A Peel Region human trafficking victim and survivor service is expanding ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A Peel Region human trafficking victim and survivor service is expanding ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology.
Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. A Peel Region human trafficking victim and survivor service is expanding ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Speaking at a news conference in Mississauga, Ont.
, Monday alongside elected officials, police officers and community organization partners, non-profit Our Place Peel director of strategic partnerships and youth advocacy Dani Mills said there is a heightened risk of human and sex trafficking when major events come to a community.
“We've seen it with FIFA, Super Bowls,” Mills said. “We find that the impact of human trafficking around these major sporting events aren't just the lead up to, but the fallout after. ” The service, entitled nCourage, is an integrated hub built on a trauma-informed approach. According to a news release, nCourage brings together child welfare, community agencies and law enforcement to provide “wraparound supports” for individuals experiencing or at risk of human sex trafficking.
The expansion means Peel Children’s Aid Society will now lead the hub and begin preventative efforts with youth aged 12 to 24. According to a news release, nCourage brings together child welfare, community agencies and law enforcement to provide 'wraparound supports' for individuals experiencing or at risk of human sex trafficking. Peel Regional Police Supt. David Kennedy said the region’s proximity to the airport and major highways makes it a “key corridor” for trafficking activity.
“Human trafficking is one of the most complex and urgent public safety issues that we face in our region,” he said. “It is not always visible but it is happening in our communities, often targeting our most vulnerable. ” Kennedy said many victims are youth, recruited in some cases as young as 11 years old, whose cases often go unreported.
“Policing alone cannot solve human trafficking,” he said. “Enforcement is only one part of the response. ” For the past five years, nCourage has served as a community space where victims and survivors can get trauma therapy, medical support and help with exiting difficult situations safely. The program served more than 510 people impacted by exploitation in 2025, according to Mills.
Toronto will draw thousands of visitors during World Cup but local residents have concerns The program's expansion comes at a timely moment, Mills said, with the FIFA World Cup making its way to Toronto in just one month.
“We will do a series of education and awareness letting people know about nCourage leading up to FIFA,” Mills said. “We're prepared for not only what may come, but where we could see displacement afterwards. ”Survivor and advocate Tímea Nagy shared her story at Monday’s conference. She was trafficked shortly after arriving in Canada 26 years ago.
“I came to Canada thinking that I'd be doing a summer job,” she said. “Within 12 hours, I was transformed into a stripper and a sex worker and I was trafficked for three months. ” Human trafficking survivor and advocate Tímea Nagy shared her story at Monday’s conference. She was trafficked shortly after arriving in Canada 26 years ago.
Nagy said, at the time, there was no word for what had happened to her, no one to help her, no support. But she says she’s happy younger generations of survivors have what they need to get back on their feet.
“It’s unfortunate that we have to have services like this but this is happening,” she said. “We're not going to be able to stop human trafficking, but together we can help people to rebuild their lives so much faster. ” The move comes after Victim Services Toronto expanded its 'Ask for Angela' safety campaign in March, ahead of the World Cup.
The charity announced it had partnered with retail, hospitality, health care, transit, emergency response and tourism organizations to train additional staff and volunteers to provide "direct pathways to crisis support in everyday spaces” across the city. The expansion also comes amid Victims and Survivors of Crime Week, which takes place from May 10 to 16 this year, according to the Government of Canada. Gabriela Silva Ponte has been with CBC Toronto since January 2025.
Currently, she works as a web writer, but has previously taken on a variety of reporting roles in ethnic media newsrooms and at Toronto Metropolitan University. Gabriela graduated from TMU with a Bachelor of Journalism. You can reach her at gabriela.silva.ponte@cbc.ca.
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