Mr. Speaker, it has been 18 months since the tragic disappearance of Earl Moberg, a beloved husband, father and grandfather from my community. Mr. Moberg suffered from dementia and despite exhaustive search efforts, he has not been found and is presumed deceased.
Unfortunately, by 2030, nearly one million people will be living with Alzheimer's in Canada, and nearly 60% will go missing at some point. Tragically, if they are not found within 12 hours, there is a 50% chance they will be injured or deceased from hypothermia, dehydration or drowning. This really underlines the urgency of finding our loved ones as quickly as possible. That is why there is an urgent need for a national silver alert system. Like the Amber alert system for children, it would rapidly notify the public when a senior with cognitive impairments goes missing in the area.
To that effect, I have sponsored petition e-5196, launched by the Moberg family, urging the federal government to work with provinces and police to implement a national silver alert system to save lives by helping locate missing seniors faster. We must act now to protect our most vulnerable and prevent future tragedies.