The Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre (KSAC) has announced it is shutting down its sex trafficking response program after five years following a decision by the federal government not to renew funding through Public Safety Canada.
KSAC is urging Public Safety Canada to reconsider the decision, and is also calling on all federal leaders to demonstrate their commitment to addressing sexual violence and human trafficking by ensuring continued funding for frontline, survivor-focused services.
“For the past five years, this program has provided essential support to individuals in our community working to escape situations of sex trafficking, heal from trauma, and begin rebuilding their lives,” says Jordanne McLaren, KSAC’s manager of client services and the human trafficking response team, in a media release.
“The reality is that the need for these services has not disappeared,” McLaren adds. “When funding for anti-trafficking programs is withdrawn, exploitation does not stop; it simply leaves survivors with fewer supports and fewer pathways to safety.”
According to KSAC, in 2025 alone, the program provided specialized support to over 75 individuals experiencing sex trafficking and sexual exploitation across the region, including those currently entrenched, those who have recently exited, and those navigating longer-term recovery.
KSAC says the sex trafficking response program has supported survivors through complex and often life-threatening circumstances by providing trauma-informed advocacy, safety planning, system navigation, and collaboration with community partners.
“At a time when governments across Canada are publicly acknowledging the seriousness of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, the loss of funding for frontline services is deeply concerning,” states the media release.
“Without sustained investment through programs such as those funded by Public Safety Canada, communities are left with fewer tools to respond to exploitation and fewer supports for survivors trying to rebuild their lives.”
KSAC adds that the federal government’s decision not to renew funding “will have real and immediate consequences for vulnerable people in our community.”
“Survivors of sex trafficking require specialized, trauma-informed support, and programs like this exist because the need is real and ongoing,” the release states. “It is important for our community to understand that this program is ending not because the need has disappeared, but because the federal funding supporting it has not been renewed.”
KSAC offers free and confidential support services to people affected by sexual violence across Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, and Northumberland, including crisis support, advocacy, counselling, group programming, and prevention education.
“KSAC remains incredibly proud of the work accomplished by our team over the past five years and of the courage shown by the survivors we have had the privilege to support. While KSAC will continue to provide our core sexual violence services, the closure of this program represents a significant loss for our region.”
