After the Montreal municipality announced an investment fund to combat armed violence on its streets, it was the federal government's turn to announce steps aimed at combating this category of crimes in the major Quebec cities.

Today, the federal Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino announced the allocation of 5 million dollars to finance four projects in the Greater Montreal area as part of the "National Strategy for Crime Prevention."

"The four projects announced today do just that: helping young people prepare for a successful life," added Minister Mendicino in a statement.

The Minister of Public Safety announced these projects at the "Trevor Williams Foundation for Children" in the city of Westmount in the heart of Montreal Island.

The government provided the foundation with 713 thousand dollars for its program "Trevor Williams Champions of Crime Prevention".

This project offers services and support to individuals aged between 6 and 25 years in Montreal, from helping them learn skills that will lead to educational and job opportunities to providing them with mental health care.

The federal government expects this program to make a difference in the lives of more than 700 children and youth every year.

Another project is "Goût de Vivre" belonging to the organization "Maison d'Haïti", which received just over one million dollars.

This project aims to prevent children and adolescents aged between 9 and 17 years in the "Villeray – Saint-Michel" neighborhood in Montreal from violence and involvement in criminal gangs.

The "Montreal Indigenous Community Network" received 1.6 million dollars for its project "Safety, Belonging, and Wellbeing Strategy for Indigenous Peoples Living in the Greater Montreal Area".

This project ensures the safety and wellbeing of Indigenous peoples in Greater Montreal with a focus on preventing acts of violence among their youth.

The Montreal organization "Cactus" received 1.7 million dollars for its project "Transport-e" which aims to assist transgender sex workers wishing to leave this field.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante announced yesterday the allocation of 7 million dollars to reduce armed violence in the city.