Public Safety Canada鈥檚 exhibit on human trafficking is aiming to teach Canadians about the harsh realities of the issue, as one expert says many aren鈥檛 aware of what it could even look like.
Julia Drydyk, executive director at that Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking (CCEHT), says one of the largest issues concerning human trafficking is most people aren鈥檛 aware of the signs.
鈥淯nfortunately, one of the biggest problems we have in Canada and why human trafficking is such a big deal is because people have no idea what it looks like,鈥� Drydyk told CTV鈥檚 Your Morning on Monday.
The exhibit has been going on since July, making stops in Halifax, N.S., Montreal, Que., Thunder Bay, Ont., Winnipeg, Man., Edmonton, Alta. and most recently Toronto, Ont. These cities are among those with the highest rates of police reported incidents . During this time, Toronto accounted for 20 per cent of all incidents in Canada, Montreal made up 7 per cent, and Halifax accounted for 6 per cent.
According to the CCEHT, 95 per cent of Canadians mistake human trafficking with human smuggling. Drydyk says the misconception comes from people associating human trafficking as an international issue involving people from different countries being transported in shipping containers. In reality, human trafficking is actively happening across Canada and most cases look like intimate partner violence.
鈥淲e're looking for people who are in signs of incredibly toxic and unhealthy relationships,鈥� Drydyk explains.
Signs of human trafficking can include a person having a new romantic partner, distancing themselves from friends and family, being secretive about their whereabouts, or receiving expensive gifts. Drydyk says acts of intimidation and secrecy are concerning signs Canadians should be more aware of as human trafficking continues to affect all communities.
鈥淭his is really about debunking those myths and equipping Canadians with the tools to better understand what human trafficking really looks like in our community,鈥� she said.
In their 2019-2020 report, the said human trafficking is a gender-based crime that mainly affects women, girls, transgender and gender non-conforming people. Most victims who called the CCEHT鈥檚 hotline were Canadian, and only 14 per cent were foreign nationals. reported similar findings saying 96 per cent of victims are women and girls and 91 per cent of them reported personally knowing their trafficker.
If you or someone you know is at risk of human trafficking, Public Safety Canada advises calling 911 or the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010.
