Ottawa, ON – Today, the Hon. Pierre Poilievre, Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition and the Conservative Party of Canada, and the Hon. Mike Lake, Conservative Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Wellness, sent the following letter to Minister Eleanor Olszewski calling for needed changes to public alerts, first-responder training and search protocols, and law enforcement authority to better protect vulnerable children who go missing:

Dear Minister Olszewski,

We are writing not only as Members of Parliament, but as fathers of autistic children.

We know the extraordinary joy our children bring. We also understand that autistic children can face additional risks, particularly those who are prone to wandering, are non-speaking, or may be unable to ask for help when they are lost.

Canadians are heartbroken by the tragic death of 11-year-old Parker Wells. Our deepest condolences are with his family and everyone who loved him. No parent should ever have to endure the loss of a child.

We are grateful to all those who worked tirelessly to bring Parker home, especially the thousands of extraordinary Calgarians who volunteered to aid in the search. Their response showed the very best of Alberta and Canada.

But Parker’s death has also exposed a serious gap in how Canada responds when vulnerable children go missing.

According to Autism Canada, nearly half of autistic children are prone to wandering. Yet our emergency alert systems are designed primarily for suspected abductions. They are not properly equipped to respond when an autistic, non-speaking or otherwise vulnerable child disappears without evidence of foul play.

The danger to that child is just as real. The need to find them is just as urgent.

In Parker’s case, an Amber Alert could not be issued until two days after he disappeared—and then only after the Alberta government granted an exemption from the usual criteria. The danger existed from the moment Parker went missing. The alert system should have been able to respond from that moment.

Parents and advocates—including Jennifer Ball, the National Autism Network and the Missing Children Society of Canada—have called for reform. Some have proposed a dedicated “Indigo Alert” for missing vulnerable children. Others have called for existing emergency alert systems to be expanded so alerts can be issued without evidence of abduction.

Whatever form the solution takes, the principle should be simple: the system must respond to the danger facing the child, not only to whether a crime is suspected.

We therefore ask you to immediately bring together provincial and territorial governments, law enforcement, autistic Canadians, families and relevant organizations to:

  • Create a Canada-wide framework allowing timely public alerts when vulnerable children go missing, even when abduction or foul play is not suspected;
  • Strengthen first-responder training and search protocols for missing autistic and non-speaking children, and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and
  • Ensure police have clear authority and the necessary tools to warn the public immediately when a vulnerable child’s life may be at risk.

No reform can guarantee that every missing child will be brought home safely. But when a vulnerable child disappears, every minute matters. Bureaucratic rules must never be allowed to cost precious time.

We owe it to Parker, his family and every vulnerable child in Canada to fix this gap.

Please provide a written response outlining what action your government will take and when Canadians can expect it.