What's happening with Silver Alerts in B.C.?

During the 2020 provincial election, John Horgan promised an NDP government would implement a Silver Alert system in B.C. He made that promise to Sam Noh, whose father Shin Noh disappeared in the Coquitlam area in 2013.

“I was thrilled at that time, we’d been advocating for quite some time,” Noh said in an interview with CTV News Friday. But more than a year and a half since that day, Noh said he’s had no update and no response to his requests for information.

“It’s quite disappointing and frustrating because this isn’t a new thing, we’ve been at this since 2014 and it’s been their idea, so plenty of time has passed,” Noh said,

Back when his father went missing, Noh found an ally in current finance minister Selina Robinson. At the time, the Liberals were in power, but Robinson proposed a private member's bill.

Noh has been a staunch advocate for the system ever since, even co-founding the alert platform B.C. Silver Alert that users can subscribe to.

It was made with the help of Coquitlam Search and Rescue search manager Michael Coyle, who was part of the original team out looking for Shin Noh.

“It’s much the same as an Amber Alert, with the key difference being focused on a very limited area,” Coyle said. “It just uses standard text messages.”

The term ‘silver alert’ is currently used by Winnipeg Police when asking for the public’s help to locate vulnerable seniors.

“Even just using the terminology does highlight for people that this is a missing person who may not ask for help,” Coyle said.

In a statement to CTV News Friday afternoon, the Ministry of Health confirmed it is “examining strategies” to develop a silver alter-type system.

“The ministry completed a jurisdictional review in 2021. A project plan, including a stakeholder engagement plan, is now being developed and will be followed by key stakeholder consultations,” the statement reads. “The Premier supports this work.”

Noh said his group, Silver Alert Society of British Columbia, was not included in the consultations and was unaware of the work. He’s hoping more details will be released.