MP Michael Barrett of Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes supported Conservative MP Raquel Dancho’s Bill C-263 the Silver Alert National Framework Act at second reading in the House of Commons.
The bill would create a national Silver Alert system similar to Amber Alerts to quickly notify the public when vulnerable adults with dementia or other cognitive impairments go missing.
It would require federal government coordination with provinces territories and law enforcement to issue timely geographic alerts to help locate at risk seniors.
The proposal was influenced by the disappearance of Earl Moberg an 81 year old Winnipeg senior with dementia who went missing in December 2023 and was never found.
A petition supporting the idea collected more than 7300 signatures from Canadians nationwide showing strong public support for action.
Barrett said protecting vulnerable seniors should be a priority and emphasized the need for fast public alerts.
