Edmonton International Airport (YEG) first airport in Canada to sign on to provide translated materials about human trafficking to newcomers to Canada
Action Coalition on Human Trafficking (ACT) Alberta rolls out new translated materials for frontline industries
EDMONTON, AB, July 28, 2023 /CNW/ - Edmonton International Airport (YEG) is the first Canadian airport to sign on to a new initiative led by Action Coalition on Human Trafficking (ACT) Alberta that provides translated materials to Canadian newcomers about their rights in Alberta. This summer, QR code stickers with access to materials in English, French, Spanish, Punjabi, Chinese and Tagalog will be installed in washrooms at YEG. Materials will also be provided to all YEG transportation partners.
YEG is always looking for progressive and innovative ways to increase safety measures for every single person who comes through our airport. As the prevalence of human trafficking in our communities grows, we know that as an international airport, we have an important and unique opportunity to help prevent it."
- Steve Maybee, Vice President Infrastructure, Facilities and Airside Operations, Edmonton International Airport
Since 2021, YEG has partnered with ACT Alberta to provide industry-specific human trafficking awareness training to RCMP, CBSA, Security and leadership staff at the airport. As a continued response to the successful and widely attended "Human Trafficking Airport Training" hosted by YEG, ACT Alberta and YEG are expanding this collaborative learning for new airport staff at all points of contact, as well as annual refresh learnings. To date, almost 2,000 airport workers have gone through the training program.
The expansion of this program includes the rollout of ACT Alberta's newly translated materials, including Temporary Foreign Workers Rights in Alberta, What is Human Trafficking, Have you been Labour Trafficked and Have you been Sex Trafficked.
"We consistently hear from survivors that language is one of the biggest barriers in understanding their rights and knowing if their situation is ok or if there is something off. This partnership with YEG is a monumental step towards allowing individuals access to their rights in Alberta in their own language. Our hopes are that by knowing these rights from the onset, the signs of a trafficking situation will be clearer to potential victims."
- Kate Price, Executive Director of ACT Alberta
The importance of these translated documents for potential victims of human trafficking cannot be understated. Often traffickers will falsify information about what the victims' legal rights are, what is required of them to work in Canada and much more. Knowing that in Canada, all workers are protected by law is of the utmost importance in the fight against human trafficking in our country.
"This is just the start. We hope YEG will be the first in a long list of airports and transportation partners across the country to join this initiative and continue gaining momentum in this very important movement," continues Price. "This work cannot be done by one organization alone, it takes powerful compassion and collaboration to end human trafficking, and we believe by joining forces, that goal is within reach."
Edmonton International Airport (YEG) is a self-funded, not-for-profit corporation driving economic prosperity for the Edmonton Metropolitan Region and beyond. YEG is Canada's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic and the largest major Canadian airport by land area, generating an economic output of over $3.2 billion and supporting over 26,000 jobs pre-pandemic. From sustainability initiatives like Airport City Sustainability Campus to being the first airport in the world to sign The Climate Pledge and the first in Canada to begin regularly scheduled drone delivery operations, YEG is a global leader in the aviation industry. YEG approaches equity, diversity and inclusion by creating an airport for everyone.
For more information, please visit: flyeia.com, follow @flyyeg on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook.
ACT Alberta, the Action Coalition on Human Trafficking, is a provincial charity and non-profit organization that provides front-line services to victims and survivors of both labour and sex trafficking. As one of the oldest anti-trafficking agencies in Canada, we have been steadfast in our vision of an Alberta free of human trafficking. We provide essential services to victims and survivors, empower and mobilize our communities, and partner with allies across the country to raise awareness.
For more information or to stay informed about human trafficking in our province, please visit: actalberta.org or follow us @actalberta on Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook.
SOURCE Edmonton International Airport (YEG)
For further information: Media Contacts: Edmonton International Airport (YEG), Jody Hrabiwchuk, Senior Communications Campaign Advisor, [email protected], 825 975 7336; ACT Alberta, Kate Price, Executive Director, [email protected], 780 499 4121
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