TheBulletin.ca Journal of Downtown Toronto
Federal and local politicians, minister of immigration, notable Canadian celebrities and over 400 people from all over Canada and the U.S. joined one of Canada’s leading anti-slavery advocacy groups, [free-them] for their annual four-kilometre Freedom Walk. Grown from an initiative of 15 people to over 500 walkers (including children, seniors and babies), this year’s walk brought hundreds to raise awareness about human trafficking in Canada. The walk took place Saturday with the Royal York serving as a staging groun.
“[free-them] has consistently stood with me in the fight against sexual exploitation and sex trafficking across Canada. While we have accomplished many important steps forward, there is much work that remains to be done,” says MP Joy Smith. “The great challenge facing Canada today, as we fight to end modern day slavery, is the demand for prostituted women and girls. As a country that has a proud history of defending freedom and human rights, it is imperative that we confront an industry that directly attacks the fundamental freedoms of women, girls, and vulnerable populations. We must criminalize the demand for commercial sex, provide meaningful resources for survivors to rebuild their lives, and make sex trafficking investigations a national priority. By working together with organizations like [free-them], Walk With Me, and police officers across Canada, I am confident we can end sex trafficking.”
Participants in the walk included:
- Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Chris Alexander
- Member of Parliament, Joy Smith
- Member of Parliament, Terence Young
- Toronto City Councilor Ward 33, Shelley Carroll
- Lepa Jankovic, RCMP Constable
- Sex Trafficking Survivor, Timea Nagy
- Sex Trade Survivor, Katarina MacLeod
- Director of Trade of Innocence, Christopher Bessette
- [free-them] founder, Shae Invidiata
- R&B Singer and Producer, Jarvis Church
- Rapper and Producer, Kardinal Offishall
- Veronica Chail, OMNI Television
- Karen Johnson, Media Personality
- Kate Moore, Producer at Cityline
- Other Notable Canadian celebrities
“It’s important for us to have a wide spectrum of industries involved in the fight against human trafficking”, comments Shae Invidiata, founder, [free-them]. “The average age of entry in Canada is just thirteen years old, which means that to get an average that low, you need to have many kids under the age of thirteen who are being forced into a life of exploitation- children aged nine, ten and eleven years old right here in Canada. We need to teach Canadians that human trafficking exists and having influential people from a variety. The [free-them] Freedom Walk provides this opportunity for participants.”
As the presenting sponsor for the fourth annual Freedom Walk, Royal York played a key role by providing a home base for the walks’ participants, (often called Freedom Fighters). Participants will start the motivating morning on the convention floor of the hotel with an honorary ceremony, performances and keynote addresses from some of Canada’s leading voices and change makers in the fight against human trafficking. The walk ended on the steps of City Hall.
The 4th Annual Freedom Walk is hosted by OMNI Television’s Veronica Chail.
Last year’s walk raised $30,000 dollars for victims of human trafficking in Canada and was featured on major news programs across the country.
