Indigenous organization to lead Red Dress Alert pilot project in Manitoba

An Indigenous-led organization in Manitoba will take the lead on a Red Dress Alert pilot program in the province, the federal government announced Friday in Winnipeg.

This year's federal budget promised to spend $1.3 million over three years to develop a regional missing persons alert for Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.

In May, the federal government announced the Red Dress Alert system would have a pilot program in Manitoba.

Now it says Giganawenimaanaanig, the province's MMIWG2S+ implementation committee, will lead the program. Its name translates to "we all take care of them." 

Sandra DeLaronde, team lead for Giganawenimaanaanig, said in a news conference that she is unsure when the pilot will be deployed but will "try for next year." 

"If we had listened to ... testimony at the national inquiry, this would have been done already," said DeLaronde.

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree said in the news conference that crafting a productive system is not a short process. 

"I fully recognize the urgency here, but I'm also mindful that we need to do this right," said Anandasangaree.

"This is not an 'Ottawa knows best' approach because that's what we've done in the past."

Anandasangaree said his department is working with Giganawenimaanaanig to ensure the system is Indigenous-led and centres on families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. 

Last month, the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women made 17 recommendations for the construction and implementation of a national Red Dress Alert system.

At the top of the list was a recommendation for the federal government to speed up the work.

The chair of the National Family and Survivors Circle, Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, said she is not convinced the government is moving as quickly as it could. 

"We've seen governments be very nimble and respond to different situations across this country," said Anderson-Pyrz.

"Why can they not commit that level of will for the full implementation of the 231 calls for justice to keep us safe?"

Winnipeg Centre NDP MP Leah Gazan said the government has failed in allocating enough resources to addressing MMIWG, including the rollout of the Red Dress Alert. 

"I don't have a lot of faith in this government that they are going to ensure that it rolls out as quickly as it needs to save lives," said Gazan.