. If we are to succeed in building the most resilient communities possible, this kind of dialogue with the Government of Canada is vital. I look forward to continuing, and building on, this engagement going forward."
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Jean-Christophe de Le Rue
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
613-991-2924
Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
