Public Safety Canada’s exhibit on human trafficking is aiming to teach Canadians about the harsh realities of the issue, as one expert says many aren’t 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’t aware of the signs.
“Unfortunately, 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,” Drydyk told CTV’s 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 between 2010 and 2020. 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.
“We’re looking for people who are in signs of incredibly toxic and unhealthy relationships,” 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.
“This is really about debunking those myths and equipping Canadians with the tools to better understand what human trafficking really looks like in our community,” she said.
In their 2019-2020 report, the CCEHT 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’s hotline were Canadian, and only 14 per cent were foreign nationals. Public Safety Canada 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.
PORT ALBERNI, B.C. – RCMP say the body of a second person has been found inside their vehicle after a road washed away amid pouring rain on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Police say two vehicles went into the Sarita River when Bamfield Road washed out on Saturday as an atmospheric river hammered southern B.C.
The body of the other driver was found Sunday.
More coming.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
The B.C. Greens say Sonia Furstenau will be staying on as party leader, despite losing her seat in the legislature in Saturday’s provincial election.
The party says in a statement that its two newly elected MLAs, Jeremy Valeriote and Rob Botterell, support Furstenau’s leadership as they “navigate the prospect of having the balance of power in the legislature.”
Neither the NDP led by Premier David Eby nor the B.C. Conservatives led by John Rustad secured a majority in the election, with two recounts set to take place from Oct. 26 to 28.
Eby says in a news conference that while the election outcome is uncertain, it’s “very likely” that the NDP would need the support of others to pass legislation.
He says he reached out to Furstenau on election night to congratulate her on the Greens’ showing.
But he says the Green party has told the NDP they are “not ready yet” for a conversation about a minority government deal.
The Conservatives went from taking less than two per cent of the vote in 2020 to being elected or leading in 45 ridings, two short of a majority and only one behind the NDP.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio is making a difference, 4,175 kilometres away from home.
The 32-year-old Canadian international midfielder, whose parents hail from Colombia, has been working with the Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization, a charity whose goal is to help disadvantaged youth in the South American country.
Osorio has worked behind the scenes, with no fanfare.
Until now, with his benevolence resulting in becoming Toronto FC’s nominee for the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award, which honours an MLS player “who showed outstanding dedication to charitable efforts and serving the community” during the 2024 season.”
Other nominees include Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and CF Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
The winner will be announced in late November.
The Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization (CCCO) is run entirely by volunteers like Monica Figueredo and Claudia Soler. Founded in 1991, it received charitable status in 2005.
The charity currently has four projects on the go: two in Medellin and one each in Armenia and Barranquilla.
They include a school, a home for young girls whose parents are addicted to drugs, after-school and weekend programs for children in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, and nutrition and education help for underprivileged youth.
The organization heard about Osorio and was put in contact with him via an intermediary, which led to a lunch meeting. Osorio did his due diligence and soon got back to the charity with his decision.
“It was something that I wanted to be a part of right away,” said Osorio, whose lone regret is that he didn’t get involved sooner.
“I’m fortunate now that to help more now that I could have back then,” he added. “The timing actually worked out for everybody. For the last three years I have donated to their cause and we’ve built a couple of (football) fields in different cities over there in the schools.”
His father visited one of the sites in Armenia close to his hometown.
“He said it was amazing, the kids, how grateful they are to be able to play on any pitch, really,” said Osorio. “But to be playing on a new pitch, they’re just so grateful and so humble.
“It really makes it worth it being part of this organization.”
The collaboration has also made Osorio take stock.
“We’re very fortunate here in Canada, I think, for the most part. Kids get to go to school and have a roof over their head and things like that. In Colombia, it’s not really the same case. My father and his family grew up in tough conditions, so giving back is like giving back to my father.”
Osorio’s help has been a godsend to the charity.
“We were so surprised with how willing he was,” said Soler.
The TFC skipper has helped pay for a football field in Armenia as well as an ambitious sports complex under construction in Barranquilla.
“It’s been great for them,” Figueredo said of the pitch in Armenia. “Because when they go to school, now they have a proper place to train.”
Osorio has also sent videos encouraging the kids to stay active — as well as shipping soccer balls and signed jerseys their way.
“They know more about Jonathan than the other players in Colombia,” Figueredo said. “That’s the funny part. Even though he’s far away, they’ve connected with him.”
“They feel that they have a future, that they can do more,” she added. “Seeing that was really, really great.”
The kids also followed Osorio through the 2022 World Cup and this summer’s Copa America.
Back home, Osorio has also attended the charity’s annual golf tournament, helping raise funds.
A Toronto native, he has long donated four tickets for every TFC home game to the Hospital for Sick Children.
Vancouver’s Berhalter was nominated for his involvement in the Whitecaps’ partnership with B.C. Children’s Hospital while Montreal’s Sirois was chosen for his work with the Montreal Impact Foundation.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
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