N.S., Ontario had highest rates of human trafficking in 2024: StatsCan
CBC
Nova Scotia and Ontario had the highest rates of police-reported human trafficking per capita last year, according to a new report from Statistics Canada.
In Ontario, the cities of Guelph and Thunder Bay had the highest rates of human trafficking reported to police in 2024.
Guelph police recorded 11 incidents per 100,000 people, followed by Halifax at 7.5 and then Thunder Bay with 6.1.
These all significantly exceeded the overall rate for census metropolitan areas, which was 1.6 incidents per 100,000 in 2024.
Among the provinces, Nova Scotia recorded the highest rate of incidents in 2024, with 4.5 per 100,000 people, exceeding the national rate of 1.5.
Four other provinces also exceeded the national rate, including Ontario (2.3), Prince Edward Island (2.8), New Brunswick (2.0) and Saskatchewan (1.9).
Danielle Sutton-Preddie, an analyst with the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics who authored the report, said the data was collected from police forces, which doesn't reflect the true number of human trafficking cases in Canada.
“Human trafficking is often hidden and victims may be reluctant to come forward,” said Sutton-Preddie.
She said even in cases that are reported to police, there may be some undercounting due to differences in how police detachments report that data.
Sutton-Preddie said the exact number of victims and accused traffickers is tricky to pinpoint, since there are instances where people function as both.
The report says accused traffickers “may have once been victims themselves, could remain under the control of traffickers, and may have limited roles in the enterprise,” such as in recruiting more victims.
Sutton-Preddie said the 2024 numbers are still subject to changes as many police investigations on this are still ongoing.
The report, which cites a study by the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking, attributes Ontario's high figures to its large population and the presence of several major transit points, including multiple border crossings, Highway 401 and airports.
As for Nova Scotia, the report says the province's high rate can be attributed to its coastal location and the fact that it "serves as a key node in a human trafficking corridor that facilitates the movement of victims.”
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