Minister of Justice Peter MacKay Announces Donation to Canadian Centre for Child Protection to Mark the Birth of His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA--(Marketwired - Sept. 26, 2013) - The Honourable Peter MacKay, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Central Nova, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced that the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (CCCP) is the recipient of the Government of Canada's gift to mark the birth of His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge. This announcement builds on Prime Minister Stephen Harper's commitment following the birth of Prince George to make a donation in his name to a Canadian child-focused charity which supports initiatives that improve the lives of children.

"Our Government is delighted to announce that the Canadian Centre for Child Protection-a dedicated advocacy group promoting the safety of our children in this country-will receive $100,000 to mark the birth of His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge," said Minister MacKay, who was joined by Mrs. Laureen Harper and the Honourable Shelly Glover, P.C., M.P. for Saint Boniface, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages and Regional Minister for Manitoba, for the announcement. "This gift symbolizes our warm and enduring relationship with our Royal Family."

The Government is committed to supporting organizations like this one, that combat bullying, including cyberbullying, through education, awareness, and prevention activities. The donation by the Government is being provided to the CCCP to support initiatives that promote the safety of Canadian children.

"The Canadian Centre for Child Protection is an extremely worthy recipient of this gift," said Minister Glover. "From their offices here in Winnipeg and in their work right across the country, this organization delivers innovative programming and services, leading to real results in reducing child victimization."

The CCCP will use the gift to develop and distribute educational kits to teach youth about healthy relationships, including consent to sexual activity and ending relationships respectfully.

"We are absolutely thrilled to receive this gift from the Government of Canada to mark the birth of His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge," said Lianna McDonald, Executive Director, Canadian Centre for Child Protection. "This gift will allow us to create the much needed educational resources to help youth, families and educators manage the complex challenges related to cyberbullying. Our goal is to work collaboratively to ensure that our youth are not alone."

The Centre also recently launched a new online resource, NeedHelpNow.ca, designed to help Canadian youth deal with the negative consequences of the creation and distribution of sexual content online. The site offers tips on removing content, strategies for dealing with peers and guidance moving forward after a cyberbullying incident has occurred.

The Government of Canada works with provincial and territorial partners to identify best practices in this area and is currently reviewing the Criminal Code to address any gaps related to cyberbullying.

The Government is committed to its plan for Safe Streets and Communities, one of four priorities identified by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in January 2013. This plan focuses on holding violent criminals accountable, enhancing the rights of victims, and increasing the efficiency of our justice system.

Internet: http://www.justice.gc.ca

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