As the Grand Prix rolls into Montreal a video campaign is urging people not to consort with prostitutes.
The animated video appears to be a lighthearted game show, with a host presenting contestants for "sexploitation."
With a sarcastic tone, it depicts two women and a man who are trying to earn money by selling their bodies for sex, then details a list of horrible consequences for the three.
The video was produced by Beacon of the Freed.
The non-profit group doesn't oppose sex work, but is fighting against human trafficking and sexual exploitation, and says it can be difficult to spot the difference between the two.
"Buying sex is not a game. You may not see the consequences but they are devastating," said Nathalie Khlat.
"When you buy sex you never know. You might be buying sex from a person that is sexually exploited and its almost impossible for a client to tell the difference."
One of the people depicted in the video is an indigenous woman, and that has Nakuset, the head of a Native Women's shelter, worried about stereotypes.
"It is almost that they are reinforcing that indigenous women fall into prostitution," she said.
She is also unsure that the intended targets of the campaign will get the message.
"It may not come off as sarcastic. It may come off as a how to. 'Oh I can go and I get a native woman? Bonus. I'm going.' So I think that it could cause more damage," said Nakuset.
For their part, sex workers disagree with the anti-exploitation campaigns that peak at this time of year.
Chez Stella asserts that police crackdowns on psex work make it harder for workers to make ends meet and leads them to make riskier choices.
It has launched its own campaign against "disinformation" and the "annual wave of panic" about the Grand Prix, saying there is little evidence that sexual exploitation increases during race week.
The organization says that increased police sweeps of massage parlours and other locations leads to arrests and embarrassment, but little else.
Khlat said that indigenous women she contacted agreed to the inclusion of an indigenous woman in the video.
She also said that sex work is much more complex than can be depicted in a short video.
In recent years multiple organizations have said that sexual exploitation increases during the Grand Prix, with more young women being lured against their will.
Meanwhile Khlat is hoping her campaign will succeed.
"We use the best tone we could use in order to reach our audience," said Khlat.
And she hopes that men considering buying sex will think about the long-term effects it will have down the road.
*The following video is not appropriate for children*
