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
Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
Oilers' Henrique, Stars' Hintz out for Game 1 of West final
Top-line Dallas Stars centre Roope Hintz will still be out of the lineup for the Western Conference Final opener Thursday night against Edmonton, which is still without forward Adam Henrique.
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
What is 'slapped cheek disease' and should parents be concerned?
Despite its rough name, experts say most cases of 'slapped cheek disease' are mild and not a cause for concern.
American Airlines retreats after blaming a 9-year-old for not seeing a hidden camera in a lavatory
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
Unknown Newfoundland soldier from the First World War heads back home from France after 100 years
Canadian soldiers and government officials arrived in northeastern France this week for a historic mission: returning an unknown Newfoundland soldier back home.
Calgary Philharmonic takes action following investigation into 'deeply troubling' comments by 2 musicians
The Calgary Philharmonic has confirmed its taking action after controversial online comments made by two members of the orchestra.