Status of Women Committee on April 17th, 2023

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Thank you.

When I was in Winnipeg, I happened to meet a representative of truckers who were contributing their efforts to detect sexual exploitation. She told me that it wasn't just hearsay: along their routes, truckers have actually seen sexual trafficking and exploitation.

There is another initiative at Canada's airports called #NotInMyCity. We met some representatives of Sault Ste. Marie Airport, which has just joined this initiative.

How can an initiative like this help to reveal sexual trafficking?

[Miriam Pomerleau]

Firstly, more initiatives of this kind are needed, alongside what the police do. It's a way of having people unofficially working under cover in the field. Training should be provided to those who work at strategic points along land transportation routes. The corridor for sexual exploitation in Canada has been known for years. There should be more scouts like this working in the field, whether as expert volunteers or members of groups, to help the forces of law and order, who are short on resources at the moment. There are not enough initiatives of this kind right now, for a variety of reasons, but it would be incredibly useful to organize something like this.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thanks so much, Miriam.

We're now turning back online for the last round of questions with Leah. Leah, you have two and a half minutes.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you so much, Madam Chair.

Going back to that question, could you give a very brief answer, because I only have two and a half minutes?

Madame Mourani, do you have recommendations for accountability measures that could be put in place for men in power, especially in structures like the police?

[Maria Mourani]

I'll tell you what the biggest problem is, based on my analysis. I don't know whether you are aware of operation Scorpion, a major investigation carried out by the Quebec police in 2002. During this police operation, certain people testified. I'm thinking in particular of one victim who said that she had over 100 clients, including several politicians. The victim spoke to the police, but it never went to court, unfortunately. She couldn't appear as a victim for all sorts of legal considerations that I won't go into here.

In any event, the key problem is still providing evidence. When people in a position of power are involved, fear creeps in once the investigation begins. Until there is enough evidence to show that there's no reasonable doubt, it's very difficult for the police to move forward, particularly as, in Quebec, it's the attorneys who determine whether or not charges will be laid.

It's therefore difficult for me to suggest any recommendations.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Because I have limited time, I have one brief question.

We've spoken a lot about prevention factors to assist and protect women, girls and diverse-gendered folks. One of the things I've put forward is a bill for a guaranteed livable basic income as a prevention strategy for people either to not become involved in sex trafficking or sex work or to get out of it.

Very quickly, across the board, do you support a guaranteed livable basic income? We'll start at one end and go to the other.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

We'll start with you, Mr. Chrismas, and we'll work across the table.

[S/Sgt Robert Chrismas]

In a country like Canada, yes, I believe we should all have a basic standard of living and something that can keep people safe.

[Miriam Pomerleau]

Who wouldn't be in favour of something like that? However, there's a lot to be done in areas like drugs and psychological distress, before opting for that solution, even though it's deeply needed.

[Maria Mourani]

I'm in favour of a measure for income, but believe that housing is equally important. It's an essential requirement for victims of exploitation. Unfortunately, there isn't enough housing.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thank you so much.

On behalf of the committee, I would like to thank the three of you for coming and for being witnesses for our first hour today.

We are going to suspend for about two minutes so we can switch up the panels.

Once again, thank you very much for coming here to testify.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Good afternoon, everyone.

We're going to return to this meeting since we are reducing time right now.

I would like to welcome our guests for our next panel.

Here in the room, we have Mario Catenaccio, who is appearing as an individual, .

I would also like to invite Jody Miller, from EFRY Hope and Help for Women, and Peel Regional Police Constable Joy Brown of the Community Mobilization Unit. We also have available online, from the Winnipeg Police Service Counter Exploitation Unit, Sergeant Andrea Scott. You will all be starting with your opening comments.

Mario, I see you're getting your earpiece ready, but it shouldn't be hard. I'm going to give you the floor for your first five minutes of witness testimony.

Mario, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Mario Catenaccio, As an Individual]

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair and honourable members of the House of Commons. Thank you for inviting me to participate in these hearings.

My name is Mario Catenaccio. Although I'm appearing here as an individual and not as a representative of any government agency or organization, my knowledge and experience in this matter have been obtained from my time with the Canada Border Services Agency.

I began my career at Pearson International Airport and was on the front lines until being promoted to enforcement officer at the Greater Toronto Enforcement Centre. Ultimately I was chosen for a high-risk fugitive unit called the Immigration Task Force, also known as the ITF.

The ITF was tasked with locating individuals in Canada who were the subject of outstanding immigration warrants due to serious criminality or were wanted for serious crimes in other countries. We were also responsible for locating and arresting individuals who were deemed to be a threat to national security by CSIS after the issuance of a national security certificate was signed by the Government of Canada.

In 1999, I was chosen to participate in a multi-jurisdictional and multi-agency project known as “Project Almonzo”, which lasted approximately two years. It included officers from the Canada Border Services Agency, the RCMP, the OPP, the Toronto police, Peel Regional Police and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission, to name a few.

Given that human trafficking was not widely known or recognized at the time, the project was multi-faceted and focused on the importation of foreign nationals, primarily from eastern Europe, who were forced to work in the sex trade industry, specifically in massage parlours and strip clubs. The individuals were primarily young women from eastern Europe who were brought to Canada under the pretense of working as buskers, nannies or visitors to Canada.

During the course of this project, we obtained information through our investigation and through the cultivation of confidential sources—usually those who had been arrested on previous raids—who provided intelligence in exchange for consideration on their criminal or immigration charges. Although most provided generalized information, one young lady we encountered provided specific intelligence that furthered our project. Her name was Timea Nagy, and she would ultimately live the Canadian dream by becoming a Canadian citizen, a best-selling author, an advocate for human trafficking victims and a United Nations adviser on human trafficking.

During the project and subsequent investigations, my experience is that victims of human trafficking are usually the most vulnerable individuals of our society. They are primarily young women with little to no family support. The traffickers will prey upon these women by showering them with compliments, gifts, expensive dinners and trips. Once they become dependent upon them, they will begin to introduce them to drugs and other addictions, ultimately making them completely dependent upon the trafficker. That is when they will begin to exploit them and force them into the sex trade industry.

Most victims will not voluntarily leave due to the fear of physical harm or death to them or to their immediate family members. Even those who are encountered by the police and provide evidence against the traffickers will rarely appear for the scheduled court proceedings, ultimately resulting in the charges against the traffickers being withdrawn. In my experience, one of the main reasons is the lack of funding and resources for police services and other organizations to provide housing, support and mentoring for the victims. Once they have been removed from the grip of the traffickers, most victims are, for lack of a better term, lost, and they are unable to support themselves, as they have become completely dependent upon the traffickers for food, money and companionship.

An example I can provide with respect to Timea was that she successfully opened Ontario’s first safe house for victims of human trafficking, where she would take in the victims and provide them with a home, food and mentoring to allow them to gradually return to society. It was a successful operation until the funding was no longer provided by the government.

Successful prosecutions require the active participation of the victim, which is difficult to obtain when they are left to fend for themselves after being rescued by the police.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thank you very much for that information.

We're now going to the next five minutes, which will be shared by Jody and Constable Joy Brown.

I will let you decide who's going first, but you have five minutes in total, and you're both online.

[Constable Joy Brown, Community Mobilization Unit, Peel Regional Police]

Thank you. I'll go first.

My name is Constable Joy Brown. I am the Peel Regional Police lead on human trafficking in the community mobilization unit. I am also the chair of the Peel Human Trafficking Service Providers Committee, whose membership includes over 40 community partners, including EFry.

Human trafficking is a priority for our service. We have 16 specialized investigators within the vice unit who are available 24-7. They are dedicated to disrupting human trafficking and helping survivors. In 2022, we laid 127 human trafficking charges in Peel, almost doubling 2018. However, according to nCourage, Peel's anti-human trafficking services hub, approximately 75% of the survivors they work with do not report to police.

In collaboration with Timea's Cause, we recently announced that all PRP frontline and investigative officers will undergo specialized survivor-led training to better identify and stop human traffickers and, more importantly, to help victims. We are the first police agency in Canada to do this. The survivor experience remains at the forefront of all of our work. We have been working with the region of Peel and community partners through the Peel Human Trafficking Service Providers Committee on regional strategy and supports, such as nCourage, which the standing committee had an opportunity to visit last week.

Peel has made significant progress and emerged as a leader in community collaboration and in identifying and delivering appropriate services and supports to those impacted by human trafficking. We have prepared a brief for the committee's consideration that outlines the need for more investments in coordinated, preventive and educational measures, as well as further investment in an anti-human trafficking housing strategy that includes emergency beds and safe, transitional and independent housing, in coordination with the provinces and region. We know this increases a survivor's well-being and recovery, decreases the likelihood of their returning to their traffickers for basic needs, and helps investigators and Crowns with access to survivors.

Finally, we strongly recommend the establishment of a national human trafficking database in order to provide access to information on offenders and victims, since human trafficking is so transient. Currently, law enforcement agencies use different tracking systems with no standardization or data-sharing mechanisms among jurisdictions.

We have provided further information in our brief.

I will now turn it over to Jody Miller, managing director of EFry Hope and Help for Women.

[Jody Miller, Managing Director, EFRY Hope and Help for Women]

Thanks, Joy.

EFry supports over 5,000 women and girls annually who are at risk of violence; many of them are survivors. Our efforts focus on prevention, support, reintegration and advocacy. Approximately two-thirds of police-reported human trafficking cases in Canada occur in Ontario, and 62% originate in the greater Toronto area, with Peel being a major corridor for this activity. It primarily impacts women and girls, with the average age of victims being between 12 and 24 years old.

Since 2012, we have provided anti-human sex trafficking programs that align with provincial and regional strategies and that focus on the national pillars of empowerment, prevention, protection and partnership. EFry develops and provides a variety of programs and workshops for schools and community partners on awareness and prevention, including a prevention program for female-identifying youth that empowers them to understand and avoid recruitment tactics, addresses social media and online safety, and creates awareness on how to access help.

We also have a program for young men that addresses the vital role males play in ending gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and trafficking.

EFry provides case management support for at-risk, exploited and trafficked individuals. As part of the nCourage hub, we provide housing for survivors through the Bonnie McPhee safe house and the Peel transitional house.

Despite Peel's attention to, and resourcing for, anti-human trafficking, we still do not have the full continuum of supports required. Supports are highly dependent on sustainable funding that goes beyond three-year cycles to ensure gaps are addressed and services maintained.

Housing continues to be a major barrier for survivors. A dedicated strategy is needed that addresses access to immediate beds, as well as independent housing and support services within housing for trauma, mental health and addiction. This is one of the most fundamental supports needed to ensure victims and survivors exit and do not return to traffickers.

Finally, human trafficking is transitory and easily disguised. Canada needs more awareness on this issue. This includes investments in prevention and awareness activities that share information on how to protect against it and where to seek help, as well as initiatives to standardize anti-human trafficking curriculums in schools. We have included further details on our recommendations in our brief.

Both Joy and I thank the committee for providing us with this opportunity to present here, and we welcome any questions you may have.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thank you very much.

Back online, we have Sergeant Andrea Scott with the Winnipeg Police Service.

You have five minutes.

[Sergeant Andrea Scott, Counter Exploitation Unit, Winnipeg Police Service]

Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for having me.

I'm honoured to be here today to speak with you from a law enforcement perspective on this important topic. Today I want to share what we see on a daily basis in this city and across this province through a police lens. I want to share efforts we've made and the direction we're taking to combat sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

The Winnipeg Police Service missing persons unit and counter exploitation unit are a combined unit aimed at identifying and protecting those at risk of exploitation and enforcing laws associated to human trafficking. We support the national strategy to combat human trafficking and enhance prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership.

The unit receives reports of exploitation on a daily basis. Reports of exploitation range from controlling basic needs, such as food and shelter, to providing alcohol and drugs for sex acts. This is not a crime that is specific to gender, area of the city or socio-economic background. It has no barriers, and in this digital age, offenders have access to a wide range of potential victims.

Our unit is a support to frontline members and investigates reports obtained from uniformed members, tips that come from Cybertip, and calls from family members, our social agencies and child welfare partners within the community, just to name a few.

We also proactively look for potential victims, as what we know is that victims of human trafficking and exploitation do not always come forward; they need us to find them.

The counter exploitation unit also conducts proactive enforcement aimed at the exploiters or buyers of sex. These types of investigations result in numerous arrests on a regular basis. Members of the unit meet with survivors in street clothes; there are no uniforms. They explain who we are and what resources we can offer when they are ready. This is done on street corners, in hotels and in apartments across our city. Often, we simply provide a pair of mitts on a cold evening, or a care package.

Once a survivor comes forward, our unit works with them through the court process to maintain that relationship and familiarity with a consistent investigator. What we have learned is that we need to continue to build relationships with child welfare agencies, community groups and other law enforcement agencies. The more collaboration and information we share for the well-being of these youth and adults, the more success we will have. We continue to work on strong and sustainable relationships with our community partners.

Education is truly the key to success, through schools and social media platforms and as a community of adults caring for those most vulnerable in our city.

As a service, the counter exploitation unit offers training to our members and other agencies specific to human trafficking. This is a yearly course put on to teach our frontline members about best practices, investigative techniques and compassion when dealing with survivors. This year, we brought in a survivor to speak about her experience with law enforcement as a way to help frontline members understand and recognize trauma and how to appropriately handle it.

We've also recently trained members of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service on the indicators of human trafficking. Fire and paramedics are often first on scene. Now they have additional knowledge of potential signs of trafficking.

The counter exploitation unit has also paired with the hospitality industry in the city and provided training to various hotels, again, on the indicators of human trafficking. We're also in the process of collaborating with the RCMP and other agencies on a joint enforcement project.

I also want to share some of the challenges we face. One of the biggest is the lack of a long-term addictions treatment facility in our province. The number of reported missing and exploited youth I see is extremely high. Many of these youth are vulnerable to exploitation due to their addictions. We need to be able to treat these addictions in order to stop the cycle of vulnerability leading to exploitation. We have to address the addiction crisis among youth and recognize its direct ties to exploitation if we're truly going to prevent human trafficking.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thank you very much.

We're now going to get started with our round of questions. We're going to start with six minutes for Anna Roberts. You have the floor.

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thanks to all the witnesses for being here.

Before I start, I want to congratulate Constable Joy Brown on your award, which I understand you mentioned. We met you last week. Congratulations on your Brampton Board of Trade Police Services Award in supporting the community.

Congratulations. I can't imagine all the wonderful work that you do for us in protecting us. Thank you.

I'm going to direct my first question to Mario. I've worked with Mario for many months now. I have a couple of questions.

One of the things we heard about last week during our travels was a lack of funding. I would like your opinion, first of all.

What do you think about seizing all the assets of these perpetrators and bringing them back into the system to help the victims?

[Mario Catenaccio]

I think that's something that would be very beneficial.

From my understanding now, when the funds are seized, they go back into the general government coffers. If they were directed toward helping victims reintegrate and basically get their lives back, it would be more beneficial.

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

In your experience in this field, have you ever been threatened, as a police officer? I'm wondering about your protection.

[Mario Catenaccio]

I have. I think it was in the late nineties or early 2000s. Someone I was searching for was a fugitive from overseas and was wanted in Canada. I located him. We ended up arresting him. He was deported back to a Caribbean country. When he returned there, he called me on my personal cellphone and told me he was going to kill me. Not thinking anything of it because he was back in his own country, when I looked at the telephone number, I saw it was a local Toronto number. A few days later, he sent someone to my home, apparently to try to kill me. The RCMP did a threat assessment, and they moved me and my family out of the country for a period of time. I worked at a diplomatic posting overseas.

This was in relation to an investigation with CBSA.

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

How can we protect our law enforcement and at the same time protect our victims? I think there's a lack of opportunity here that we need to address.

What would you suggest? What would your recommendation be to stop the demand and protect our victims, and of course the police?

[Mario Catenaccio]

The diverting of the funds that are seized as proceeds of crime directly to victims would be a great start. It will help victims to reintegrate themselves and get back to a normal lifestyle after they've been dependent upon their traffickers for so long.

With police officers it's a bit more difficult, because our work is dangerous in nature. However, there are things that can be done. I know, for example, that the Toronto police have a program with the Ministry of Transportation, which removes all of the police addresses from their system. It's strictly registered to the police service, so if somebody has a friend working in the Ministry of Transportation, they can't find out a home address through a licence plate or a driver's licence.

It's difficult to answer with regard to police or law enforcement, but with victims, it's something like having a safe house for them to transition back into society and employing the services of previous victims, survivors, to help them. It's no different from an alcoholic going to a program where they have people who have overcome their alcohol addiction mentoring them and speaking to them, because they can relate to what they're going through.