Ottawa invests $2.2 million to give Edmonton youths a literal fighting chance

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsCrimeLocal NewsPolitics Ottawa invests $2.2 million to give Edmonton youths a literal fighting chance “He taught me to calm down, and don't speak bad about people. He taught me how to control myself,” Phi told Postmedia. Author of the article: By Jackie Carmichael Published Sep 09, 2026 4 minute read Join the conversation Jan Fox, executive director of REACH Edmonton, joined federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser at the announcement of federal funding to support youth crime prevention at a Mixed Martial Arts gym in Edmonton on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. PHOTO BY SHAUGHN BUTTS /Postmedia Article content A multi-agency program channeling the energies of at-risk youth into martial arts discipline and self-defence got a big investment from the federal government Wednesday. Article content From a pilot started with a large donation and based on a program in Bristol, England, the Empire Fighting Chance — a non-contact boxing program for at-risk youth that uses psychologically informed principles around mentoring and counseling for vulnerable kids — will work through REACH Edmonton with $2.2 million from the crime prevention action fund. Article content Article content Article content Canada’s Justice Minister Sean Fraser met with service providers dealing with at-risk kids at Brave MMA and Fitness in south Edmonton. Article content Headline News Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content At its core is the opportunity for people to build a community around healthy physical activity and to pair at-risk kids with the mental health resources, Fraser told Postmedia. Article content “We are building healthier people who have been engaged in criminal behavior in the past, who are becoming a lesser public safety risk as a result,” he said. Article content “When you find programs that people believe in, that people are working towards growing, and that are already experiencing success, it’s easier to scale those up than it is to invent something new in Ottawa for Edmonton.” Article content Fraser’s dad was a martial arts instructor and a school teacher who developed, in partnership with Nova Scotia’s Department of Education, a course brought into the school curriculum…