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Ten years ago, a speeding BMW driven by an intoxicated man lost control and crashed in front of an apartment building on Whyte Avenue in south Edmonton, killing the young woman inside it and claiming the 30-year-old driver’s life a month later.
The story made headlines because of the terrible collision, but what wasn’t known at the time: the 21-year-old woman was a mother named Maddison Fraser who was being sex trafficked and the driver was a John who had paid to abuse her.
Fraser was an athlete and national boxing champion, who aspired to become a nurse — but it wouldn’t come to pass.
“Maddison was manipulated and lured into trafficking by someone she believed cared for her,” said musician Paul Brandt, the co-chair of the Alberta Centre to End Trafficking in Persons and founder of #NotInMyCity.
Her mother Jennifer Holleman previously told Global News her daughter was lured from Nova Scotia to Alberta to work in the sex trade by her boyfriend.
Then, the abuse began — she was beaten, her hair set on fire, burnt with cigarettes and lighters, and sexually assaulted.
“That relationship quickly turned into a nightmare of control, violence, and exploitation. Madison was moved from city to city,” Brandt said.
“She was isolated, abused, and sold.”
Brandt said her mom tried to free the girl from her pimp, to no avail.
“In July 2015, at just 21 years old, Maddison died in a car accident here in Edmonton on Whyte Avenue. The man driving the vehicle was a buyer, or a John, or more accurately put, a commercial sex offender. Messages found on her phone confirmed that she had been trafficked.”
Brandt shared her story on Wednesday at an Edmonton International Airport event announcing the creation of a space for those looking to flee their captors.
“Maddison reminds us why resources and spaces like the one that we’re announcing today are so critical. A secure place, a trained person, a moment to be seen. Heard and helped,” Brandt said.
The airport has opened a safe room: a dedicated space intended to support victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, or those experiencing tragedy at the airport.
It’s one of two such spaces at a Canadian airport — the other is in Calgary.
“We know that human trafficking is (a) $180-billion-a-year industry globally, that traffickers in Canada are making over $280,000 per year, per victim,” said Brandt.
“The average age of being trafficked is 13 and it’s skewing younger right now. And the greatest risk factor is simply being a girl,” he said. “Often the trafficker is perceived as a boyfriend or someone who cares. Victims are often controlled physically, emotionally, financially or psychologically.
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“Most trafficking victims don’t even realize that’s what’s happening to them.”
#NotInMyCity is an organization raising awareness and taking action to prevent, disrupt, and end sexual exploitation and trafficking, with a focus on protecting children and youth.
Brandt launched #NotInMyCity partially to combat the myth many Canadians have that human trafficking is something that happens elsewhere — not in their backyard.
“The response we received from the public was, ‘That doesn’t happen here.’ And as they started to learn about the statistics and the reality, they determined it wouldn’t happen in their city,” Brandt said.
“It is a huge issue. It’s the fastest growing crime in Canada today.”
RCMP Insp. Kiel Samotej is in charge of the Leduc and EIA RCMP detachments and said labour trafficking is amongst the crimes being seen in Alberta.
“It’s heartbreaking because a lot of these individuals that are being labour-trafficked are coming here for a new start, a new beginning. They’re vulnerable and they believe they’re coming here supported by people with good intentions and unfortunately it’s not what’s happening, right?” Samotej said.
“A good majority of them are under the age of 25, right? But it can happen to anybody though.”
In addition to opening the safe room, the airport has a partnership with #NotInMyCity to offer human trafficking awareness training sessions to its team members and partners — because the more people who know what signs to look for, the more people can help.
“Over 20,000 people across the country have taken the training,” Brandt said, adding knowing what signs to look for is important across a range of industries.
“I would say even with law enforcement and in healthcare, 88 per cent of trafficking victims say that they access health care while they’re being trafficked and someone fails to intervene on their behalf. So this is about an awakening to the issue.”
EIA said survivors often arrive via major airports and travel through the province before exploitation in industries like hospitality, agriculture or sex work.
“It’s happening in transportation hubs across the country. It’s happening around the world,” said EIA corporate communications manager Erin Isfeld. “We know they’re typically marginalized individuals and so we need to step up for them.
“We want traffickers, when they’re coming through this airport, to know they’re not welcome here.”
EIA describes itself as a middle man, a transitional space, where victims can connect with RCMP and support agencies to get out of the bad situation they find themselves in.
“As an airport, really we’re just providing this space and ensuring that the right connections are happening,” Isfeld said.
Human trafficking indicators to watch for in airports include:
- Passenger is unable to explain details about their travel
- Does not have control of their own ID/passport
- Has excessive baggage or few to no personal possessions and not suitably dressed for the journey
- Is travelling on a last-minute booking paid for in cash or pre-paid credit card at the airport
- A young person accompanied by someone claiming to be a parent or guardian who is, in fact, not related to the youth
The EIA safe room is skirted away in a secure, private place and is designed to be a comforting area to temporarily accommodate individuals experiencing trauma or crisis at the airport.
“It’s for the folks who are here in our airport on a daily basis, our security staff, any of our team members who have this training, to be really looking out for those signs,” said Isfeld.
The airport aims for a no-harm approach, to discreetly help someone whose abuser may be in the vicinity.
“We don’t wanna be approaching someone who potentially is with a human trafficker,” Isfeld said.
“So it’s really taking that look, and then reaching out to security, reaching out the RCMP detachment that we have here at the airport to then intervene in that space. We don’t want anyone else to be harmed in this situation. So it’s really looking for those signs.”
The room features a livable space with amenities such as couches, a bed, a kitchenette and a full bathroom. Fresh clothes, food, phones, internet and other resources will also be available in the room.
Samotej said the agencies in Alberta working to end human trafficking are quite aggressive and pro-active.
“I give a lot of props and compliment to their support agencies we have. They’re taking proper steps forward and they’re making a difference,” he said, noting the airport has been a leader in that regard.
“I’ve never seen such a progressive workplace in regards to getting things done, addressing problems and taking action.”
Isfeld said the airport has been doing training with #NotInMyCity for eight years, but felt it could have a larger role.
“We need to have a united front on this and how can we actually move the needle? What can we do to be that transitional piece? How can we ensure we provide this safe space?”
Brandt said there is a need for such spaces — so much so, more are being built.
“In Calgary, at YYC, we started a safe room with the idea that maybe it would be helpful, but maybe this is going to be something that’s more symbolic.
“We’ve used it so much, they’re building a second.”
The airport said Indigenous people are disproportionally targeted by human traffickers and to recognize that, the safe room was named Kîsê Watotâtôwin ᑮᓭ ᐘᑐᑖᑑᐏᐣ and an Indigenous naming ceremony was performed.
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