REGINA, Sask. — The provincial government has introduced new legislation aimed at cracking down on human trafficking.
Bill No. 65, The Protection From Human Trafficking Amendment Act, 2026, received first reading in the legislature Monday afternoon. The legislation will return for further consideration at a subsequent sitting of the legislature.
According to the government, the amendments are aimed at creating new reporting requirements for the hospitality sector, enhancing investigatory powers for police and improving protections for victims.
The legislation is particularly aimed at hotels, motels and short-term vacation rentals, which are often used as locations for human trafficking. The province says hotel operators, online accommodation platforms and driver-for-hire services will be required to report suspected incidents of human trafficking to police.
The province also says in a news release that the bill includes additional requirements. Those include requiring hotels to maintain more detailed customer registers; authorizing police to demand access to customer registers on reasonable grounds that the information may assist in locating a victim of human trafficking; requiring police to complete written reports and annual reporting when that access is requested; and updating provisions relating to victims with coerced debts.
"These amendments are going to create an additional duty upon our ride-hailing industry and our hospitality industry to ensure that they are keeping a registry and that that registry is made available to police in the cases where they suspect that there may be human trafficking and it creates a proactive duty upon those industries if they suspect any human trafficking activity is happening to proactively report that to police, further providing protection to individuals who may be susceptible or vulnerable to human trafficking," Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod said while speaking to reporters at the legislature.
The legislation follows some reported incidents and court cases involving human trafficking in the province, particularly those involving workers in the hospitality sector. Two men were recently convicted and sentenced to jail in a case where a Bangladeshi woman was brought to Saskatchewan and allegedly exploited as cheap labour over several years. This was the case in which two Saskatchewan Party MLAs had intervened out of concern for the woman's safety.
As for whether this legislation will make a real dent in addressing the issue, McLeod said, “we certainly hope so.”
“That's the aim of the legislation much like any legislation that we introduce… whether it's drug trafficking or human trafficking, crime in general, we are aiming for zero incidents of those, and we know that that's a near impossible goal but we're going to keep striving for it until we get there.”
The new legislation is being welcomed by the hospitality sector.
"We feel like we're the front end of this, we're the pointy end of the stick and if we are part of the problem by this occurring in our properties, we really want to make sure that we're part of a solution and a big part of it,” said Hospitality Saskatchewan president and CEO Jim Bence in a statement.
Bence said this type of amendment “allows us an opportunity now to be able to work closer with law enforcement so we feel that we're more able to respond to their requests and be able to give the information that they desperately need as they investigate this crime.”
He said he was appreciative of the “government's support and commitment to not just combating this but allowing us the opportunity to raise awareness amongst all stakeholders in the province. And it's also important I think to add that we all have a duty to report when it comes to minors… this just adds that extra layer for us as an industry to be able to move forward."
"Hotels, motels and other accommodation providers are often in a unique position to recognize the warning signs of trafficking activity. Strengthened reporting requirements and clear legislative direction will help our industry continue working alongside law enforcement and community partners to identify potential victims, report suspected activity and contribute to safer communities across Saskatchewan."
Kendra Mazer of Hope Restored also welcomed the legislative changes.
“This makes it so much easier for people to be able to leave the precarious situations that they're in,” Mazer said. “So by again having other people on the ground to say you know, I suspect that something's happening, it might actually change the trajectory of someone's life.”
NDP justice critic Nicole Sarauer is welcoming action on the human trafficking issue.
“Obviously, it's a positive step forward. Any steps that government takes to eliminate human trafficking is a good thing,” Sarauer said.
But she added that more needs to be done, noting that what she hears from those working with individuals who are trying to leave these situations is “they need access to safe and affordable housing. So, government's priority needs to be that. Safe and affordable housing is the number one concern that we're hearing from those who are trying to leave these horrible situations.”
Sarauer said it was likely the NDP would support the legislation, but the party would do its due diligence.
“Again, though, we want to make sure that government isn't waving a mission accomplished banner. I'm sure they're not. There's a lot of work that needs to happen in this space to actually reduce the rates of human trafficking in Saskatchewan.”
