On November 7, allies of #NotInMyCity gathered at the Communo offices in Calgary to hear about the movement’s progress since its initiation in 2017.
In 16 short months, #NotInMyCity has grown from a campaign to a ground-breaking movement, and the organization has since unveiled four strategic directions, as well as 15 key accomplishments since inception.
#NotInMyCity recently partnered with the Calgary International Airport, and our yellow rose and messaging is now prominent in the terminal, including the electronic screens located at the gates as well as the flight information boards. Yellow rose decals are also displayed in the women’s washrooms, letting prospective victims know that help is available to them here in YYC.
We were on a roll when #NotInMyCity messaging was unveiled in June on 30 Calgary city buses, putting our message in front of thousands of Calgarians on a daily basis.
On June 20, in conjunction with our event at Deane House, the Calgary Tower and Reconciliation Bridge glowed yellow in our honour.
With dedicated work by Bonnie Johnston, barriers and challenges in the system are being identified and addressed, with a vast number of agencies, organizations and services now working collaboratively to help advance the cause.
We are headed into even bigger directions, and #NotInMyCity will soon be taking flight across the country – literally – and we’ll have more to share about that in early 2019.
Many Canadians think that sexual exploitation and trafficking is something that happens “somewhere else”, but it’s happening right here, in our own country and our own backyards.
In fact, 13 suspects were recently arrested following a series of investigations by ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) in conjunction with child luring charges.
A total of 69 charges have been laid, with arrests taking place in Edmonton, St. Albert, Wainwright, Drayton Valley, Fort Saskatchewan, and Barrie, Ont. #NotInMyCity congratulates and supports the collaborative work of all of the law enforcement officials to make our communities safer and protect the children of Alberta. By being vigilant, steadfast, working together, cutting off demand and making it more difficult for criminals to exploit and harm children, we are all moving closer to ending the crime of sex trafficking of children in our province and beyond.
To date, #NotInMyCity has raised $700,000 towards the cause—an incredible feat that would not have been possible without our remarkable group of allies. We have the momentum to make an even bigger impact in the upcoming year, and we hope you’ll be there by our side.
Spread the message of #NotInMyCity in person and social media, and remind people that they are safe wherever they see the yellow rose.
Thank you again to our supporters and our Allies – We couldn’t do it without you.