Support is here
If you or a loved one have experienced or witnessed racism in British Columbia, help is available.
Call the Racist Incident Helpline to speak with a trained professional who will help you navigate resources available to you in your community.
Available Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (PT).
It’s free, confidential and available in over 240 languages.
The Racist Incident Helpline is not intended to replace emergency services. If you are in immediate crisis or danger, call 911.
What is a Racist Incident?
For the purposes of this resource, a racist incident is any act of verbal or physical aggression, refusal of service, bullying, intimidation or discrimination based on the colour of a person’s skin and/or their ethno-cultural background.
When to Call
Call the helpline if you have experienced or witnessed a racist incident – no matter how much time has passed.
The helpline is accessible Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm (PT). It’s available to everyone in British Columbia, regardless of your immigration status.
The Racist Incident Helpline is not for emergency calls. If you are in immediate crisis or danger, please call 911.
After-Hours Calls
If you are in immediate crisis or danger, please call 911.
If you need non-emergency support outside of operating hours, please leave a message and we will call you back on the next business day.
Please note that we do not leave voice messages due to privacy and confidentiality concerns, but if you leave us a message, we will attempt to contact you a few times. If you miss our calls, please reach out again.
If you are in immediate crisis or danger, please call 911.
If you need non-emergency support outside of operating hours, please leave a message and we will call you back on the next business day.
Please note that we do not leave voice messages due to privacy and confidentiality concerns, but if you leave us a message, we will attempt to contact you a few times. If you miss our calls, please reach out again.
What Happens When You Call
When you dial 1-833-457-5463, you’ll be connected directly with a staff member who has completed trauma response and cultural sensitivity training.
The operator can:
- Listen to your experience,
- Provide information about local support services,
- Direct you on next steps based on your comfort level, and
- With your consent, refer you to the services that best match your needs.
Assistance is available in over 240 languages, so let the person who answers your call know your preferred language.
We’re ready to help. Support is here.
Free. Confidential. Trauma informed.
1-833-HLP-LINE
1-833-457-5463
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.
Racist incidents occur every day at every level of society. We are here to provide support and resources to help you navigate through the impact of what happened.
We are here to support anyone who has experienced or witnessed a racist incident in BC because it can be shocking, disorienting, upsetting, and isolating.
We also provide support and resources to people supporting someone who has experienced a racist incident, as experiencing an incident second-hand can also impact your wellbeing.
At this point in time, the helpline is available by calling 1-833-457-5463, Monday to Friday (excluding statutory holidays), 9am to 5pm, Pacific Time. Callers may leave a message outside of operating hours and provide a number for call back the next business day.
We provide telephone-based support to anyone located in BC.
Our call takers first answer in English. If you prefer to converse in another language, please inform your call taker and they will connect an interpreter into the call making it a three-way call. Interpretation is provided by Voyce (language list is not available online) or CanTalk and is available in over 240 languages and dialects.
Our mission is to connect you with resources to meet you where you are at and support you after experiencing or witnessing a racist incident.
We can provide referrals to organizations throughout the province that specialize in supporting those affected by racist incidents, including programs that offer culturally safe counselling, peer support groups, anti-hate and diversity education, legal assistance, community connection, and more.
Yes, all calls to the helpline are confidential. Personal information will not be shared without your consent, except in cases where it is required by law (self-harm or harm to others), etc.
Personal information will not be shared with law enforcement, except in cases where it is required by law (risk of harm to self or others), etc.
The helpline is completely independent from law enforcement. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.
If you are a victim or witness of a crime and would like to file a police report, your call taker can provide you with information on next steps. Calling the helpline does not result in police reports, individual investigations, case management, or immediate interventions.
If you file a report with us, the information we collect will become anonymized, aggregated, and shared with BC’s Ministry of Attorney General. The purpose is to help inform the types of racist incidents happening in BC; to support, guide, and enhance the province’s anti-racism programs, services, and initiatives; and to help understand systemic gaps and issues so that the Province can work to implement changes in BC.
There are community-based organizations that specialize in working with specific populations. The information you voluntarily disclose helps us refer you to the services that are accessible to you and that best match your needs. This also helps us understand on a broader level what is happening, who needs help, and what kind of help is needed across BC. You can choose what information to share; we will still support you.
We collaborate with community organizations to ensure callers can access ongoing support, including culturally safe counselling, trauma-informed care workshops, and legal assistance. We aim to connect you with services that align with your specific needs.
Information for service providers
We invite community-based organizations, Indigenous-led organizations and land-based Nations throughout the province that specialize in supporting those affected by racist incidents to learn more about this program and its opportunities by visiting the United Way BC website.
Helpline Information and OpportunitiesAbout the Racist Incident Helpline
The Racist Incident Helpline is a culturally safe and trauma-informed resource for people who have experienced or witnessed a racist incident, but who may not want to or know how to report it to police. The helpline makes sure that everyone can access the information and support they want and need.
Calls are answered by trained professionals who will listen and provide information and referrals to community-based organizations throughout the province that specialize in racist incident support as well as promoting anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion.
The anonymized data collected from Racist Incident Helpline will be used alongside insights gathered from other Government of British Columbia anti-racism initiatives to support, guide and enhance the province’s anti-racism programs, services and initiatives.
Racist Incident Helpline was developed and is overseen by the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Branch of the Ministry of Attorney General, in partnership with United Way British Columbia, and works with specialized community organizations throughout B.C.
Help us serve communities throughout the province.
Any feedback you provide about your call experience will help us continually improve the Racist Incident Helpline and identify any gaps and opportunities in the resources available.
This form is for feedback only. If you would like to talk to a professional about a racist incident or be connected to support services, call 1-833-HLP-LINE (457-5463).
This form is for feedback only. If you would like to talk to a professional about a racist incident or be connected to support services, call 1-833-HLP-LINE (457-5463).