Do you know how to spot a human trafficking case? Thunder Bay coalition will teach you
Friday is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
A newly-formed coalition in Thunder Bay is marking National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on Friday with an information fair at the Intercity Shopping Centre.
The co-chair of the Thunder Bay Human Trafficking Coalition says the group wants to combat myths about the crime and teach people how to spot signs of trouble.
"There's plenty of myths about it," said Kris Carlson, a youth and transition worker at Thunder Bay Counselling and co-chair of the coalition. "Lots of people believe that it's like in the movie Taken; it's international people coming and being trafficked into our community. But domestic trafficking actually accounts for a majority of the human trafficking that happens in Canada."
The coalition, she said, wants to educate people — particularly those who work in hotels, the taxi industry or other public services — to recognize the signs that someone might be a victim.
"If you happen to notice that somebody is showing signs of abuse, such as bruising; or if somebody has a tattoo or a branding symbol, especially of somebody else's name and they're quite young; maybe if somebody isn't holding their own belongings, they don't have their own ID, they don't carry their own passport; if they talk about moving around frequently or moving from house to house, those are all big 'knowing the signs' things," Carlson said.
If you happen to notice that somebody is showing signs of abuse, such as bruising; or if somebody has a tattoo or a branding symbol, especially of somebody else's name and they're quite young; maybe if somebody isn't holding their own belongings, they don't have their own ID, they don't carry their own passport; if they talk about moving around frequently or moving from house to house, those are all big 'knowing the signs' things.- Kris Carlson
People who suspect trouble should not try to intervene directly, she added, as it could be dangerous.
If someone believes there's an immediate threat, or if the victim appears to be under 18, they should call 911, she said.
In other cases, they might call the Thunder Bay police non-emergency line or an agency such as Thunder Bay and Area Victim Services, Carlson said. They can also seek advice from Ontario's confidential Human Trafficking Helpline.
The Thunder Bay Human Trafficking Coalition is a roundtable of 27 organizations that first came together in June of last year.
Its members include Matawa, Beendigen, Centr'elles, The Thunder Bay Police Service, Thunder Bay Counselling, and NorWest Community Health Centres.
Friday's information fair runs from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Intercity Shopping Centre.