Victims of Saskatoon’s sex trade will be remembered tonight. The annual Day of Mourning in the city began 19 years ago by at-risk youth in the city following the death of a girl working in the sex trade. The aim is to honour those who have been exploited, murdered, have committed suicide, and suffered from drug overdoses in addition to diseases. Egadz Youth Centre statistics indicate 125 sex trade workers have died over the past 19 years including four in the past 12 months. Youth Centre Executive Director Don Meikle says their survey indicates the average starting age of a sex trade worker is 14. He says they are runaways, or in care escaping abusive family situations and often get involved in drugs.  Meikle says the evening is also a way to bring comfort to victim’s families while pointing out the problem remains in the city and across Saskatchewan.  This evening’s ceremony will include prayers, music and a candlelight vigil down 20th and 21st streets. The names of the victims will be read along with stories from the street as well as a meal of homemade soup and bannock..
The ceremony starts at 6:30 in Pleasant Hill Park.