Ottawa is adding $30 million to support crisis hotlines across Canada, as the demand for those services significantly increased.

The announcement was made in Winnipeg with Manitoba being the first province to sign a bilateral agreement to support crisis hotlines. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with each province and territory to sign similar bilateral agreements.

Federal Minister for Women, Gender Equality and Youth, Marci Ien says there was a dramatic spike in the number of calls during the early stages of the pandemic and she says they saw inequalities deepen and the spotlight was put on who was falling through the gaps. But she says they’ve also seen new opportunities to change things.

To date, over $230 million has been provided to more than 1,300 women’s shelters, sexual assault centres and other organizations.

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