Hate Crime / Violent Extremism Conference Banff, Alberta | November 18–20, 2025 The OPV, in collaboration with the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, hosted the Hate Crime / Violent Extremism Conference in Banff, Alberta from November 18 to 20. It was titled, “Strengthening Public Safety Responses to Hate Crimes and Violent Extremism”, and was…
3 part webinar series on hate crimes
A Comparative Analysis for a Deeper Understanding of the Fluid Movement. Publication Date: October 2025 Executive Summary This report presents an analysis of sovereignism and anti-authority extremism in two national contexts: Canada and Germany. Despite differing historical and legal frameworks, sovereignist and anti-authority groups and movements in both countries reflect a shared rejection of state…
A workshop to create foundational understanding of hate crimes and their connection to violent extremism, impacts on victims and their broader communities, and to share evidence-based recommendations for operational and investigative best practice.
OPV’s Senior Researcher Michèle St-Amant and Executive Director John McCoy examine the recent arrests near Quebec City and what they signal about the evolving threat of anti-government extremism in Canada. Original Article Published by The Montreal Gazette July 16, 2025 A land grab, a cache of stolen weapons, and a plot to form an anti-government…
On May 22, 2025, the Organization for the Prevention of Violence and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, supported by the National Canadian Chiefs of Police – Hate Crime Task Force and the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, provided hate crime training for police and security first responders.The training is designed for front-line members who may respond…
Join the Organization for the Prevention of Violence for a 90-minute webinar presenting findings from a two-year, Public Safety Canada-funded project conducted in partnership with Germany’s modus|zad. The research explores how anti-authority extremism is evolving in Canada and Germany and how frontline practitioners like law enforcement, psychosocial professionals, and government employees can effectively respond.
A comprehensive overview of the evolving landscape of targeted violence, extremism, and hate across Alberta, Saskatchewan, & Manitoba between January 2019 and February 2025.
Authors: Michael King, Michele St-Amant, Sara Doering Publication Date: February 2025 The notion that psychosocial interventions can help individuals disengage from violent extremism is intuitively compelling; however, there is little evidence to substantiate their effectiveness. This lack of evidence sustains skepticism towards these programs, which in turn jeopardizes their continued funding as well as their…
Authors: Amarnath Amarasingam, Michele St-Amant & David Jones Publication Date: June 1, 2024 In this article published in Perspectives on Terrorism, OPV researchers collaborated with Amarnath Amarasingam to examine the intersection of right-wing extremism and military service. Through interviews with former extremists who have military backgrounds, the article explores how military experience interacts with far-right extremism.…
Our Executive Director, John McCoy, co-authored this opinion piece on tackling polarization and xenophobia in Canada. Original Article Published by the Hill Times on February 26, 2024. Three overlapping issues have coalesced and formed a growing threat to democratic countries. Social polarization, xenophobia, and a growing openness to the use of violence as a means…
Our Executive Director, John McCoy, co-authored this opinion piece on the proactive approaches needed to face an increasingly polarized era in the aftermath of the Edmonton City Hall shooting. Original Article Published by the Edmonton Journal on January 31, 2024. On Jan. 23, Edmontonians, Albertans and Canadians were confronted with the consequences of what an increasingly polarized…
