Industry support for OnRoute to Freedom event

Human Trafficking does happen, and it must be stopped

by Christian Zdravko

Ippolito Transportation unveiled a new truck wrap on April 23^rd as part of the OnRoute to Freedom campaign to raise awareness for human trafficking around Ontario highways. The rolling billboard is targeted toward both the general public and potential victims who may not yet recognize their situation.

Ippolito has partnered with OnRoute, the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada (WTFC), the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking and Timea’s Market in informing the public about how to spot human trafficking, what to do in a suspected trafficking situation and how to avoid becoming a victim of the crime.

The groups gathered at the Barrie OnRoute to showcase the new truck wrap and to highlight the importance of fighting human traffiking. Toronto Digital Imaging has helped wrap more than 30 rigs in recent years. In addition to the highly-visible wrap on Ippolitio’s rig, the April 23^rd event marked the launch of the first Timea’s Market kiosk located within OnRoute. Timea’s Market will promote and sell personal care products created by survivors of human trafficking.

“The transportation industry has an important responsibility when it comes to human trafficking awareness,” says Trevor Austin of Ippolito Transportation. “Partnering on this campaign reinforces our commitment to educating, staying vigilant, and using our network to help identify and prevent these situations whenever possible.”

ONroute CEO Andy Webb is a staunch advocate for the campaign against Human Trafficking. He says that with about 34 million ONroute visitors every year, and about 400 million people driving past, promoting messages around the rest stops and on trucks is an effective strategy to reach a wide audience. He says he also plans to implement training for ONroute staff about how to spot human trafficking cases, and what to do to help.

“Our mission is to be the best part of someone’s journey, because this is always a reason to stop. We want people to feel safe when they stop here, feel comfortable, and we want the customer and our colleagues to understand that if they see something, to do something about it,” says Webb. “Working with a survivor-led organization helps ensure this campaign reflects real experiences and what people need to know.”

Awareness posters will be displayed at ten ONroute locations along Ontario’s 400 series highways. The campaign aims to help people recognize the signs of human trafficking and know how to respond, including contacting the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline or calling 911 in an emergency.

“As a high-traffic space, we have an opportunity to share information that can help people recognize the signs of human trafficking and know where to turn for support,” Webb explains.

Roads play a central role in human trafficking because through constant relocation, traffickers are able to evade detection. A recent study released by the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking (CCTEHT) study titled “Human Trafficking Corridors in Canada” points out that highways help connect commercial sex markets between various cities, making them effective tools for traffickers to do business. Intra-provincial Corridors like the Highway 401 in Ontario and the Queen Elizabeth II Highway in Alberta connect trafficking networks within a province. Inter-provincial corridors like the the Trans-Canada Highway connect networks across provinces.

Shelley Walker, the WTFC CEO says that with the sheer numbers of truckers that frequent rest stops like ONroute, it makes a significant difference when they are aware of how to spot human trafficking and how to act accordingly.

“We’re in and out of these places all the time. We’re the perfect eyes and ears,” Walker points out.

She recounts a story of a trucker who spotted and reported a human trafficking case to 911. The driver saw a group of four or five girls exit a minivan, wearing outfits not appropriate for the weather. “It wasn’t sports season, so what were all those girls doing in there?” Walker says. She emphasizes that this trucker received human trafficking awareness training prior, and it prepared him to handle the situation.

Walker says that all of the six truck training schools that her organization works with in Ontario teach human trafficking awareness.

There have been instances where people would argue that human trafficking simply doesn’t happen in Canada, according to Walker.

“Yes, it does,” she says.

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More information about human trafficking around highways and the ONroute to Freedom campaign is available on the Timea’s Market website.

The 24/7 multilingual Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline can be reached at 1-833-900-1010.

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