The Canadian Gothic

Canada has an emergency alert system capable of reaching millions of people within seconds, but when a vulnerable person goes missing, whether that system can be used often depends on where they disappear.

In this episode of The Canadian Gothic, we are joined by Jennifer Ball, founder of the Project Indigo movement, and Ronald DeGagne the advocate behind the Darius’ Law petition, to examine the gaps in Canada’s emergency alert system.

Jennifer discusses how the disappearance of Parker Wells inspired her advocacy, while Ronald explains how the disappearance of six-year-old Darius MacDougall pushed him to call for change.

Together, they discuss why AMBER Alerts do not cover many vulnerable missing-person cases, the patchwork of Silver and vulnerable-person alert policies across Canada, and what a standardized national system could look like.

Episode Links:

Darius’ Law Petition - https://www.change.org/p/strengthen-canada-s-amber-alert-system

Project Indigo - https://indigoalertcanada.com/

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Musical Theme:

Noir Toyko by Monty Datta

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In Keep Canada Weird Jordan and Aaron Airport explore the weird and offbeat Canadian news stories from the past week.

In this episode your hosts discuss;

Ottawa’s Heavy Metal Hospital

Huge Plastic Rocks in Saskatoon

Fake Customer Service Scammers

Rabid Cat TERROR in Quebec

Series Links

Keep Canada Weird Series: https://www.thecanadiangothic.com/keep-canada-weird

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Join the Keep Canada Weird Discussion Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/keepcanadaweird

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On July 30, 2026, the search for 11-year-old Parker Wells came to a heartbreaking end when his body was discovered in a drainage pipe in northeast Calgary.

Parker, who was autistic, neurodivergent and nonverbal, disappeared from his day home on July 16, prompting one of the largest search efforts in Calgary's recent history. Hundreds of police officers, firefighters, search-and-rescue teams, trained volunteers and members of the public dedicated countless hours to finding him. In the end, new evidence led investigators back to an area near Deerfoot Trail, where Parker was found.

In this episode of Canadian Gothic, we examine the final days of the search, the discovery that brought hope to an end, what investigators have revealed about how Parker was found, and the extraordinary community response that rallied around one little boy and his family.

Send a voicememo to the show:

⁠https://www.thecanadiangothic.com/contact⁠

Subscribe to the show:

⁠https://www.thecanadiangothic.com/subscribe⁠

Musical Theme:

Noir Toyko by Monty Datta

Social Links:

Website: ⁠https://www.thecanadiangothic.com/⁠

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TheCanadianGothic⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thecanadiangothic/
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In Keep Canada Weird Jordan and Aaron Airport explore the weird and offbeat Canadian news stories from the past week.

In this episode your hosts discuss;

Grizzly Bear Nonsense in Banff

Three Restaurants Get Screwed

Sinkholes and Mosquitoes

The Senior Situation Naming Situation

Series Links

Keep Canada Weird Series: https://www.thecanadiangothic.com/keep-canada-weird

Send a voice memo: www.thecanadiangothic.com/contact

Join the Keep Canada Weird Discussion Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/keepcanadaweird

Provide feedback and comments on the episode:

thecanadiangothic.com/contact

Subscribe to the show:

thecanadiangothic.com/subscribe

Contact:

Website: https://www.thecanadiangothic.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCanadianGothic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecanadiangothic/

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/thecanadiangothic

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On July 16, 2026, 11-year-old Parker Wells disappeared from his day home in Calgary. Parker is autistic, neurodivergent and nonverbal, and operates more like a 2-3 year old.

His disappearance has prompted an enormous search involving police, firefighters, search-and-rescue teams and hundreds of volunteers. Surveillance footage has helped investigators trace some of Parker’s movements, but major questions remain about where he went and how he has remained missing despite such an extensive effort.

In this episode of Canadian Gothic, we will focus on what is currently known, what remains unclear and how the public can help find Parker Wells.

Episode Links:

Calgary Police Service Map of Parker’s Movements - https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1485/c693dabe-0cd8-4239-b58f-de87ebdb92fb/1920_parkermap.jpg?10000

Send a voicememo to the show:

⁠https://www.thecanadiangothic.com/contact⁠

Subscribe to the show:

⁠https://www.thecanadiangothic.com/subscribe⁠

Musical Theme:

Noir Toyko by Monty Datta

Social Links:

Website: ⁠https://www.thecanadiangothic.com/⁠

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TheCanadianGothic⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thecanadiangothic/

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