Advertisement

Winnipeg MP’s initiative spurs MMIWG alert system consultations in Ottawa

Ottawa begins consultations on a public alert system for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, following support for a motion by Winnipeg MP Leah Gazan. SC

Advocates for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls have long asked for a public alert system to ensure more of them are found sooner and Ottawa has begun the consultation process, months after a motion by Winnipeg MP Leah Gazan was backed by Parliament.

“We know that every minute we wait, someone goes murdered or missing and no one is looking for them. This is an emergency. We cannot get marred in politics and game-playing. Lives are on the line, this needs to be put in place as soon as possible.” she said.

Gazan says she hopes it can be similar to the Amber Alert system and will be ready to roll out early next year.

Manitoba Housing Minister Bernadette Smith — whose own sister went missing in 2008 — says it’s critical for information to get out quickly, to help people mobilize.

Story continues below advertisement

“When my sister was missing, nobody knew she was missing for 10 days. And at that point, people’s memories — we forget. So the quicker, the faster the response, the better.”

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Advocates say consultation with families of missing and murdered women will be crucial in determining how the system works.

Click to play video: 'Red dress day 2023: Liberal MP calls for implementation of alert system ahead of MMIWG2S'
Red dress day 2023: Liberal MP calls for implementation of alert system ahead of MMIWG2S

Smith wants to see the alerts broadcast over multiple channels especially in remote areas, where access to the internet or phone service is less reliable.

“Our rural communities, if they’ve gone missing in those areas, keeping that in mind, and how do we get that information out from those communities, because not everybody has access to that.”

Carol McBride, president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, says she hopes the system will involve more communication from police about the state of investigations.

Story continues below advertisement

She says input from families could help determine where to allocate police and community support resources.

“We can learn by how they lost their loved ones. It will definitely raise some red flags in a lot of areas that will direct us in the right way.”

Once the system is in place, McBride wants to see it grow further to support alerts for missing men and boys as well.

— with files from Global’s Katherine Dornian

Sponsored content

AdChoices