Calls for the implementation of a Red Dress Alert, which would be activated whenever an Indigenous Woman or Two Spirit Person is reported missing has gained some additional momentum from Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach.
The Member of Parliament announcing today that he has launched a campaign to put pressure on the Federal Government to create the National alert program.
“The issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is one that for decades has deeply affected families throughout the Northwest. Tragically, that continues to this day. The Red Dress Alert is a tangible, concrete step that will improve the chance that when loved ones go missing, they are found.
We know that the first 24 hours after a person goes missing are the most critical. The Amber Alert system has proven that timely public alerts greatly increase the chance of people being found, which is why I think the Red Dress Alert holds so much promise.” -- NDP MP Taylor Bachrach
The proposed program was introduced in the House of Commons by Bachrach's colleague in the NDP, Leah Gazan who represents Winnipeg Centre.
She spoke to the topic with APTN News in February of this year, noting how the need for the Alert program was one of urgency.
In May, the Manitoba MP succeeded at gaining the support of Parliament for a Canada-wide Red Dress Alert, and the spring 2023 federal budget included a commitment to engage in consultations about setting up such a system.
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