A brief of my journey of the Missing, by Maureen Trask, Nov. 8, 2019.

1. My Journey of the Missing
Nov. 8, 2019 Page 1 of 3
Bio:
Maureen has been a long-time resident of Waterloo Region, until May 2017 when she made
Puslinch her home. She has a BA in Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University and is retired
from a 40-year career in Information Technology.
On Nov. 3, 2011 she was confronted with the most challenging event of her life when her
youngest son, Daniel, went missing. This set her on a journey of searching, not only for Daniel,
but also for information and resources. During the early years, Maureen was shocked to
discover a lack of resources and support services for families like hers, and little community
understanding of what families needed.
She continues as an advocate for families by raising awareness and providing training for those
who can help support families. She is actively engaged in collaborating with families, Police,
Victim Services, and the media to introduce legislation and communication processes that will
help families of missing loved ones on their journey of uncertainty.
The Milestones:
Nov. 3, 2011 My youngest son Daniel went missing, he was 28 then, our journey of uncertainty
begins. This was a new journey for me and my family, not sure what to do or how to go about
searching. We filed a missing persons report which resulted in his vehicle being discovered in
the lot of Camp Wanapitei, north of Temagami, Ontario, 13 days later. It was difficult to
connect with supports or services to help us, they did not exist. It was a lonely journey, since
families had no way to connect with each other.
Dec. 2012 I decided this needed to change. After learning of some other families in my
community (Waterloo Region, Ontario), I arranged for us to meet with WRPS, Victim Services
and the media to understand how we could work together in a good way. That lead to a
priority to get a Missing Persons Act in Ontario, a tool to help Police find missing persons.
May 24, 2015 After years of searching in the Temagami backcountry, partial remains were
found by the Michigan Backcountry SAR (MibSAR) Team (their 4th search for Daniel) and days
later identified through dental records as Daniel.
After 3 ½ years our family’s uncertainty was over. I find meaning in my advocacy work to make
it better for other families still searching for their loved ones. This work is in tribute to Daniel
and those still missing. So much work needs to be done legislatively and service/support wise.
Legislative Change
July 1, 2019 A Missing Persons Act (MPP Catherine Fife) came into effect in Ontario after 5
years of work. This act is still needed in Quebec, New Brunswick, PEI, NWT and Nunavut.

2. My Journey of the Missing
Nov. 8, 2019 Page 2 of 3
Jan. 2018 A petition for a National Missing Persons Day in Canada (MP Jamie Schmale), but
government response (MP Ralph Goodale, Mar. 2019) didn’t speak to this. We learned there is
no appeal or re-response process.
May 2019 Based on family input, a draft report is underway that identifies gaps in systems,
services, supports and funding for families with missing persons, especially regarding standard
missing persons police procedures. The draft is being updated to reflect the Calls for Justice
from the MMIWG National Inquiry Report before releasing to inform others.
Sept. 2019 An appeal to get a national missing persons strategy and framework in Canada was
sent to MP candidates for the federal election and the media, with little response from them.
This legislation will ensure consistency, accountability and transparency across Canada for all
missing persons. Specific legislation will be required to ensure equity and justness for all
families with missing loved ones. (see letter on page 3).
There is no national uniformity or practises relating to Prevent, Protect, Respond and Support.
Statistically, we don’t know how many people are missing across Canada. RCMP do provide
annual statistics (NCMPUR Fast Fact Sheet), but numbers reflect “occurrences” from CPIC.
Without reliable numbers, there is no way to set a benchmark to measure this social issue.
Some work has been done to provide information for families and awareness sessions/training
with agencies and support services, including Victim Services. However, without a national
framework for Support or funding, it is a very slow, unsustainable process.
I thank you for taking the time to read this information, and hope that you too can help effect
change for all families with missing loved ones.
With gratitude,
Maureen Trask, Puslinch, ON, Canada trasker@rogers.com 519-884-3285

3. My Journey of the Missing
Nov. 8, 2019 Page 3 of 3