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North America Regional Hub: Countering Online Harms in British Columbia — The Role of Municipalities in Preventing and Responding to Online Threats to Social Cohesion

Publication Date:

03/09/2025

Content Type:

Event Reports

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British ColumbiaCanadaCountering Online HarmsNorth America Regional Hubonline threatsSocial Cohesion

— 8 minutes reading time

This report provides a summary of discussions during the event and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Strong Cities Network Management Unit, Strong Cities members, event sponsors or participants.

Event Details

Description: On 3–4 September 2025, the Strong Cities Network hosted a workshop in Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada) for elected local leaders, municipal staff and representatives from civil society organisations, educational institutions and relevant federal and provincial agencies.

Co-hosted with the Ministry of the Attorney General in British Columbia and in partnership with the Foundation for a Path Forward, the event served as the launch of Strong Cities Network Prevention Academy for British Columbia Municipalities on Countering Online Harms. The Academy is a project of CAF Canada, supported by the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation.

Over the course of two days, participants explored the online threat landscape impacting communities across British Columbia and the role municipalities can play in preventing and responding to these threats. Discussions focused on the needs and priorities of local governments across British Columbia so they are better able not only to react to digital threats but also proactively build safer, more inclusive and resilient communities that are better able to identify and mitigate the impacts of these harms.

Where & When: 3–4 September 2025, Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada)

British Columbia Municipalities Represented

• City of Burnaby
• City of Campbell River
• City of Courtenay
• City of Kelowna
• City of Langford
• City of Nelson
• City of New Westminster
• City of Port Moody
• City of Prince George
• City of Surrey
• City of Vancouver
• City of Victoria
• Comox Valley Regional District
• District of North Saanich
• Metro Vancouver
• Town of Smithers

Organisations Represented

• British Columbia Ministry of the Attorney General
• British Columbia Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
• British Columbia Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• British Columbia’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner
• Burnaby Family Life
• Canadian Anti-Hate Network
• Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies (CASIS) Vancouver
• Canadian Race Relations Foundation
• Centre for Civic Governance
• Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions, University of British Columbia
• CIVIX
• City of Edmonton
• Digital Public Square
• Foundation for a Path Forward
• Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC)
• Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House
• Greater Victoria Public Library
• Institute for Strategic Dialogue
• JSpace Canada
• Nelson Public Library
• Office of the Wet’suwet’en
• OpenMedia
• Prince George Public Library
• Red Sockeye Consulting Inc.
• Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation
• Simon Fraser University Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue
• Surrey Libraries
• The Cure For Hate
• The Particle Accelerator
• Vancouver Police Department
• Vancouver School Board
• Wilfrid Laurier University
• Witset First Nation

Key Takeaways

For Elected Officials & Municipalities

• Protect councillors and staff on the front lines: Local elected leaders and staff, particularly women, are on the front line of online hate, harassment and disinformation. These harms erode trust in institutions, discourage participation and undermine democracy. Municipalities need to strengthen protections for councillors and staff through codes of conduct (e.g., those that limit disparaging comments, govern councillors’ use of social media and allow for penalties when members target colleagues), bystander training and self-care supports so that diverse voices can continue to serve in public office without fear of burnout or intimidation, supported by municipal practices include codes of conduct
• Model civility both online and offline: Elected officials can help address polarisation and strengthen civic trust by modelling civility both online and offline. By setting a higher standard for public discourse and encouraging residents to report on- and offline hate and harassment, not only crimes, leaders send a clear signal that harassment is not ‘part of the job’ but a threat to local democracy.
• Strengthen reporting pathways: Many behaviours fall below the criminal threshold yet still cause significant harm. Municipalities should develop clear and accessible routes for residents to report harm and seek help, ranging from community-based reporting and restorative approaches to standardised rubrics and third-party options through trusted organisations, so responses are consistent, victim-centred and trusted.
• Strengthen collaboration with police: Municipalities should close reporting gaps and ensure consistent victim support by building trust between residents and law enforcement. Municipalities can invite officers into meetings and community events to share tools, reinforce reporting pathways and demonstrate accountability.
• Build partnerships and alternative pathways before crises escalate: Local governments are uniquely placed to convene trusted partners across schools, Indigenous Nations, law enforcement, libraries, universities, and civil society. These relationships must be built in advance so trust, reporting and support systems are ready when incidents occur. Partnerships can also expand the range of responses beyond criminal law, including through community-based reporting, restorative approaches and education. This ensures that residents have multiple, trusted avenues for prevention and support.
• Embed prevention in broader safety planning: Embedding online harm prevention into broader Community Safety and Well-Being planning ensures a sustainable, whole-of-community approach that maximises the use of existing municipal-level resources, programmes and structures. When digital risks are addressed alongside housing, health, justice and inclusion, municipalities can treat online hate as part of a wider ecosystem of safety. This whole-of-community lens helps ensure that prevention efforts are not siloed but integrated into the everyday structures that support resilient, inclusive communities. Such structured, prevention-first planning reflects a broader municipal shift from reactive enforcement toward upstream prevention.
• Safeguard young people through digital literacy: Municipalities can help safeguard young people by embedding digital and media literacy into community safety strategies. Partnering with schools, libraries and youth centres ensures consistent support for youth navigating online risks such as cyberbullying, sextortion and extremist recruitment, while building resilience against harmful narratives.
• Engage community organisations as essential partners in prevention: They bring credibility, cultural grounding and frontline insight into the risks facing groups that may mistrust formal institutions. Grassroots and settlement organisations can help surface emerging narratives, while faith leaders, libraries and youth centres provide trusted spaces for dialogue, learning and connection.

For Provincial and National Government

• Improve coordination across government levels: Provincial and national governments can help bridge existing gaps by improving coordination, data-sharing and coherence across levels of government. Many initiatives already exist to counter hate and online harms, but they remain fragmented and difficult for municipalities to navigate or align with. Raising awareness among municipalities and communities about these existing resources and funding opportunities would strengthen local prevention efforts and ensure a more consistent, integrated response.

For Community-Based and other Non-Governmental Organisations

• Partner with local governments in whole-of-city approaches to prevention. Local government action alone can’t sufficiently address rising hate, polarisation and violence. Governments need the engagement and partnerships of grassroots and community-based organisations as well as community leaders, to successfully address prevention and respond to crises. Leveraging the trusted networks, community and cultural expertise, and diverse funding mechanisms that partners can offer allows local governments to more effectively and efficiently build stronger cities.

For Community-Based and NGO Partners

• Expand reporting pathways through community-led reporting: Many residents hesitate to report directly to police or city hall, especially those from communities with histories of systemic discrimination. Community-led, trauma-informed reporting options create safer entry points and generate data that can strengthen collective responses.
• Embed prevention in wider community resilience: Work together with municipalities and community partners to embed online harm prevention within broader efforts to build safe, inclusive and resilient communities. This means not only responding to incidents, but also creating trusted entry points for reporting, surfacing emerging risks and providing culturally grounded supports that formal systems cannot offer — ensuring that responses address both immediate harms and the deeper conditions that allow hate to take root.
• Equip young people to resist manipulation: Community organisations and schools can build digital resilience through digital literacy and prebunking programmes in trusted spaces where youth gather. By combining practical skills with mentorship, they can empower young people to recognise and resist online manipulation, expand anti-hate and media literacy in schools, and support municipalities in convening safe spaces for dialogue. Leveraging trusted spaces and consistent relationships across schools, libraries, families and municipalities strengthens community-wide prevention. For example, the Vancouver School Board’s Anti-Racism and Non-Discrimination Response Plan, co-designed with students, requires staff to act when hateful conduct arises so students know where to turn for support.

Next Steps

Drawing on these insights, the Prevention Academy for British Columbia Municipalities on Countering Online Harms will launch in October 2025 to provide training, peer learning and practical tools to support municipalities in responding to and preventing online harms.

This initiative positions municipalities as key actors in countering online harms, ensuring they not only react to digital threats but also proactively build safer, more inclusive and resilient communities that are better able to identify and mitigate the impacts of these harms. The Academy will offer two tracks: a general track open to all municipalities across the province and a Deep Dive track that offers customised training and support to eight municipalities over the two-year project.

The year will also conclude with the Strong Cities Sixth Global Summit in Toronto (9 – 11 December 2025). To stay up to date on upcoming webinars, events and project launches, sign up for Strong Cities Network’s mailing list.

Additional Resources

• A Guide for Mayors: Preventing and Responding to Hate, Extremism & Polarisation, Strong Cities Network (updated March 2025)
• A Guide for Cities: Preventing Hate, Extremism & Polarisation (see Navigating Difficult Issues), Strong Cities Network (updated March 2025)
• A Ten-Step Roadmap for Enhancing City-Led Support for Community-Based Programmes to Address Hate and Extremism, Strong Cities Network (February 2025)
• Community Resilience Study: Kumanovo, North Macedonia, Strong Cities Network (updated February 2025)
• A Guide for City-Led Response, Strong Cities Network (updated February 2025)
• Bridging Differences Playbook, Greater Good Science Center & Bridging Differences (February 2025)
• Countering Hate Speech in Times of Crisis: Considerations for Mayors and Local Governments, Strong Cities Network (December 2024)
• European Citizens’ Panel on Tackling Hatred in Society: Final Report, European Commission (October 2024)  
• A Practical Guide to Youth Capacity Building for Countering Hate and Extremism, Strong Cities Network (updated September 2024)

Co-Host and Partners

We are grateful to our partners at the Ministry of the Attorney General in British Columbia, the Foundation for a Path Forward, the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation and CAF Canada for their support in delivering this event.

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