Ottawa's international airport is rolling out a new training initiative designed to help staff recognize and report signs of human trafficking, thanks to a fresh partnership between the Ottawa International Airport Authority, the Ottawa Police Service, and the anti-trafficking organization #NotInMyCity.
What the partnership involves
The goal is straightforward but important: equip the people who work at Ottawa's airport — from check-in agents to security staff to cleaning crews — with the tools to identify potential trafficking situations as they unfold. Airports are considered key transit points for traffickers moving victims, which makes frontline staff uniquely positioned to notice red flags that others might miss.
#NotInMyCity, a Canadian organization focused on raising awareness and providing training around human trafficking, is leading the education component of the partnership. Ottawa police are involved to help staff understand how and when to escalate concerns to law enforcement, ensuring that any tips or observations get routed to the right people quickly.
Why this matters for Ottawa
As the nation's capital and a major transportation hub, Ottawa sees a steady flow of travellers moving through its airport every day — making it exactly the kind of high-traffic environment where trafficking can go unnoticed without proper awareness. Advocates say that training everyday staff, not just police, dramatically widens the net for catching warning signs early, whether that's someone travelling with a companion who won't let them speak for themselves, unusual documentation issues, or signs of fear or coercion.
For Ottawa residents, the initiative is a reminder that human trafficking isn't just an issue in far-off places — it happens locally, including through transit hubs many of us pass through regularly. Community partnerships like this one aim to make the city safer by turning ordinary workplaces into places where exploitation is harder to hide.
What's next
The training is expected to roll out to airport staff in the coming months, with #NotInMyCity providing ongoing resources and Ottawa police available to support any reports that come out of it. Organizers hope the program could eventually serve as a model for other Canadian airports looking to strengthen their own anti-trafficking efforts.
Ottawa residents who want to learn more about spotting the signs of human trafficking can look into resources through #NotInMyCity's public awareness campaigns, which are aimed at helping everyday citizens — not just airport or airline staff — recognize when something doesn't look right.
Source: CBC Ottawa
