There’s a misunderstanding that human trafficking doesn’t happen in smaller communities, that it’s something that occurs in faraway places or big cities. But for Downtown Prince George (DPG), educating the community about the realities of trafficking in Canada sparked a powerful shift from new awareness to confident action. Since partnering with #NotInMyCity in June 2025, DPG has become a growing voice for prevention, education, and community responsibility.
From Awareness to Action: How a Partnership Began
The journey began with Chrisie Berry, Executive Director of Downtown Prince George. She became aware of the work #NotInMyCity was doing with airport partners across the country through her previous role at Prince George Airport Authority, where she helped onboard an awareness program.
When Chrisie started a new role with DPG in the spring of 2025, she began conversations with #NotInMyCity to explore how DPG could also become a partner in spreading awareness and educating the public.
Located in the heart of northern British Columbia, Prince George is a hub city. People travel in from surrounding smaller communities seeking services for mental health, addiction, and housing, resources that are not always available where they live.
“We see a lot of vulnerability every day,” Chrisie explains. “Homelessness, addiction, and instability are visible downtown. Human trafficking isn’t technically part of our mandate, but advocating for public safety is.”
Understanding how exploitation connects to addiction, housing insecurity, and isolation motivated Chrisie to act. She completed #NotInMyCity’s online e-learning course to educate herself in July of 2024 and then encouraged her new DPG staff to do the same in summer of 2025. From there, she expanded the invitation to the business community.
Mobilizing the Community
DPG began sharing a call to action in their monthly business newsletter, encouraging local businesses to complete the #NotInMyCity training and once complete, display #NotInMyCity’s yellow rose decals in their windows as a sign of commitment. Six local businesses signed on immediately, from the local flower shop to the board game store to the vintage shop.
Chrisie also reached out to two local social service agencies, recognizing that their staff worked directly with high-risk populations. She brought #NotInMyCity resources into meetings with community leaders, even getting an MLA and Tourism Prince George on board with her mission.
Making a Personal Impact
At DPG’s signature events, including SummerFest, #NotInMyCity materials and swag were offered to attendees to spark conversations. The positive response was overwhelming. One young woman approached the booth and shared that she had been trafficked as a teenager. She said how grateful she was to see people finally talking about it.
“That moment stayed with me,” Chrisie says. “It’s a powerful reminder that this work affects real lives and real people.”
Fostering a Culture of Courage
DPG’s partnership with #NotInMyCity focuses on awareness, but also encourages people to speak up when something feels off. In October 2025, following the community’s “Safe Streets” rally—a non-political event organized with the Chamber of Commerce to address rising concerns around crime and safety—Chrisie received a call from a concerned resident.
The woman described a troubling situation in her apartment building that had been ongoing since 2018, involving a man who appeared to be bringing vulnerable women in and out. She would occasionally hear yelling and crying, and she knew drugs were involved. Trusting her instincts, Chrisie reported the concern to the RCMP with the permission of the resident.
“A large part of the message we’re sharing is that it’s okay to speak up,” she explains. “Better to say something and be wrong than to stay silent and miss a chance to potentially save a life.”
Since launching the partnership, DPG community members have already begun retroactively reporting situations they didn’t realize were suspicious until they learned more about what human trafficking can look like in real life.
Building a Safer Community Together
The response to the partnership has been overwhelmingly positive. Looking ahead, Chrisie hopes to see even more businesses come on board and for the work to continue expanding through collaboration with the City of Prince George, which has now signed on to BC’s Human Trafficking Prevention Network.
Prince George has a long history of rallying together in times of need, and this movement is no different.
“This is about protecting people,” Chrisie says. “It’s about making our city safer, and reminding everyone that human trafficking is something we all have a role in preventing.”
The partnership between Downtown Prince George and #NotInMyCity shows what’s possible when education meets action. By taking a stand, DPG is saying not here, not anywhere, #NotInMyCity. To learn more about human trafficking and how you can educate yourself, visit notinmycity.ca/learn/.
To learn more about how you can be an ally, and to stay tuned for future fundraising events, follow #NotInMyCity on Instagram or Facebook!
