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The human trafficking charges recently laid against two men connected to a trucking company near Edenwold are drawing attention to a form of exploitation advocates say is far more common than many Canadians realize.
While the allegations in the case have not been proven in court, experts say the investigation highlights a broader issue affecting workers across Saskatchewan and Canada.
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“It’s not just happening in the cities, it’s happening in small towns around Saskatchewan as well,” said Sgt. Kelly Plamondon of Saskatchewan RCMP’s Human Trafficking and Counter Exploitation Team.
The comments come after RCMP announced charges against the two men.
Human trafficking is often associated with sexual exploitation, but investigators and advocates say labour trafficking remains a significant and frequently misunderstood problem.
“The exploitation is definitely not just sexual,” Plamondon said.
She said labour trafficking investigations often involve allegations of withheld wages, debt bondage, threats, document control and workers being afraid to leave an employer.
“Do they have their documents, do they have their passport, their work permits, are they free to come and go as they please, are they required to work really long hours for little to no pay?” Plamondon said when describing some of the warning signs investigators look for.
Plamondon said both labour trafficking and sex trafficking remain heavily underreported.
Asked whether Saskatchewan is seeing more trafficking or simply hearing about more cases, she said both factors are likely at play.
“I would say both,” Plamondon said.
“I think there are more people in situations where they’re more easily exploited into the trafficking realm and more vulnerable when they come to Canada, but I think also we’re hearing about it more.”
Julia Drydyk, executive director of the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking, said the cases reaching police and support agencies likely represent only a fraction of what is actually happening.
“It happens way more often than people think, or would like to think,” Drydyk said.
The organization operates the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline, a national 24-hour service that connects victims and concerned community members with support and resources.
According to Drydyk, the organization has seen a significant increase in labour trafficking reports since beginning direct outreach to migrant worker communities in 2022.
“Since then we’ve seen a 317 per cent increase in the number of labour trafficking cases specifically that we’ve identified on the hotline,” she said.
“We believe the numbers to be a lot bigger and far more widespread than any of us would like to acknowledge.”
Drydyk said many victims are temporary foreign workers who arrive in Canada looking for economic opportunities but become vulnerable because of their immigration status, debt or lack of familiarity with Canadian laws.
“Sometimes what labour traffickers are doing is they’re taking advantage of good people looking to try and pursue the Canadian dream,” she said.
“They’re looking for opportunities to better their lives, to send money back home, maybe even access permanent residency or citizenship at some point.”
She said one of the biggest warning signs is when workers are told they must repay employers for the costs of bringing them to Canada.
“If anyone’s telling you that you need to pay back your employer for any of the costs of you being there, that in and of itself is illegal,” Drydyk said.
RCMP say labour trafficking investigations are most commonly seen in industries including trucking, service work and cleaning.
In response to growing concerns, the Saskatchewan Trucking Association recently partnered with Crime Stoppers and Aero Delivery to launch its “See Something, Say Something” campaign.
“The trucking industry travels every highway and into every community in this province,” said Susan Ewart, executive director of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association, in a statement.
“Our members are in a unique position to help raise awareness and be part of the solution. This campaign reinforces our commitment to safety, professionalism, and accountability.”
The campaign encourages truck drivers and members of the public to report potential signs of human or labour trafficking, including workers who appear controlled by another person, have no access to identification documents, work excessive hours or are isolated from friends, family or their community.
Both Drydyk and Plamondon said community awareness remains one of the most important tools in identifying potential victims.
“If there’s something that’s not right or something that people question, bring it forward,” Plamondon said. “Please reach out.”
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