Page 12 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 135

12 Issue #135 April 2024 www.sportsenergynews.com

We’re Open... and can’t wait to see you send

MOM

Love...
o
Tuesday to Friday 10:00 – 5:00 • Sat 10 – 4 “pride in every petal” L v e ...
for over 25 Years
6 Second Street East, Cornwall 1325 Pitt Street, Cornwall
613-932-4022 1-888-852-2492 • 613-933-9439 Order Online
www.pommierjewellers.com www.flowerscornwall.com Robert Martin • Chantal Martin

Area Sex Trafficking Exposed

By Casey Leger generally convivial relationship with
vibrant Indigenous communities.
here’s an unsavory underside It is a haven for immigrants from
Tto every community; the across the world.
Seaway City and area is certainly no Most locals are, at least peripherally,
exception. In fact, the seedy side of aware of Cornwall’s dark side and
Cornwall and its environs just might its history. Smuggling—cigarettes,
be deeper and darker than a lot of booze, drugs, weapons, and people—
municipalities of comparable size has occasionally put Cornwall in the
and demographic composition. international limelight. Longtime
Cornwall’s location along the residents will certainly remember
401—the Quebec City to Windsor Mayor Ron and his metaphorical
Corridor—makes it a convenient stop wild west campaign to clean up the
for those travelling across Ontario city. In any case, Cornwall and areas
and La Belle Province. The fact that dark side has been a lot quieter in
the city is mere moments from the recent years, despite an occasional
border crossing into New York state jump back into the headlines for
and from the sprawling Mohawk spectacular instances of criminal
Nation at Akwesasne (itself straddling shenanigans.
the international border and a few On the whole, it’s pretty
provincial and state boundaries), and easy to forget, or to ignore, the
the fact that Cornwall is roughly an ‘distasteful’ or ‘unpleasant’ aspects
hour’s travel from both Ottawa and of any community, including its
Montreal, makes the city an obvious underworld: Cornwall and area is Pat Dussault Photo Submitted
and potential hub for commercial no exception. Sometimes, however,
activity, both legal and not-so-legal. people espouse a cause that, for often forgotten people in Canada. women are of colour. *
According to Dussault, these stats
Today, Cornwall is a fantastic whatever reason, becomes a passion Meanwhile, did you know… don’t tell the whole story. “The
place to live. It’s generally quiet and a vocation. Pat Dussault is such 50% of trafficked girls and 51% of female First Nations population
(some would argue too quiet), its a person: he is working to expose trafficked women are Indigenous. * is 4% in Canada, and they are
location (again) along the mighty the grim truth about sex trafficking Most girls are first trafficked at age overrepresented at 50 to 51% of
Saint Lawrence River offers in both Eastern Ontario, and in a 14. * those trafficked,” he clarifies. “And
attractive amenities that make it the broader context. the average age of recruited girls is
envy of many municipalities. It has Over the next few months, Sports Most trafficked and sexually now 13, thanks in large part to social
quality schools and boasts a college Energy will be publishing articles exploited women are aged 18 – 25 media and COVID.”
campus. Its property values are about sex trafficking in Cornwall and years. * *Source: “NO MORE” Ending
generally reasonable, or at least they Eastern Ontario. Pat Dussault will 51% of trafficked girls were or had Sex-Trafficking in Canada Report
were pre COVID. It has a diverse be talking about the realities of this been involved with the child welfare of the National Task Force on Sex
population that includes a strong exploitation and its consequences system. * Trafficking of Women and Girls in
Franco-Ontarian contingent, and a for some of the most vulnerable and 17% of girls and 42% of trafficked Canada, 2014