MANITOBA MP Joy Smith paid a recent visit to the North Shore in an effort to raise awareness of human trafficking in Canada.
The federal government representative for Kildonan-St. Paul has been recognized as one of Canada's leading anti-trafficking activists and is the founder of the Joy Smith Foundation, which works to ensure that all Canadians are safe from manipulation, force, or abuse of power, designed to lure and exploit them into the sex trade or forced labour. According to a written statement, Smith visited the Lower Mainland May 10-14 and met with a number of church, non-profit, charity and community leaders, as well as educators and law enforcement officials, sharing her concern for the rise in human trafficking in their communities and across Canada. Her goal was to raise awareness of human trafficking as well as support for the nongovernmental organizations working in the area.
On the North Shore, Smith joined representatives of 17 other charities working to end human trafficking in Canada and abroad at the second annual Half the Sky Day at Park Royal organized by a West Vancouver book club (halfthesky.ca). Two BC Lions CFL football players, Angus Reid and Dean Valli, were also in attendance, as part of the Ending Violence Association of B.C.'s Be More Than A Bystander campaign. Smith also addressed a group of grade 9-12 students at Sutherland secondary, leading a discussion of the importance of being aware of predators on the North Shore and in the Vancouver area. As part of her trip, Smith presented a cheque for more than $5,000 from her foundation to the Salvation Army B.C. in support of its safe house program, which provides shelter, protection and clothing to victims and survivors of human trafficking.
Info: joysmithfoundation.com.
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Wai Young, MP for Vancouver South (on behalf of Keith Ashfield, minister of fisheries and oceans and minister responsible for the Atlantic Gateway), presented North Vancouver's Art Childs with a 2012 Small Craft Harbours Prix d'Excellence Award for National Individual Commitment June 21 at Vancouver's Fisheries and Oceans Canada regional headquarters.
According to a press release, the award honours Childs' devotion to the success of the False Creek Harbour and active role in the Harbour Authority Association of B.C.
From 2005 to 2012, Childs was manager of the False Creek Harbour Authority. He was involved in the initiation and management of the Spotted Prawn Festival at False Creek, an annual event that attracts thousands of visitors to the harbour and promotes the local commercial fishing industry. During that period, he also assisted other harbour authorities with their projects.
From 2009 to 2012, as president of the Harbour Authority Association of B.C., Childs implemented a number of harbour authority support activities, including training and increasing communications among harbour authorities in the province. Childs also served on the board of the Pacific Coast Congress of Harbour Masters and Port Managers Inc., according to the statement.
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