With over 60 per cent of all human trafficking in Canada initiated along the 400 series highways, a group is aiming to bring awareness to the issue.
To mark International Day to End Human Trafficking, Courage for Freedom hosted #ProjectONRoute on Tuesday morning. Dozens of people, including local politicians and police, piled into the Tilbury OnRoute to support the cause. Similar events were held at 11 other OnRoute locations across the region.
Project OnRoute was a months-long initiative created by Courage for Freedom, a Canadian charity that works with victims and with community and government agencies to combat human trafficking.
Essex County OPP Detachment Commander Glenn Miller estimated that he comes across hundreds of human trafficking victims in his jurisdiction every year. He called it one of the most heinous crimes, one that rips away a person's hopes and dreams in life.
"A desire in life to become what they want to be is literally taken away from them. Only perhaps because they made one single bad choice. Well, people often make bad choices in life and sometimes have no way of knowing how to get out of that particular situation," said Miller. "They're treated with total disrespect. How sad is it that in the 21st century, we have individuals that are walking around where they feel they have no control over their life. They don't have an identity. Often when we'll stop and talk to them, they have no idea where they are, they have no idea they're in Chatham-Kent or Essex County. It's a complete blur to them."
Miller said he doesn't think human trafficking has gotten more prevalent over the years but believes people are getting more informed and having more open discussions about it. Now that more attention is being paid to the crisis, Miller said the focus is on educating the public to not shame any victims of human trafficking, something he said is at the forefront of the OPP's work against the issue. He said they work heavily in giving victims the confidence to come forward and help rehabilitate them after they escape.
"We will never challenge an individual by saying 'if you knew this was a bad lifestyle, why did you continue in it?' because we realize that their life has been impacted to the point that they probably no longer have any support mechanism in their life at all," he explained.
As Miller spoke to the large crowd with the 401 pictured directly behind him, he issued a stark reminder of what is going on just a few feet away.
"As I'm standing here now... there are individuals that have passed by us on the 401, whether heading east or west, that are currently being trafficked," said Miller.
Miller said 400 series highways attract human trafficking because of their connection to cities with large populations and because they provide people with an easy opportunity to get from one place to another. Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara was on hand and urged people to be the eyes and ears in the fight against human trafficking while travelling the 401 corridor.
"We see these ONRoutes and so forth, just be a little bit more aware of your surroundings and what's there. I know a lot of folks say 'well I'm just coming in to buy a coffee and moving out' but what we're experiencing here is trying to educate folks of what's happening in their surroundings," said McNamara. "No matter how small, if you think that something's just not right, call [police]. At the end of the day, what's the worse thing that could happen? Be cognisance of a licence plate or something that could be relayed to police and go make that call. You never know."
Tuesday's presentation was put on in collaboration with The Business and Professional Women's Clubs of Ontario. President of the London branch, Norma Yau, said there are many signs that people can look out for as they are travelling.
"If there's a very young person with an older man and she doesn't seem comfortable. If there's a woman going to the washroom, especially on the ONRoutes, and there's a woman or a man standing outside the washroom and they're not letting them be alone, not letting them talk to somebody," said Yau.
#ProjectOnRoute will now conclude and make way for the groups newest initiative, #ProjectMapleLeaf, which aims to bring awareness to human trafficking not only on Highway 401, but across Canada as well.
If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking or you suspect that you are witnessing a human trafficking situation, the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking has recently launched a new hotline that can be reached by calling 1-833-900-1010.
