Four upcoming community town halls in Grey and Bruce Counties will focus on human trafficking.
Alexis Cook, Grey Bruce Community Safety and Well-Being Planning Coordinator, says the sessions were put together in partnership with local police. The town halls will provide information about human trafficking, given by police and people with lived experience.
Cook adds that the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan is a collaborative effort between many community partners and members of the public looking to make the region safer.
"So solving problems before they happen, using research and evidence-based decision making to determine what steps are needed moving forward. Really this all got started as a requirement in the Police Services act back in 2019 that required all municipalities to have a plan," Cook shared.
The four upcoming human trafficking town halls will be held on:
Thursday, October 23, 2025, 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m., 6 Carlisle Street, Southampton
Tuesday, October 28, 2025, 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m., 47 French Bay Road, Saugeen First Nation
Thursday, October 30, 2025, 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m., 1130 8th Street East, Owen Sound
Thursday, November 13, 2025, 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m., 34 Boucher Street East, Meaford
The first town hall in Southampton will also be live-streamed.
Cook adds that a survey was sent out a while ago and the public indicated that human trafficking was a topic of concern.
"One of the priorities indicated was human trafficking. It often goes unnoticed in communities, people don't know what to look for, they don't know how to break down misconceptions. We really just wanna increase public awareness, as well, for the signs of trafficking to help support victims and survivors of human trafficking," added Cook.
At the sessions, attendees will receive a lot of relevant information on human trafficking and its effects locally and around the world.
"So they'll hear directly from speakers with lived experiences. So they'll share their personal stories, as well as insights. We'll have representatives from local police services. So how law enforcement is responding to trafficking in our communities, recognizing signs of human trafficking and how to access support," Cook explained.
Many people still think human trafficking is a big city issue or an issue that isn't prevalent in smaller, more rural regions. But as Cook points out, that simply isn't the case.
"It happens in big cities, small communities, rural communities, it happens all across Canada and the world, as well. So we're doing what we can to connect people to resources, make the general public and community members aware of what's going on and what role they can play in this," Cook concluded.
The town hall sessions are totally free to attend and do not require pre-registration.
Learn more about these and other events by visiting www.greybrucecswbp.ca.
