By Britt Moberg
In May, I travelled to Ottawa to witness an important milestone in a campaign that began with my father’s disappearance: the second reading debate of Bill C-263, the Silver Alert National Framework Act.
The bill, introduced by Kildonan–St. Paul MP Raquel Dancho, has now passed second reading in the House of Commons and will proceed to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. At committee, members will hear from experts, government officials, stakeholders and others as they study the bill.
Bill C-263 was inspired by the disappearance of my father, Earl Moberg, an 81-year-old Winnipeg senior living with dementia who went missing in December 2023. He has never been found and is presumed deceased.
Following my father’s disappearance, our family initiated a national petition calling for a Silver Alert system in Canada. Sponsored by MP Raquel Dancho, the petition received more than 7,300 signatures from Canadians across the country. That public support helped demonstrate that this is an issue that matters to many families.
I am incredibly grateful to MP Dancho for turning that call for action into Bill C-263 and for continuing to champion this issue.
Why Silver Alerts Matter
When a person living with dementia goes missing, every minute matters.
Canada is facing a growing number of people living with dementia, with the Alzheimer Society projecting that nearly one million Canadians will be living with dementia by 2030. As the number of people at risk increases, we need systems that can respond quickly when a vulnerable person goes missing.
Canada already has the technology to deliver rapid, geographically targeted emergency alerts to mobile devices through the National Public Alerting System. A national Silver Alert framework could help establish consistent criteria and coordination for using that technology to quickly get information about a missing vulnerable adult into the hands of the public.
A person going for a walk, driving, shopping in a store or looking out a window may be the person who sees something that helps bring a missing loved one home.
That is why public awareness is so important.
What Comes Next
Passing second reading is an important step, but it is not the end of the process.
Bill C-263 will now go to committee for further study. This is an opportunity to hear from those with expertise and lived experience and to examine how a national Silver Alert framework can work effectively across Canada.
I hope to continue advocating for the bill as it moves through this next stage.
When a person living with dementia goes missing, it is an emergency situation. When my father went missing, our family learned how important it is for the public to receive information quickly and in a way that reaches the people who may be in the area.
A Silver Alert would give communities another tool to help find vulnerable people quickly—when minutes and hours can make all the difference.
You Can Help
If you believe Canada needs a coordinated national Silver Alert framework, please consider contacting your Member of Parliament and asking them to support Bill C-263 as it moves through Parliament.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who has signed, shared, contacted elected representatives, followed my father’s story and supported this effort.
My father was a teacher, a lifelong learner and someone who believed in community. Continuing this work is one way I honour him.
Britt Moberg is the daughter of Earl Moberg.