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Thursday, January 7, 2016 - The IFP - H alton H ills - w w w .theifp.ca Page 11 COUPON BOOK REDPLUM ® IS NOTDISTRIBUTED IN ALLAREASLOOK FOR IT INSIDE Ugly Kitchen or Bath? Refinishing Saves youTime and Money! In addition to countertop and cupboards... bathtub and tile refinishing can also extend the life of your existing fixtures! Miracle Method of Brampton has a solution to help update your kitchen or bathroom without the high cost of renovation! "Why renovate when you can refinish, in just a few days?", says Bruce Edgar, owner. Not only is refinishing fast, but you'll save up to 50-75% over the cost of replacement. Since surface refinishing doesn't require weeks of messy construction, in just 2-3 days, your kitchen and bathrooms will be beautiful again. "Our customers can save thousands of dollars and the results are beautiful! We can create an updated new look over your existing surfaces using our Natural Accent® finishes", continues Bruce. Natural Accents® are available in a wide array of colours and can be applied on laminate, tile, fibreglass, acrylic, Corian® and cultured marble surfaces. Miracle Method can give you a high-end look without the high-end cost. "Kitchen counter tops are the new WOW factor for homeowners," continues Bruce. "We also spray and refinish cupboard doors and bases and the transformation is simply amazing! We use an HVLP spray system, NOT a paintbrush, and the topcoat lacquer is the same that kitchen cabinet manufacturers use." Compare refinishing to the cost of replacing or re-facing and you'll see that you can save money. Miracle Method is the largest surface refinishing company in North America & provides residential and commercial services. "As a company, we fix problems at hotels, schools, senior care centres, apartment complexes, universities, colleges and more. We are always ready to help!" Be inspired by the amazing transformations in our photo gallery and explore all the services we have to offer by going to our local website at: miraclemethod.com/brampton VISIT OUR SHOWROOM 247 Armstrong Avenue #10 Georgetown, ON L7G 4X6 Monday-Friday, 9:00-5:00 For a free estimate call: 905-494-1915 MiracleMethod.com/brampton Each franchise is independently owned and operated *cannot be combined with any other offer/discount. valid only at menchie's georgetown, 158 guelph st., (across from CTK). one coupon per transaction. expires Jan. 31, 2016 *$5 minimum purchase. A 2014 RCMP report found 93 per cent of sex trafficking victims in this country are Canadian. Dick believes education is the most important tool to fight hu- man trafficking-- even before en- forcement. That's educating teens, teachers, parents, social workers, medical professionals, even hotel staff to recognize the signs. The unit has also focused on training its own front line officers to be on the lookout for possible human trafficking victims. The strong belief that education is the most powerful tool to fight human trafficking is echoed by Joy Smith, former member of Parlia- ment and founder of the Joy Smith Foundation, which focuses on funding front-line organizations and education around human traf- ficking. The foundation just launched a public awareness campaign video called #ShesNotForSale. It shows a man walking down a hallway in a seedy building. "Thailand?" flashes across the screen. Then "Russia? Malaysia? India?" and so on. The man arrives at a door and finds a young girl sitting on the bed and approaches. Then "Canada." The video is meant to drive home the fact that most sex traf- ficking victims in Canada are Ca- nadian girls. "It's happening in every com- munity in our country and people are not talking about it," Smith says. Jessica Pennock was born in B.C. and then moved with her up- per-middle class family to Winni- peg when she was 10. She was bul- lied and felt alone, so she started to hang out at a recreation centre. There she says she was tricked into trying crack cocaine, became addicted and moved in with who she thought was her boyfriend. At just 15 he started selling her for sex. She never saw any money. "He was a master manipulator," Pennock says. She was then trafficking in To- ronto, sold from one predator to another. Pennock says she felt hopeless and too afraid to go to police, so she jumped off a bridge. She didn't die, but broke her back. But it was only later when she became preg- nant that she sought help. Now Pennock, who is in her sec- ond year of college, says she feels compelled to share her story and raise awareness about the issue, in- cluding promoting #ShesNotFor- Sale and the Joy Smith Foundation. "Education is the greatest weap- on," she says, adding that had she known what was happening to her she may have been able to stop it. Pennock and Smith warn par- ents and others to be on the look- out for young girls who suddenly start getting lavish gifts or clothes, but can't explain where they're coming from, girls who run away or those who suddenly have older friends they don't want anyone else to meet. Girls who have their identification taken away. Are withdrawn, isolated. "These girls have to know it's not their fault ... we're trying to change the channel in this country," Smith says. Largely because of population size, the greater Toronto-Hamilton area is considered a hotbed for the activity, particularly along the ma- jor highway corridors where pimps frequently move their victims from hotel to hotel. But many police, including Dick, believe the problem isn't necessarily growing, it's just finally being uncovered with the addition of dedicated human trafficking units. "It's not more of a problem. It's like anything else, the more resources you put at looking at a problem the more you will find," he says. It may be surprising for some to see that Halton has laid so many human trafficking charges over the last couple of years. "It's quite a lot for a region of this size," Dick says. "The safest large municipality in Canada." But it is also a community with money. "Wherever there are people, wherever there's money, there are young, exploited women," he says. NEWS Continued from page 10 Education the best way to fight human trafficking, police Halton Police say human trafficking is happening all over Canada, with 93 per cent of victims being Canadian. File Photo