Justice Committee on June 15th, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

I call this meeting to order.

Good morning, everyone.

Welcome to meeting number 35 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. Pursuant to the order of reference of April 2, 2026, the committee will continue and complete, I hope, its study on Bill C-238, an act to amend the Criminal Code regarding restitution orders.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application. I think that everybody's gone through their Zoom sound checks effectively. We should be good on that.

I would like to make a few comments for the benefit of the witnesses and members. Before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mic. Please mute yourself when you're not speaking. For those on Zoom, you can see the selection at the bottom of your screen and choose which interpretation you would like. You have the option of floor, French or English audio. For those in the room, you can use your earpiece and select the desired channel on your device.

This is a reminder that all comments should be addressed through the chair. For members in the room, if you wish to speak, please raise your hand. For members on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function. The clerk and I will manage the speaking order as best we can. We appreciate your patience and understanding in this regard.

Appearing today and with us for the first hour, we have Cristina Scarpellini from Angels of Hope Against Human Trafficking. She's a founder and is here by video conference. From The Go-Give Project, we have Evie Ali, executive director.

We welcome you both.

We'll start with Cristina, please, for your opening remarks of five minutes.

[Cristina Scarpellini, Founder, Angels of Hope Against Human Trafficking]

Chair and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.

My name is Cristina Scarpellini, and I am the founder and executive director of Angels of Hope Against Human Trafficking, a registered Canadian charity that provides long-term, trauma-informed support to survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, as well as to individuals who are at risk of exploitation. Since founding Angels of Hope in 2015, I have had the privilege of walking alongside survivors as they rebuild their lives after experiencing some of the most devastating forms of abuse imaginable. Through this work, I have witnessed both the profound harm caused by human trafficking and the remarkable resilience of survivors who refuse to let their exploitation define them.

Angels of Hope serves survivors of all ages, genders and backgrounds across Ontario. We provide free, bilingual services in a safe, supportive and trauma-informed environment. Our approach is survivor-centred and rooted in harm reduction, recognizing that healing is not a linear process and that recovery takes time, trust and long-term support. To date, Angels of Hope has provided long-term support services to more than 400 survivors and their families.

Every survivor's story is different, but there is one common theme: The impact of human trafficking does not end when the exploitation ends. The trauma can last for years. Survivors often require ongoing mental health support, addiction treatment, housing assistance, education, employment support and community reintegration. The funding may end, but the trauma does not.

Our support for Bill C-238 is rooted in what we see every day on the front lines. When a trafficker exploits a victim, the harm extends far beyond that individual. The effects are felt by families, communities, the health care system, social services, law enforcement and the organizations that step in to provide support and recovery services. For years, charity and frontline organizations like ours have worked tirelessly to address the consequences of human trafficking. We provide counselling, advocacy, case management, crisis support and long-term care because survivors deserve every opportunity to heal and rebuild their lives.

The reality is that the costs associated with recovery are significant. Too often, those costs are borne by survivors, their families, community organizations and taxpayers. Meanwhile, the individuals responsible for creating that harm are rarely required to contribute to repairing it in a meaningful way. Bill C-238 recognizes an important principle: Those who cause harm should bear greater responsibility for addressing its consequences. This legislation acknowledges the real and measurable impact that human trafficking has on victims and the organizations that support them. It recognizes that recovery is not immediate, services are essential and frontline organizations play a critical role in helping survivors move forward. From our perspective, Bill C-238 strengthens accountability. It sends a message that human trafficking is not only a crime against an individual victim. It is a crime that creates lasting social and economic costs that ripple through entire communities. Most importantly, this bill recognizes something survivors tell us repeatedly: Recovery requires support, and support requires resources.

No legislation alone will end human trafficking. We need prevention, education, enforcement, survivor services, housing, mental health supports and long-term investments in recovery. However, Bill C-238 is an important step because it recognizes the reality faced by survivors and the organizations that serve them. As someone who has dedicated more than a decade to supporting survivors, I believe this legislation reflects both fairness and accountability. Survivors should not have to carry the burden of recovery alone. Families should not have to carry it alone. Communities should not have to carry it alone. The organizations providing critical support should not be expected to shoulder that burden alone.

On behalf of Angels of Hope Against Human Trafficking and the survivors we serve, I would like to thank the committee for its attention to this issue and for considering measures that strengthen accountability and support those affected by human trafficking. Human trafficking thrives in silence, secrecy and vulnerability. By supporting survivors, strengthening accountability and investing in recovery, we can build safer communities and create a future where fewer people become victims in the first place.

Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Thank you very much, Ms. Scarpellini.

We're moving to Ms. Ali for five minutes.

Please go ahead.

[Evie Ali, Executive Director, The Go-Give Project]

Good afternoon, everyone.

My name is Evie Ali, and I am the co-founder and executive director of the Go-Give Project in greater Sudbury.

The Go-Give Project began as a small grassroots organization, and we have grown into a municipally funded charitable organization. Our work is rooted in an emergency response framework and operates at the intersection of addiction, homelessness, poverty, mental health and crisis response.

Our staff provide outreach services, a drop-in centre, overdose response, resource navigation, crisis intervention and de-escalation. Our ongoing support to our community's most vulnerable individuals allows us to see first-hand the profound impacts of victimization. Through the work, we witness the profound impacts violence and financial instability have, and usually on those who are the least equipped to navigate complex systems.

While our organization is not a legal service provider, we see every day the impacts that crime and victimization have on individuals. Many of the people we support have experienced theft, assault, fraud, exploitation, intimate partner violence and property damage. For those already living in poverty or instability, even the smallest financial loss can be devastating. Replacing identification, medications, cellphones, clothing or personal belongings, or securing emergency transportation can pose significant barriers to recovery, housing stability, employment and personal safety.

Restitution orders can provide important pathways for recognizing the financial harm caused by crime. However, in practice, many victims face challenges navigating the justice system and often struggle to access meaningful compensation or even understand the processes that are available to them. From a frontline perspective, any measure that improves the awareness of restitution, increases accessibility and reduces barriers for victims is a positive step. Victims should not be expected to navigate complex processes, especially during times of trauma and uncertainty.

As Parliament considers Bill C-238, I encourage members to consider not only the legal framework of restitution orders but also the practical realities that victims are facing, particularly those who are marginalized, living in poverty, experiencing homelessness or dealing with addiction or mental health challenges. The justice system works best when individuals who have suffered from harm feel heard and supported throughout the process. Financial restitution alone cannot undo trauma, but meaningful access to restitution can help restore dignity, stability and a sense of justice.

Thank you. I look forward to your questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Thank you very much, Ms. Ali.

Before we go into questions, I will remind members that it is important to be respectful, as this is a very sensitive topic that we are talking about today, and to really have respect for the victims and the survivors.

We'll start our first six-minute round with Mr. Lawton.

Please go ahead.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair. Congratulations on your first meeting as chair, from the outset of the meeting anyway.

Thank you to the witnesses for being here.

I'll start with you, Ms. Ali.

First off, thank you for the work you do. In communities across the country, we've all seen the problems that you identify, and people who have the heart and desire to serve and try to address that is something that we have a great deal of gratitude for.

I wanted to get into a little more of the specifics on the work you do, particularly for people with addictions. You have identified work on harm reduction supports. What is the harm reduction you're referring to that your agency participates in?

[Evie Ali]

We practise harm reduction in a number of ways throughout the agency. Of course, we could look at the basics, where we're looking at needle exchange programs via public health. That is a very small part of what we do.

We also look at reducing harms through our outreach services by providing that de-escalation, as well as crisis intervention. We work alongside the Greater Sudbury Police Service in order to provide protection for both agencies and to ensure that individuals are being treated fairly and accessing everything that is available to them. We also have drop-in centres. We operate cooling and warming throughout the summer and winter. Essentially, all of our work is framed around reducing harms in addiction.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

You're distributing needles to IV drug users. Are you giving out crack pipes, pipes and those sorts of materials as well?

[Evie Ali]

That would be correct.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Is any of the work you do directed towards recovery, to getting people off drugs? If so, could you please explain a little bit more about that?

[Evie Ali]

Absolutely. Harm reduction would always be the first step. We can't just ship you off to treatment. If we don't have a relationship with you, you don't want to hear that from us. We really pride ourselves on the meaningful relationships we have built.

For a bit of a brief backgrounder, we sent seven people to treatment centres across northern Ontario last month, and this month we're hoping to see an increase in those numbers.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

How many people would you serve in distributing drug paraphernalia in a month?

[Evie Ali]

I don't have that data in front of me but would be happy to submit a written response.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

That would be very helpful. Thank you.

Are you a participant in any safe supply programs?

[Evie Ali]

There currently aren't any official safe supply programs available.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Is your organization a supporter of safe supply?

[Evie Ali]

We're not here to discuss drug policy.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

We are, unfortunately, because in the actual legislation there's very little limitation on what types of organizations would receive restitution under this. One of the discussions we'll be having when we get to clause-by-clause is about whether we need to fine-tune that.

From a political perspective—and this is not your responsibility—we have seen a great many problems with safe supply in provinces that have done it. Therefore, when we look at which organization should be able to receive restitution, it is relevant. I'm just curious about what your organization's view is on safe supply.

[Evie Ali]

What I can share with you is that every day we are supporting marginalized victims of crime in some way or another. Sometimes that can be a very simple support chat, and sometimes it escalates further and we have to rehouse, relocate and replace lost and missing items. The impacts are there. They're tangible, and they're in our communities and many communities—if not all.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Do you believe people facing drug addiction should be supplied with drugs?

[Evie Ali]

I fail to see the relevance.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

It's highly relevant when we're talking about the way drug policy is unfolding on streets and in organizations across the country. We have these two distinct viewpoints. We have some organizations that are more inclined to say that recovery is the path forward that we need to be prioritizing. Then we have others that have been pushing what I think has actually amounted to enabling drug users by providing them access to the very substances that are causing the problems.

We've also seen, in communities with safe supply, a significant increase in diversion, where the safe supply drugs are then sold in some cases to students, while the person who was given the safe supply drug then gets the money to buy the stronger drug they really want. It's highly relevant if we're talking about creating a pipeline where an organization is going to be receiving funding and then that organization might be participating in something that's making things worse.

If you don't want to answer, that's fine. I just want to stress why this is such a big issue here.

I'll turn to you, Ms. Scarpellini.

On the human trafficking side of things, in a previous bill we had tried to really look at human trafficking and the absence of really strong penalties. Paul Brandt, a country singer who's done a tremendous amount of work on this, has pointed out that human trafficking is not an issue we can pin on any particular community. It's literally everywhere. I'm wondering if you could, in the minute I have left, speak to what that looks like in northern Ontario.

[Cristina Scarpellini]

In northern Ontario, specifically greater Sudbury, we are considered a hub for human trafficking due to our geographical location.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

What are some of the stories that have struck you about who this affects? One of the things I have learned about this issue is that there is this “it couldn't happen to me” dynamic, where people feel like it's always some other demographic that's at risk when it really is anyone.

[Cristina Scarpellini]

In my opinion, it doesn't discriminate against a certain class of people. Some people may become more vulnerable, but in all honesty, it could happen to anyone.