THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking held an event to help spread awareness and information to the public about human trafficking, community services, and resources.
The goal of the two-hour-long event at the Intercity Shopping Centre on Tuesday was to engage the public about human trafficking and the importance of having specified and specialized services available to anyone who needs them.
Many people conflate human trafficking with the smuggling of humans across borders. However, women and girls who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents are the highest represented individuals trafficked in Ontario according to the Coalition.
The organizers of the event say that human trafficking is a vastly under-reported crime, and Ontario is a major centre for human trafficking in Canada making up roughly two-thirds of the reported cases.
“Thunder Bay is one of the top six hubs for human trafficking. That is why the Coalition hosted the awareness event, to continue to draw attention to this issue locally,” said Cindy Paypompee, Thunder Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking co-chair.
One of the resources that the Coalition wishes to bring more attention to is Canada’s dedicated, confidential, 24/7 human trafficking hot-line: 1-833-900-1010.
The hot-line is a resource for everyone from victims seeking help, to individuals with a tip to report on a potential case, to members of the public wanting to learn more about the subject, and it provides information on services available across Ontario.
“Human trafficking is a crime and considered an abuse of human rights that unfortunately our community is not immune to. There are different forms of trafficking that people need to be aware of, including sex trafficking and labour trafficking where traffickers restrict victims from accessing basic human rights and freedoms,” said Kris Carlson, Thunder Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking co-chair.
Traffickers control their victims in various ways such as taking away their identity documents and passports, sexual abuse, threats, intimidation, physical violence, and isolation, and victims suffer physical or emotional abuse and often live and work in terrible conditions according to the Coalition.
Youth who struggle with low self-esteem, bullying, discrimination, poverty, abuse, isolation, and other social of family issues are especially at risk, as are Indigenous women and people struggling with substance abuse, mental health issues, and developmental disabilities.
Due to the complexity of the traumatic impacts of human trafficking, individuals often need intensive specialized services and supports to rebuild their lives.
The Thunder Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking has a website dedicated to sharing information about human trafficking, and resources and services that are available in Thunder Bay to support victims/survivors.
