(Above) Marian De Martino, director, anti-human trafficking at Illuminate; Andrew Hannan, regional director, Pacific region, PS; The Hon. Marco Mendicino, minister of public safety; Lt-Col Jamie Braund, divisional commander, The Salvation Army B.C Division.

To mark International Women’s Day, the Honourable Marco Mendicino, Canadian minister of public safety, met with The Salvation Army’s British Columbia Division to announce a grant of $850,000, which will support the Army’s Propel Development Program for Survivors of Human Trafficking, a project that empowers survivors of human trafficking to reclaim their independence.

“The work that organizations like the Salvation Army are doing has never been more critical,” says Mendicino. “Through projects like this one, we are working together to build a safer and more inclusive Canada, free from exploitation and violence.”

The Propel Program offers support to survivors of human trafficking through two specialized streams. The first stream provides subsidized housing for survivors of labour and/or sexual trafficking who are in need of interim housing to support their transition to independent living. The second stream supports a development centre for survivors of human trafficking aged 16 and older, to access specialized training and education.

Survivors are further supported in their transition through access to job prospects, volunteering, cultural connections, Indigenous mentorship and the chance to establish long-term community ties.

“Human trafficking sounds like a faraway problem that couldn’t happen in Canada. The reality is, it’s happening in our own backyard at alarming rates, affecting thousands of Canadians each year,” says Marian De Martino, director of anti-human trafficking programs at The Salvation Army’s Belkin House. “This funding and the Propel Program stand for Canada’s commitment to support those affected by human trafficking for long lasting change. This is an investment of hope, a resolute belief in resilience, and a declaration to raise the dignity of vulnerable people. Together in support, we boldly stand alongside survivors to end human trafficking in Canada.”