A final report on Manitoba’s proposed Red Dress Alert system is now out. It lays out how an Indigenous-led alert could work when a woman, girl, or 2SLGBTQIA+ person is reported missing and why organizers say it needs to be more than just a phone notification.
The pilot project grew out of a motion that passed unanimously in the House of Commons in May of 2023, declaring missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls a Canada-wide emergency and calling on the federal government to fund The Red Dress Alert system.
In October of 2024, it was decided that Giganawenimaanaanig would work with federal and provincial governments, and Indigenous partners would oversee the development.
“It will be a public alert system when an Indigenous women, girl, or 2S+ person goes missing,” said Denise Cook, the project lead of the Red Dress Alert.
“We want to be able to respond to everything and anything that comes in terms of people’s concerns about their loved one who may be missing.”
Organizers say extensive consultation was critical before designing the system. The final report is based on forty-three engagement sessions held across Manitoba and more than 1,000 anonymous survey responses.
“Really grateful to be in the community and here with the people of Manitoba who have been impacted,” said Cook.
Cook says many communities have limited cell service, unreliable internet, or no access to smartphones, meaning alerts must reach people in other ways.
“It’s not just a system to get information out, it has to receive information in a timely way and also be able to address concerns that people have for their family members when they don’t know where they are,” said Cook.
The proposed timeline will see planning start in January 2026, with a target launch of the Red Dress Alert system in June 2026, followed by ongoing evaluation.
