Vancouver 2026 Details

Reimagining Anti-Trafficking:

Advancing More Effective, Community-Led Alternatives

A centralized place for all the information you’ll need about the gathering.

Information is subject to change and will be updated as new details become available.

About the Gathering

GAATW Canada is excited to host you in Vancouver, March 9-11, 2026.

GAATW Canada’s work engages with issues as broad as sex work, migration, labour rights, and violence against communities such as Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, among others.

At times, however, it is necessary to focus more specifically on anti-trafficking itself—its dominant frameworks, prevailing strategies, and the rescue industry. The Vancouver meeting is intended as a focused space for critical anti-trafficking strategizing.

For the March meeting in Vancouver, GAATW Canada invited individuals and organizations whose work engages directly with anti-trafficking frameworks and practices, whether from within or in opposition to them. To support in-depth and diverse discussion and collective analysis, the meeting will be small and intentionally limited to 10–15 participants. See invited participants below.

The purpose of this meeting is to collectively explore and articulate clear alternatives to dominant anti-trafficking frameworks and practices in order to increase effectiveness—alternatives that are grounded in social justice, lived experience, and community-led solutions that do no harm.

The meeting also aims to gain clarity around the structure, form, and purpose of GAATW Canada’s network, including how it will function and what it seeks to influence. Through collaborative discussion, participants will identify two to three tangible, achievable actions to move the collective efforts forward in ways that are strategic and accountable, responsive to people with lived experience and community-identified priorities, and attentive to mitigating the harms associated with the rescue industry.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact GAATW Canada’s National Director, Alison Clancey, at director@gaatw.ca or 250 353 8353.

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The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women – our parent organization based in Bangkok – is an Alliance comprising over 100 non-governmental organizations across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and North America. The Alliance encompasses women’s rights, human rights, migrant rights, and anti-trafficking organizations alongside self-organized groups of migrant workers, domestic workers, sex workers, and survivors of human trafficking. GAATW Canada is one of three member organizations from Canada.

International member organizations operate independently but collaborate on advocacy, share information, build capacity, and discuss common issues such as exploitation, gender, migration, human rights and labour issues.

GAATW Canada aims to replicate the benefits of collective action by hosting a gathering of diverse individuals dedicated to enhancing labour and human rights and addressing various forms of violence and exploitation (including trafficking), with an emphasis on identifying and implementing concrete actions.

Registration

There is no registration cost or registration link.

If you RSVP’d to Alison’s email, GAATW Canada has a record of your attendance.

Commitment to a Respectful and Inclusive Space

We invite all participants to help create a safe and respectful environment for everyone. This means honouring diverse perspectives and upholding GAATW Canada’s non-discrimination principle:

We do not discriminate on any grounds, including race, ethnicity, descent, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, immigration status, birth or other status, or occupation—such as work in informal sectors like sex work, among others.

When we meet in person, we’ll have the opportunity to build on this and share additional ideas for creating a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming space for everyone.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact GAATW Canada’s National Director, Alison Clancey, at director@gaatw.ca or 250 353 8353.

Social Events- March 9 & 10

Social/Dinners (optional) – Monday, March 9 & Tuesday, March 10

Alison will host group dinners at restaurants in Vancouver’s West End, all within walking distance of the hotel, on Monday and Tuesday evenings for anyone who would like to join, including the Vancouver-based folks. During the lunch break on both days, Alison will check interest and confirm numbers for dinner.

We will meet in the hotel lobby at 6:00 p.m. each evening and walk together to a nearby restaurant. GAATW Canada will cover the cost of dinner; participants are responsible for alcoholic beverages.

Monday’s restaurant: Stanley Park BrewPub, 8 min walk to Stanley Park, Canadian food. See the menu here.

Tuesday’s restaurant: Banana Leaf, 11 min walk to Robson St, Asian food. See the menu here.

Meeting Details

Meetings are scheduled for all day Monday and Tuesday, and until noon on Wednesday. We’re happy to have Lisa Gibson join us again to facilitate the meeting.

We are working on the agenda and will be able to provide details soon.

Note: We will not have an Elder in attendance.

Meeting Location & Accommodation

We will meet and stay at the same hotel, the Sylvia.

Check-in: Sunday, March 8, 3:00 pm (but rooms may be ready earlier. If they are, guests are free to use them.)
Check-out: Wednesday, March 11, noon

Luggage storage can be arranged on both arrival and departure dates. Your room will have one queen bed.

GAATW Canada will reserve and pay for your room.

Everyone is responsible for their incidental charges. When you check in, the hotel will ask for a credit card number to cover incidentals. If this presents an issue, please let Alison know before arriving.

Location

The historic waterfront Sylvia Hotel is located at 1154 Gilford Street in the heart of Vancouver’s West End, just steps from English Bay Beach and world-famous Stanley Park. The Sylvia Hotel is also just minutes from Downtown Vancouver.

The Sylvia is about a 30-minute drive from Vancouver International Airport. The fixed price of a taxi from the airport to the Sylvia Hotel is $46. Uber and Lyft are cheaper options. The train links the airport to downtown. If you choose this option, disembark at the last stop (Waterfront), and then take a short taxi ride to the Sylvia.

Parking

Overnight underground parking is $25/night plus taxes. GAATW Canada can reimburse parking expenses upon submission of a receipt. Since parking is limited in the West End, Vancouver-based participants are encouraged to use public transportation.

Accessibility

Regarding physical accessibility, the hotel is accessible to guests with mobility issues, but the guest rooms are not wheelchair-accessible. The hotel has an all-gender washroom off the lobby. Accessibility information is limited on the hotel’s website. Please contact the hotel directly at info@sylviahotel.com for more details or to inquire about other accessibility needs.

If you require specific accommodations to make your stay more comfortable, please contact Alison as soon as possible at director@gaatw.ca. Please do not wait until we arrive in Vancouver.

Travel

GAATW Canada will cover all your travel expenses, including per diem, flights to Vancouver, airport parking, and/or ground transportation to and from the airport (public or private).

Flight

Arrival: Sunday, March 8 (Hotel check-in is 3 pm)
Departure: Wednesday, March 11 (Hotel check-out is noon)

Since March is approaching quickly, we need to book flights as soon as possible. Booking early will ensure you have more travel options.

Note: GAATW Canada will cover your flight if you choose to arrive a few days early or stay a few days longer. However, GAATW Canada will only cover accommodation and other expenses from Sunday to Wednesday. If the meeting ends too late on Wednesday (noon) for same-day return travel, please contact Alison to discuss your travel arrangements.

There are two options to reserve your flights:

You reserve and are reimbursed.
- Submit all expenses upon returning home after the meeting. GAATW Canada will reimburse your expenses within two weeks of receipt.
GAATW Canada reserves and pays.
- Call or email your flight choices to Alison, with your legal name, birthdate, telephone number, gender, and seat preference (aisle or window). Flights should depart after 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11 to be on the safe side.

Other travel expenses

GAATW Canada will reimburse all other travel expenses that have a receipt. These include airport parking, public transportation tickets, and taxi receipts.

For mileage in your vehicle, please use the 2025 CRA mileage rate (72 cents per km) and attach a Google Maps screenshot of the distance travelled from your home to the airport with your expense form.

IMPORTANT: Please ensure you have receipts for all travel expenses. These can be paper receipts, photos, or scanned PDFs of the itemized receipts. Unfortunately, we cannot reimburse you without a receipt.

Please submit all your receipts and this expense form once you return home. *IMPORTANT: All expenses must be submitted by March 31.

Don’t hesitate to contact Alison at director@gaatw.ca if you have questions about travel or expense reimbursement.

Food

Meals and Refreshments

Breakfast (Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday) – At hotel. Details coming soon.

Lunch (Monday and Tuesday) – At hotel. Details coming soon.

Dietary Restrictions
Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and other dietary needs will be accommodated in hotel-provided meals if requested by February 8.

Dinner/Evening Social – (Monday and Tuesday evenings/optional)

Alison will host group dinners at restaurants in Vancouver’s West End on Monday and Tuesday evenings for anyone who would like to join.

Monday evening, Stanley Park BrewPub, Stanley Park Drive (8 min walk), Canadian food. Check out their menu here.

Tuesday evening, Banana Leaf, Robson St. (10 min walk) Asian food. Check out their menu here.

Travel Days and/or Meals on Your Own (Out-of-Town Guests Only)

Out-of-town guests may claim a per diem of up to $109.45 per day on travel days, or within the following reasonable limits for individual meals:

Breakfast: $24.35
Lunch: $24.65
Dinner: $60.45

We will reimburse you for the total amount claimed, provided you submit itemized receipts. These can be paper copies, clear photos, or PDFs. Please note:

To help us make the gathering accessible, please email Alison any food allergies or dietary needs you may have by February 8.

Honorarium

If attending this meeting is not part of your organization’s work, GAATW Canada can provide a $500 honorarium for your attendance (one per organization).

If you have any questions about eligibility or would like to arrange your honorarium, please don’t hesitate to contact Alison at director@gaatw.ca before March 5.