Human trafficking survivors share their stories with students in North Bay

Two human trafficking survivors are sharing their stories with high school students in North Bay to educate them about the signs of and misconceptions about human trafficking and the support systems available to get people out of the sex trade.

This comes at a time when Statistics Canada is reporting that human trafficking has been rising in the last decade.

Human trafficking can take many forms, including sexual exploitation or forced labour, and anyone can be trafficked.

It involves recruiting, transporting and harbouring of an individual using force, fraud and manipulation. It starts as a relationship and often the victim and trafficker are the same age. However, each case of human trafficking is unique.

Karly Church and Jasime De Fina are human trafficking survivors who spoke to Chippewa Secondary School students Wednesday afternoon.

Growing up with a troubled childhood and feeling insecure in a small northern Ontario town of 1,500, Church moved to North Bay where she fell deep into drug addiction. She began trading sex for drugs.

She tried to get clean at a Toronto detox centre but was kicked out along with another woman. Church recalled only having a backpack with one change of clothes.

The other woman told her of a place where they could get drugs. It turned out it was a trap house where drug dealers came and went, and for two days she exchanged sex for drugs.

Then two men arrived. Church described them as being different from everyone else. One came over to her and began to exploit her vulnerabilities. He told her she was "beautiful."

Growing up with a troubled childhood and feeling insecure in a small northern Ontario town of 1,500, Karly Church moved to North Bay where she fell deep into drug addiction. She ended up being trafficked in Toronto. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)

Church told the students that no one had been that nice to her in such a long time, so she was quickly hooked. He asked her about her life, family, friends and her hopes and dreams.

He started taking care of her, giving her food, drugs and a place to stay.

"I didn’t even know I was being trafficked when it happened," Church told reporters.

"I thought human trafficking had to look like it does in the movies. I thought I had to be kidnapped, I had to be locked away and I had to be moved to another country."

The man took total control of her and took photos of her. She recalled hating every minute of it but couldn’t get out.

Help arrived after police were tipped off about what was happening.

A police detective arrived at her hotel room and the two men were arrested. One of them took a plea deal and the other was in a court case for two years.

Both men were not found guilty of human trafficking offences but convicted of lesser charges.

'Everything happens for a reason'

"If I could go back in time and this never happened to me, then I would jump in that time travelling ship and go back and not have to go through what I went through," Church said.

"Everything happens for a reason and that is my purpose. I am here to be able to hopefully share really important information and knowledge with our young people."

Statistics Canada says more than half of human trafficking incidents remain unsolved. From 2013 to 2023, more than 4,500 incidents of human trafficking were reported by police services in the country.

Church said two-thirds of all human trafficking cases in Canada happen in Ontario.

"This is happening in every single community across our country," she said. "Ontario is actually a hub."

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In this day and age, human trafficking is becoming more prevalent on social media, where traffickers can easily lure and groom victims online.

Human trafficking survivor Jasime De Fina told students to be wary of how they use social media. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)

Survivor Jasmine De Fina strongly urges young people to be wary of how they use social media.

"Just like you have to prepare to drive a car, once you’re having access to the whole world online and the whole world having access to you, you need to equip yourself and be prepared with safety measures," De Fina said.

Since 2013, nearly four in 10 human trafficking cases reported to police resulted in the laying or recommendation of charges. As of Nov. 21, North Bay police have laid 19 human trafficking charges.

"We’re kind of a honey hole here in North Bay being on the Trans-Canada Highway not too far from Toronto or Ottawa," said North Bay police Const. Russ Moyer.

"We do have a significant vulnerable population in North Bay."

The vast majority (84 per cent) of adult criminal court human trafficking cases ended in either a stay of charges, a withdrawal, a dismissal or a discharge since 2012-13.

For survivors and victims, the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline is a confidential, multilingual service, operating 24/7 to connect victims and survivors with social services, law enforcement, and emergency services, as well as receive tips from the public.

For help, call 1-833-900-1010.