Sex Work in Moncton: Navigating Laws, Safety, and Community

Discussing sex work requires sensitivity, accuracy, and a focus on harm reduction and legal realities. In Moncton, as throughout Canada, the exchange of sexual services itself is legal, but the surrounding activities are heavily regulated under the Criminal Code. This guide addresses common questions and concerns, emphasizing safety, legal understanding, and available support systems for individuals involved in or affected by the sex trade in the Greater Moncton area. Our focus is on providing factual information grounded in Canadian law and public health principles.

What is the Legal Status of Sex Work in Moncton?

Sex work itself is not illegal in Canada; however, nearly all related activities are criminalized under Bill C-36, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA). This law targets purchasers, third parties (like drivers or security), and advertising, while aiming to protect those selling services.

The legal landscape in Moncton mirrors the national framework. Police services in New Brunswick, including Codiac Regional RCMP, enforce laws prohibiting purchasing sexual services, communicating for that purpose in public places, materially benefiting from the proceeds, procuring, and advertising sexual services. Enforcement priorities can vary, but the laws create significant risks for both workers and clients.

Understanding these nuances is crucial. While an individual selling their own services isn’t typically charged for that act alone, the environment created by criminalizing clients and support roles pushes the trade underground, increasing vulnerability to violence, exploitation, and unsafe working conditions. Legal challenges to PCEPA continue, arguing it violates sex workers’ Charter rights to safety.

Can someone be arrested for selling sexual services in Moncton?

Directly selling sexual services is generally not the target of arrest under PCEPA; the law focuses on purchasers and third parties.

While selling sexual services isn’t directly illegal, sex workers in Moncton can still face arrest or police interaction under other circumstances. They might be charged with unrelated offenses (like drug possession if present), detained for “public nuisance” complaints, or questioned as victims or witnesses to crimes. The criminalization of clients and support networks forces workers into isolated, often dangerous situations, making them more susceptible to violence and less likely to report crimes to police due to fear of stigma or unrelated charges. Police may also use municipal bylaws related to loitering or solicitation in certain areas.

What laws target clients or “johns” in Moncton?

Purchasing sexual services is a criminal offense nationwide, including Moncton, carrying potential fines and jail time.

Section 286.1 of the Criminal Code specifically makes it illegal to purchase, or attempt to purchase, sexual services in Canada. Penalties can include significant fines and imprisonment. The Codiac RCMP may conduct enforcement operations targeting clients, sometimes using undercover officers. Beyond legal penalties, clients caught in such stings often face public exposure, which carries substantial social and professional consequences. The intent of criminalizing clients is to reduce demand, though critics argue it primarily drives the trade further underground and increases risks for workers.

How Can Sex Workers Access Safety Resources in Moncton?

Finding safety resources is paramount due to the inherent risks exacerbated by criminalization. While specialized services are limited, several Moncton organizations offer critical support.

Sex workers in Moncton face heightened risks of violence, theft, and health issues. Accessing safety resources is challenging but vital. Key resources include:

• AIDS Moncton (now part of Ensemble Moncton): Provides harm reduction supplies (condoms, lube, naloxone kits), sexual health testing, education, and support, often operating from a non-judgmental stance.
• Violence Prevention & Support Services: Organizations like Crossroads for Women offer support for individuals experiencing violence, including crisis intervention and safe shelter (though accessibility for sex workers can vary).
• Mobile Outreach Units: Services like Ensemble Moncton’s outreach may connect with street-based workers to provide supplies and information.
• Healthcare Providers: Some family doctors, walk-in clinics, and the Moncton Hospital provide essential healthcare. Finding non-judgmental providers is key.

Harm reduction strategies are crucial: screening clients carefully (when possible), working in pairs, using check-in systems with trusted contacts, carrying naloxone, and having access to safe spaces. However, the criminalized environment severely limits workers’ ability to implement these strategies effectively.

Where can sex workers get health testing in Moncton?

Confidential sexual health testing is available at Ensemble Moncton, public health clinics, and some family doctors.

Regular STBBI (Sexually Transmitted and Blood Borne Infections) testing is essential. Options in Moncton include:

• Ensemble Moncton: Offers confidential testing for HIV, Hepatitis C, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea, often with a harm reduction focus.
• Vitalité or Horizon Health Network Public Health Clinics: Provide sexual health services, including testing and treatment, often on a walk-in or appointment basis.
• Family Doctors/Walk-in Clinics: Can order STBBI tests, though finding providers without stigma is important.

Ensemble Moncton is often cited as a primary resource due to their specific outreach and non-judgmental approach to populations at higher risk, including sex workers.

What support exists for exiting the sex trade in Moncton?

Transitioning out requires comprehensive support; resources in Moncton include social services, shelters, and skills training programs.

Exiting the sex trade is complex and requires addressing multiple needs: safe housing, income support, mental health and addiction services (if applicable), trauma counseling, legal aid, and employment/education opportunities. Key resources include:

• Crossroads for Women: Offers shelter, support, and advocacy for women and children fleeing violence, which can include situations within the sex trade.
• Department of Social Development (NB): Provides income assistance, potential access to subsidized housing, and referrals to other services.
• Community Mental Health Services (Horizon/Vitalité): Access to counseling and psychiatric support.
• Employment & Skills Training: Programs offered through NB Works or community colleges (like NBCC Moncton).
• John Howard Society / Elizabeth Fry Society: May offer support related to legal issues or reintegration.

Dedicated “exit” programs specifically for sex workers are scarce in Moncton. Individuals often need to navigate multiple systems simultaneously. Outreach workers at Ensemble Moncton or violence prevention services can be crucial points of contact for navigating these resources.

What Risks Do Sex Workers Face in Moncton?

Sex workers encounter significant risks including violence, exploitation, health issues, and legal jeopardy due to the criminalized environment.

The criminalization model under PCEPA, intended to protect, paradoxically creates the conditions for heightened danger for sex workers in Moncton:

• Violence: Pushed into isolated areas (like industrial zones or remote online meets) to avoid police detection, workers are more vulnerable to assault, rape, and robbery. Fear of police interaction deters reporting.
• Exploitation: Needing protection or logistical support in a criminalized environment can make workers dependent on potentially exploitative third parties.
• Health Risks: Rushed negotiations in unsafe locations make condom negotiation difficult. Limited access to healthcare due to stigma increases STBBI risks and untreated injuries.
• Legal Risks: While not charged for selling, workers face arrest for related activities (e.g., working with others for safety = “material benefit”), drug possession, or outstanding warrants. Interactions with police can be traumatic.
• Stigma & Discrimination: Profound social stigma affects housing, healthcare, child custody, and employment opportunities outside the trade.

Street-based workers, Indigenous workers, migrant workers, and those struggling with substance use often face compounded vulnerabilities.

How does criminalization increase danger in Moncton?

Criminalizing clients and support pushes sex work underground, forcing rushed transactions in unsafe locations and deterring police reporting.

The core mechanism of PCEPA – targeting demand and third parties – directly undermines safety. Workers cannot safely screen clients in public without risking charges related to communication. They cannot hire drivers, security, or work collaboratively indoors (e.g., sharing an apartment) without risking “material benefit” or “procuring” charges. This forces transactions into hidden, isolated settings where violence is more likely to occur and less likely to be reported, as workers fear police attention or being disbelieved due to stigma. The inability to operate openly prevents the establishment of safety protocols common in decriminalized environments.

How Can the Community Support Sex Worker Safety?

Community support involves reducing stigma, advocating for rights-based policies, and supporting harm reduction services.

Creating a safer environment for sex workers in Moncton requires a community-wide shift away from stigma and towards harm reduction and human rights:

• Combat Stigma: Challenge discriminatory language and attitudes. Recognize sex work as work and workers as deserving of rights and safety.
• Support Harm Reduction: Advocate for and donate to organizations like Ensemble Moncton that provide non-judgmental health services, supplies, and support directly to workers.
• Advocate for Legal Change: Support organizations (like national groups Stella or SWAN Vancouver) advocating for the decriminalization of consensual adult sex work (the “Nordic Model” still targets clients; full decriminalization, as in New Zealand, is often advocated by workers themselves).
• Demand Worker-Led Solutions: Center the voices and experiences of current and former sex workers in policy discussions and service design.
• Support Access to Services: Encourage healthcare providers, social services, and police to adopt trauma-informed, non-judgmental approaches when interacting with sex workers.

Treating sex workers with dignity and respecting their autonomy is fundamental to improving safety and well-being.

Where can I report suspected human trafficking in Moncton?

Suspected human trafficking is a serious crime; report to Codiac RCMP or the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline.

It’s vital to distinguish between consensual adult sex work and human trafficking, which involves exploitation, coercion, or movement of people against their will. If you suspect someone is being trafficked in the Moncton area:

• Call 911: If there is immediate danger.
• Codiac Regional RCMP: Non-emergency line (506-857-2400) to report suspicions.
• Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-833-900-1010 (confidential, multilingual, 24/7). They provide support and connect reports to authorities.
• Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) for anonymous tips.

Provide as much specific information as possible (location, descriptions, vehicle details). Avoid confronting suspected traffickers yourself. Remember that not all sex work involves trafficking, and conflating the two harms consenting workers. However, reporting genuine exploitation is critical.

What Does the Future Hold for Sex Work in Moncton?

The future hinges on potential legal reforms, evolving community attitudes, and the expansion of harm reduction and support services.

The landscape of sex work in Moncton, as nationally, is contested and evolving:

• Legal Challenges: Ongoing court challenges to PCEPA argue it violates sex workers’ constitutional rights to security of the person. Future rulings could force legislative changes.
• Policy Debates: Advocacy continues for alternative models, primarily full decriminalization (removing criminal penalties for all aspects of consensual adult sex work between workers, clients, and third-party collaborators) as recommended by public health experts and major health organizations.
• Local Service Provision: The capacity and funding of harm reduction services like Ensemble Moncton directly impact worker safety and health outcomes locally. Community pressure can influence support for these vital programs.
• Shifting Stigma: Public education efforts by sex worker-led organizations and allies slowly challenge deeply ingrained stigma, which is a root cause of violence and barriers to support.

Progress requires centering the lived experiences and expertise of sex workers themselves in policy discussions and service design. The ultimate goal is an environment where individuals can work safely, access support without fear, and exercise autonomy over their lives and bodies, whether they choose to remain in the trade or exit it.