Human trafficking affects the safety of our communities and our economy.

Human trafficking has wide-reaching effects that go beyond the victims. It erodes the safety of our communities, fuels organized crime and undermines public trust. The economic costs are also significant, from healthcare and legal expenses to the exploitation of labour that distorts legitimate markets. Ending human trafficking is essential to maintaining healthy, thriving communities.

Trafficking is a crime that involves the exploitation of individuals through force, fraud, and coercion, for the purpose of sex, labour, or the trafficking of organs. This crime strips victims of their autonomy, freedom, and basic human rights.

93% of human trafficking cases in Canada involve Canadian citizens.
1 in 5 trafficking victims are 17 or younger.
$280,000 is the amount traffickers make per victim, per year.
$150B per year—the annual global profits of human trafficking.
30% of victims were recruited by men they considered to be their boyfriends.
93% of individuals trafficked in Canada are women and girls.

Together, we can end trafficking.

The Alberta Centre to End Trafficking in Persons (the Alberta Centre) was established by the community in partnership with the Government of Alberta after extensive consultation with stakeholders across sectors to address the growing issue of human trafficking in the province.

The Alberta Centre will be leading a comprehensive and coordinated effort to disrupt trafficking networks, prevent exploitation, coordinate support for survivors, and foster their recovery. Learn more about the origins of the Alberta Centre in The Reading Stone Report.

Building a future free from exploitation.

The Alberta Centre’s focus includes collaborating with law enforcement, government, the business community and community organizations to:

Raise public awareness

Educating the public and empowering communities to recognize the signs of trafficking.

Strengthen community response

Building collaborative networks and continuums of care across sectors to create coordinated and responsive strategies for preventing trafficking and supporting survivors.

Hold traffickers accountable

Providing support to law enforcement and strategic partners by advising on policy and advocating for human trafficking-specific legislative action, updates, and harmonization to better protect survivors and hold traffickers accountable.

Support survivors

Ensuring availability of exit and rapid-exit opportunities, along with wrap-around resources, to support individuals who have experienced trafficking to build the lives they were intended to live.

Anyone can be a victim of human trafficking.

Human trafficking is a serious crime that affects people across the world, including right here in Alberta. Traffickers exploit vulnerable individuals as commodities to be bought and sold.

Sex trafficking: Sex trafficking involves force, fraud, and coercion. It is something someone does to a person as they profit from them, and it involves manipulating individuals into sexual exploitation. This can occur anywhere, in any community. Human trafficking and the sex industry are inextricably linked. Trafficking can also occur in Alberta’s many brothels/body rub establishments/illicit massage parlors, escort services, and through online exploitation.
Labour trafficking: Labour trafficking is a form of human trafficking that can happen in a number of different industries. It involves recruiting, moving, or holding victims to coerce them into doing work. It involves the use of threats including mental and emotional abuse, and manipulation, where victims are forced to work in unsafe, degrading conditions. Industries generally connected with labouring trafficking include, but are not limited to, construction, agriculture, manufacturing, hospitality, food processing and restaurants.
Organ trafficking: Organ trafficking involves the illegal and exploitative removal of human organs and tissue to be sold for profit.