City Council heard a presentation on human trafficking concerns in Prince Albert during Monday’s executive committee meeting. The presentation was delivered by Alicia McMillan, representing the Prince Albert Police Service Women’s Commission.
Inspector in charge of Support Services for the Prince Albert Police Service, Craig Mushka, joined during the discussion to provide additional context from an investigative perspective.
McMillan explained that human trafficking does not always involve movement across borders or abducting someone from one location to another. She told the council that trafficking often involves coercion, manipulation, or control, with individuals being exploited by people they know rather than strangers.
“It’s not just a foreign problem. It’s happening right now in communities across Canada,” McMillan said. “Most victims are exploited by people they know and not strangers in vans.”
She said individuals who are trafficked may not identify themselves as victims because the relationship with the trafficker may begin with trust-building or support. They can include offering housing, friendship, financial help, or emotional attachment before the situation turns exploitative. McMillan noted that factors such as poverty, unstable housing, trauma, and addiction can increase vulnerability to exploitation.
Indigenous women and girls are affected at higher rates than other groups, McMillan told Council. She said this is reflected in national and provincial data and is also seen by local agencies that work with people experiencing exploitation.
She noted that recruitment often begins online. Traffickers may make contact through social media, build trust through conversations, and then gradually introduce control. McMillan said this can make trafficking difficult for families to recognize early.
Council discussion focused on the importance of public awareness and ensuring that information about trafficking is accurate and accessible. McMillan told Council that education remains the most immediate step that community partners can take.
“I think it would be education,” she said. “There’s a misconception of what human trafficking is and what it looks like, and we don’t realize that it happens a lot more commonly every day.”
The presentation outlined signs that someone may be at risk, including sudden withdrawal from family or school, unexplained gifts, older partners, or becoming isolated from friends and supports.
Inspector Mushka said human trafficking investigations are complex and require sensitive, long-term approaches. He noted that individuals who are being trafficked may hesitate to come forward due to fear, dependency, or mistrust of institutions.
“These are challenging and very complex investigations,” Mushka said. “The goal for any human trafficking investigation is the safety of the girl, and often it’s really complex and challenging to get that individual to come forward.”
The delegation requested the City’s support in raising awareness, including access to the digital billboard along 15th Street for educational messaging. They also proposed collaboration with the Community Safety and Well-Being team and support for a website developed with mobile crisis that would provide locally relevant information and resources.
Council voted unanimously to refer the request to the Director of Community Development for review. Councillors expressed support for working alongside local agencies and community organizations to help improve awareness and ensure resources are visible and accessible.
