National silver alert program petition re-opens

Kildonan-St. Paul

It is with profound gratitude that I returned to Ottawa as your representative for my third mandate as your Member of Parliament for Kildonan—St. Paul. An important part of a Member of Parliament’s work are efforts in pursuit of positive change for their community. That is why I was honoured to rise in the House of Commons in this new Parliament in support of a petition for a national silver alert program. A national silver alert program would send alerts to mobile phones — similar to the amber alert that are sent out when a child is missing — when a senior with a cognitive impairment goes missing.

This initiative was brought to me by the Moberg family, who were driven to action by the disappearance of Mr. Earl Moberg, their loving father, husband, and grandfather who had dementia, and tragically disappeared from their River East home on December 12, 2023. Despite countless hours of searching, with support from family, friends, community groups, and the Winnipeg Police Service, Mr. Moberg has not been found and is presumed deceased.

Individuals with dementia are at an extraordinary risk of going missing. According to Public Safety Canada, 60 per cent of those with dementia go missing at some point, and there is a huge risk if they do. Public Safety Canada’s website states: “If a person with Alzheimer’s disease is not found within 12 hours of being lost, there is a 50 per cent chance that they will be found injured or dead from hypothermia, dehydration, or drowning. This makes any search an emergency.”

The urgency of finding a missing senior with a cognitive impairment, like the situation of Mr. Moberg, is sometimes not communicated strongly enough. As a result, the public may be unaware there is a vulnerable person at risk. In Manitoba, there is currently a system in place for the police to alert the public of missing older persons. However, these alerts are not transmitted to mobile phones, as seen with amber alerts. It is important that the public is aware of seniors who have gone missing to ensure they have a higher chance of being found safe.

When the General Election was called, petitions initiated under the previous Parliament were cancelled, and as a result, I have reintroduced this important petition.

The petition is open for signatures until Oct. 2. You can sign online at ourcommons.ca/petitions by searching petition number “6491,” or sign a paper copy at my constituency office. If you support this petition, please share it with your friends and family for signature as well. If you have any questions about signing the petition, please call my office at 204-984-6322.

Thank you for your support in this important endeavour. I look forward to presenting this petition in Parliament. Together, let’s keep seniors safe.