Red Dress Day 2025: Manitoba Launches Pilot for Red Dress Alert System as Communities Across Canada Mark National Day of Awareness

As communities across Canada gather for Red Dress Day on May 5, a significant development is underway in Manitoba: the Red Dress Alert system—a pilot program designed to issue alerts for missing Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S+)—is in early development and could go live as soon as fall 2025.

Giganawenimaanaanig, Manitoba’s MMIWG2S+ implementation committee, spearheads the alert system modeled after Amber and Silver Alerts.The program has been in community consultation mode since December, beginning in regions with high Indigenous populations including Thompson, The Pas, Flin Flon, and South Indian Lake.

A Long-Awaited Response

“Families have known this was needed for decades,” said Alaya McIvor, a community advocate involved in the project. The goal is to create a system that responds quickly and sensitively when Indigenous women and girls go missing—filling a gap many say existing systems have long neglected.

Winnipeg Centre MP Leah Gazan previously introduced a motion in Parliament to declare the crisis a national emergency. That motion led to a federal commitment of $1.3 million in October 2024 to support the pilot project in Manitoba.

Building an Inclusive System

Officials will build the Red Dress Alert in three phases, starting with a focus on community engagement. Kim McPherson, another project team member, emphasized that remote and northern communities face unique challenges when a loved one goes missing.

“There’s often a lack of infrastructure,” McPherson said, noting the difference between rural communities and urban centres like Thompson. The team hopes to eventually make the alerts regionalized, so people in affected areas receive them quickly.

Some families, including those directly affected by cases like that of Marcedes Myran, have welcomed the move with caution. Myran was one of the victims of serial killer Jeremy Skibicki. Her grandmother, Donna Bartlett, called the alert a good step but said, “They can send it out and everything, but how many people are actually going to listen?”

Bartlett also stressed that Indigenous men and boys should be included in future alert systems, pointing out they are vulnerable too.

National Awareness Continues on May 5

Red Dress Day, now in its 15th year, is observed nationally to honor Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People. Inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black’s REDress Project, the day features red dresses displayed in public spaces to represent lives taken or missing.

Across British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario, events include memorial walks, healing dances, art installations, film screenings, and community-led reflections. In Winnipeg, events at Memorial Park and the University of Manitoba are drawing attention to the urgent need for change.

On the other hand, in British Columbia, cities like Vancouver, Kelowna, Fort St. John, and Kamloops are hosting a mix of walks, ceremonies, and awareness events throughout the day. In Waterloo Region, groups are organizing healing walks and film screenings to encourage dialogue and education.

A Broader Call for Justice

Activist Denise Cook, also part of the alert project, noted that technology alone won’t solve the crisis. She highlighted the importance of education and community conversation.

“People can start by going to events, asking questions, and talking around the kitchen table,” Cook said. “This affects us all. We have to keep the conversation going.”

The 2019 National Inquiry into MMIWG issued 231 calls for justice, many of which remain unfulfilled. Red Dress Day, for many, is a reminder of the work that lies ahead.

How do you think Canada should continue addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people?

More…

• https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/05/05/trying-to-engage-as-wide-as-we-can
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/red-dress-day-15th-anniversary-1.7525652
• https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article/waterloo-region-marks-red-dress-day-with-ceremonies-and-calls-for-change