Edmonton International Airport (YEG) first airport in Canada to sign on to provide translated materials about human trafficking to newcomers to Canada

Action Coalition on Human Trafficking (ACT) Alberta rolls out new translated materials for frontline industries

Edmonton International Airport (YEG) is the first Canadian airport to sign on to a new initiative led by Action Coalition on Human Trafficking (ACT) Alberta that provides translated materials to Canadian newcomers about their rights in Alberta. This summer, QR code stickers with access to materials in English, French, Spanish, Punjabi, Chinese and Tagalog will be installed in washrooms at YEG. Materials will also be provided to all YEG transportation partners.

YEG is always looking for progressive and innovative ways to increase safety measures for every single person who comes through our airport. As the prevalence of human trafficking in our communities grows, we know that as an international airport, we have an important and unique opportunity to help prevent it.”

—  Steve Maybee, Vice President Infrastructure, Facilities and Airside Operations, Edmonton International Airport

Since 2021, YEG has partnered with ACT Alberta to provide industry-specific human trafficking awareness training to RCMP, CBSA, Security and leadership staff at the airport. As a continued response to the successful and widely attended “Human Trafficking Airport Training” hosted by YEG, ACT Alberta and YEG are expanding this collaborative learning for new airport staff at all points of contact, as well as annual refresh learnings. To date, almost 2,000 airport workers have gone through the training program.

The expansion of this program includes the rollout of ACT Alberta’s newly translated materials, including Temporary Foreign Workers Rights in Alberta, What is Human Trafficking, Have you been Labour Trafficked and Have you been Sex Trafficked.

“We consistently hear from survivors that language is one of the biggest barriers in understanding their rights and knowing if their situation is ok or if there is something off. This partnership with YEG is a monumental step towards allowing individuals access to their rights in Alberta in their own language. Our hopes are that by knowing these rights from the onset, the signs of a trafficking situation will be clearer to potential victims.”

—  Kate Price, Executive Director of ACT Alberta

The importance of these translated documents for potential victims of human trafficking cannot be understated. Often traffickers will falsify information about what the victims’ legal rights are, what is required of them to work in Canada and much more. Knowing that in Canada, all workers are protected by law is of the utmost importance in the fight against human trafficking in our country.

“This is just the start. We hope YEG will be the first in a long list of airports and transportation partners across the country to join this initiative and continue gaining momentum in this very important movement,” continues Price. “This work cannot be done by one organization alone, it takes powerful compassion and collaboration to end human trafficking, and we believe by joining forces, that goal is within reach.”