New Red Dress Alert system to be developed in Manitoba
A new pilot program which will notify the public of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit and gender-diverse people is set to be implemented in Manitoba.
It’s called the Red Dress Alert system and it‘s a partnership between Ottawa and the province.
Last year, Winnipeg Centre NDP MP Leah Gazan proposed a motion in the House of Commons declaring the deaths and disappearances of Indigenous women and girls a Canada-wide emergency. The motion called for immediate funding for a new alert system similar to an Amber Alert program, which is an emergency notification people receive via phone, television, and radio, when a child in their region has been abducted or believed to be in danger, and Silver Alerts which are used to locate vulnerable seniors.
The motion was unanimously backed.
In March, according to a release from the NDP, a study into the Red Dress Alert system began at the Status of Women Committee. It heard from family members, survivors and grassroots leaders to provide recommendations on the best ways to implement the alert.
Meantime, similar alert systems have already been implemented south of the border.
Washington State created the first-ever alert system for missing Indigenous people in the United States in 2022. Known as MIPA, it coexists with Amber Alerts and Silver Alerts.
California’s statewide Feather Alert Program also became law in 2022. It’s available to law enforcement investigating the suspicious or unexplainable disappearance of an Indigenous woman or Indigenous person. The alert provides immediate information to the public to aid in a swift recovery.
Statistics Canada concluded in a report last year that the homicide rate for Indigenous women and girls was six times higher than the rate for their non-Indigenous counterparts.
A national inquiry concluded five years ago that they are 12 times more likely to go missing or murdered.
With files from the Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Was this the bug that stung you? Wasp sightings revive murder-hornet concerns; no detections confirmed
As temperatures rise out of a mild El Nino winter, Canada's buggy season is already upon us again, and this year, the bugs are looking especially big.
Adding just 10% ultraprocessed foods to healthy diets may raise risk of cognitive decline, stroke
Eating more ultraprocessed foods is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke, even if a person is trying to adhere to a Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet or the MIND diet, a new study found.
Bangkok hospital says most seriously injured from turbulence-hit flight need spinal operations
Many of the more seriously injured people who were on the Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence need operations on their spines, a Bangkok hospital said Thursday.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
Tiny plastic shards found in human testicles, study says
Human testicles contain microplastics and nanoplastics at levels three times higher than animal testes and human placentas, a new small study found.
A U.K. lawmaker returns to work as 'the bionic MP' after losing his hands and feet to sepsis
Britain's fractious politicians shared a rare moment of unity on Wednesday, when a Conservative lawmaker returned to work six months after sepsis put him in a coma and forced the amputation of his hands and feet.
Nine killed in Mexico stage collapse at campaign event
A stage collapsed at a Mexican election campaign rally on Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring dozens as high winds tore apart the large, concert-style structure, scattering politicians and attendees.