Alberta
Province setting up Alberta Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons
Fighting human trafficking with community partners
Alberta’s government is partnering with three community organizations and investing $4 million to create the Alberta Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons.
Human trafficking is a serious crime that violates the freedoms and rights of individuals, including children, and attempts to destroy all personal identity and relationships. The three main categories of human trafficking are sex trafficking, labour trafficking and the trafficking of organs. Between 2011 and 2021, more than 3,500 incidents of human trafficking were reported across Canada. Many incidents go unreported, often due to fear among victims and survivors.
To fight against human trafficking, Alberta’s government developed the Alberta Human Trafficking Task Force, which submitted its final report in August of 2021. The report has five primary recommendations for government to assist in combatting human trafficking. The first of these is to create an Alberta Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons, which will facilitate the implementation of the remaining recommendations. Alberta’s government has committed $4 million over two years to make this office a reality.
“We can’t afford to close our eyes to the problem of human trafficking. And we can’t afford to ignore those who are at risk of being trafficked or those who have been trafficked. I’m proud that our government is creating this Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons to keep fighting this scourge on society.”
Operation of the Alberta Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons will be led in partnership by #NotInMyCity, Native Counselling Services of Alberta (NCSA) and REACH Edmonton Council for Safer Communities. Under their leadership, the office is another step closer to connecting survivors and victims of human trafficking to important supports and services.
In addition to the work with victims and survivors, the Alberta Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons will enhance public awareness and establish a more effective data collection process. This data will monitor the effectiveness of service delivery and help close gaps in tracking cross-jurisdictional trafficking incidents.
“The first step to fighting human trafficking is to raise awareness of the issue and its presence right here in Alberta. We are grateful to have strong partnerships with organizations that have proven to be effective in this, along with directly supporting survivors and victims. Every investment made into the combating of human trafficking is helping restore the humanity and freedom that every individual deserves.”
#NotInMyCity is a non-profit organization working to prevent, disrupt and end human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Since 2016, the organization has been building community alliances to spur collective action, always learning from and elevating the voices of victims and survivors. The organization is an important education and awareness resource for affected sectors and all Albertans.
“This milestone wouldn’t be possible without the countless organizations and individuals who shared their experiences and expertise in our journey with Alberta’s Human Trafficking Task Force. Combating human trafficking requires collective action, and we applaud the province for taking a collaborative approach with the community.”
Native Counselling Services of Alberta (NCSA) has operated in the province for more than five decades with a focus on fair and equitable treatment for Indigenous people across Alberta. From supports for family and youth to restorative justice to the active pursuit of reconciliation, the NCSA has had an important and positive impact on supports and assistance for Indigenous people in the province.
“We are advocating for Indigenous people in Alberta and committed to educating others on the important issues of exploitation and human trafficking. Understanding the Indigenous worldview and the resilience of Indigenous individuals, families and communities is a gift of learning. We are here to help and hear the people.”
REACH Edmonton Council for Safer Communities has brought together community members and organizations for more than a decade to address social challenges, advance community safety and build relationships between cultural minority communities and police services. Their experience in engaging and convening diverse community partners to find and fill service gaps will benefit the new office.
“Human trafficking is a complex problem that requires a systems approach to tackle, with multiple partners working in unison and leveraging our collective strengths and expertise. REACH is looking forward to helping build up and operate the new office to help make Alberta a safer place for everyone.”
With community partners now selected, work is underway to set up, organize and staff the office. The office will share updates on the progress of this work in the coming months.
Quick facts
- The task force was part of the Alberta government’s platform commitment to implement a nine-point Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking.
- All nine points of Alberta’s Human Trafficking Action Plan have been implemented, or implementation is ongoing.
- Police services in Canada reported more than 3,500 incidents of human trafficking between 2011 and 2021, with the vast majority of victims (96 per cent) being women and girls, and one-quarter of victims under the age of 18.
- The most overrepresented victim group was Indigenous women and girls.
- Those interested in learning more about human trafficking, how to recognize it and how to help can take #NotInMyCity’s 30-minute online e-learning course Mobilizing Communities to Disrupt Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking in Canada.
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Alberta
Hours after Liberal election win, Alberta Prosperity Project drumming up interest in referendum
News release from the Alberta Prosperity Project
Carney’s In. Now what?You’ve been paying attention. You understand this is really bad. Worse than that, it’s dangerous. The country has somehow chosen several more years of a decade-long Trudeau Travesty…on steroids. Because this new Prime Minister has a three digit IQ, deep and questionable connections and a momentum to accelerate the further dis-integration of a nation we all once proudly belonged to. It’s untrue to say the country is dying. But it’s also not a stretch to say it’s on life support. The era of Carney Carnage is here. While every province will experience it, there’s no secret he’s placed an extra big bulls-eye on Alberta. It’s not personal, it’s financial.His plan includes continuing to limit three of Alberta’s most prosperous sectors: energy, agriculture and, by extension, innovation. To acknowledge this requires we abandon our sense of romanticized national nostalgia. Nostalgia is a trap that prevents us from assessing the reality we exist in. For instance, GDP is considered the financial heartbeat of a country. Over the past decade of Liberal Leadership, the national GDP has been an abysmal 1.1%. By relatable comparison, Mexico was 4%, the UK was 6%, Australia had 8% growth and the US was a whopping 19%. That’s great information for an economist, but what does it mean to your pay cheque? The everyday impact on the average Albertan —say, a teacher or mechanic— of 10 long years of 1% GDP means rent’s up at least 25%, a trip to the grocery store always stings, and driving an older car is the norm because an upgrade is out of reach. Does this sound like your reality? We aren’t starving, but we’re not thriving, either.Does this make sense for 4.5 million people living with the third most abundant energy deposits in the world? There’s an absurdity to the situation Albertans find themselves in. It’s akin to being chronically dehydrated while having a fresh water spring in the backyard. The life you’ve invested for, the future you believed was ahead, isn’t happening. If Alberta stays on this path. So what can you, as an Albertan, do about it? This Fall, we’ll be provided an opportunity. A life raft in the form of a referendum. It requires curiosity, imagination and courage to step into it, but the option will be there — a once in a lifetime shot at prosperity for you and your family: Alberta Sovereignty. A successful bid means Albertans can finally paddle out of the perilous economic current that’s battered us for ten long years. Alberta has the resources, talent and spirit of collaboration to create a prosperous future for our families and communities. |
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WHAT CAN ALBERTANS DO?Register Your Intent To Vote “YES” |
Alberta
New Alberta Election Act bans electronic vote counting machines, lowers threshold for recalls and petitions
Alberta’s government is introducing changes to protect democracy, deliver fair and open elections and increase confidence in every vote cast.
Voting gives Albertans a voice in shaping the future of our province. Direct democracy processes like referendums, recall and citizen initiative petitions provide further opportunities for Albertans to be heard and express their views. The proposed Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2025, would make Alberta’s elections and other democratic processes more open, secure and accessible.
“I believe that democracy thrives when people trust the process. These changes would make elections at every level in Alberta more accessible and transparent while protecting their integrity, ensuring confidence in the outcomes. We are also creating more opportunities for Albertans to be involved in direct democracy and to have their say on issues that matter to them.”
Fair and free elections are the foundation of democracy, and Alberta’s government is taking action to protect them. The proposed changes include:
- Banning the use of electronic tabulators and other automated voting machines, requiring all ballots to be counted by hand to protect election integrity.
- Eliminating vouching at voting stations to strengthen identification and verification processes.
- Requiring unofficial vote counts to be completed within 12 hours of polls closing to provide timely, reliable results.
- Voters being required to cast their ballot in their constituency of residence or by requesting a special ballot.
- Expanding access to special ballots, allowing any voter to request one without needing to provide a reason while protecting integrity by requiring voters to personally request their special ballot (with exceptions for those needing assistance due to a disability).
- Updating the Recall Act to make it easier for Albertans to hold elected officials accountable by lowering the signature threshold and extending the timeframe to collect signatures.
- Improving the Citizen Initiative Act process by setting the threshold for all successful petitions at 10 per cent of eligible voters who participated in the last general election.
“Albertans rightly expect their government to make sure democratic processes are fair and transparent with accurate and timely results. These proposed amendments would deliver on my mandate to review and make changes to strengthen public trust in the integrity of our elections.”
Additional amendments under the Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 would:
- Allow corporate and union contributions for provincial elections while maintaining transparency and accountability through existing financial disclosure requirements.
- Improve access to voting for First Nations and Métis Settlements during referendums and Senate elections.
- Enhance emergency response provisions for voting disruptions during referendums and Senate elections.
These changes would help ensure that Alberta’s democratic processes are open, secure, and reflective of the will of Albertans, while creating new opportunities for greater public participation.
Quick facts
- The Election Act governs the process for provincial elections, by-elections and plebiscites in Alberta and creates the office of the chief electoral officer, the head of Elections Alberta.
- The Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act governs the financing of provincial elections, Senate elections and referendums, including rules for registered political parties, constituency associations, candidates, leadership contestants and third parties.
- The Alberta Senate Election Act governs the process for Senate elections in Alberta.
- The Referendum Act governs the process for referendums in Alberta.
- The Recall Act outlines the process for Albertans to initiate the recall of an elected MLA.
- The Citizen Initiative Act allows eligible voters in Alberta to propose legislative or policy initiatives, constitutional referendum questions and establishes rules for advertising and spending.
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