Via Rail Joins Forces with Missing Children Society of Canada

July 25, 2015

The Missing Children Society of Canada (MCSC) and Via Rail Canada (Via Rail) announced a new national partnership in the presence of the Toronto Police Service. Via Rail is joining alongside other corporate supporters of MCSC’s CodeSearch.

MCSC launched CodeSearch in 2012 as part of their commitment to supporting the efforts of law enforcement in reuniting families, and the app allows for real-time updates and information on missing children to be sent to users through geo-targeted push notifications and a live in-app newsfeed. “We have unleashed the power of technology in our mission to bring every missing child home,” says Amanda Pick, chief executive office of MCSC.   

In 2014, there were 41,342 reports of missing children in Canada as reported by the RCMP and the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC). That is one child every 12 minutes.

“We are so incredibly honoured to welcome Via Rail as a new national corporate partner and champion of CodeSearch as a tool to help find missing children and also reducing the incidence of children going missing,” says Pick. “It is through the generosity of partners and donors like VIA Rail that we are able to continue our work for the families we serve. Today is a tremendous day as we welcome Via Rail and their employees to our growing network of Canadians dedicated to reuniting families and helping to expand the reach of awareness when a child goes missing.”

“Via Rail has a long-standing history and commitment to supporting safe communities. As a public service, it was natural for us to offer our services to Missing Children Society of Canada, the Toronto Police Service and police forces across Canada”, said Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, president and CEO of Via Rail Canada. “Now, all Via Rail employees will be on high alert and available to support missing children search on our trains, in train stations or around Via Rail’s offices. We know how important the first hours are after a child goes missing and all our employees will have the CodeSearch app on their phone to act quickly.”

In 2014, MCSC’s Search program which includes the CodeSearch app received endorsement from the National Chiefs of Police and the Toronto Police Service as critical programs to the search for missing children in Canada.

“CodeSearch is an invaluable tool for the Toronto Police Service. It leverages technology to greatly expand the search capabilities when children go missing. The more people we reach, the more likely we’ll get the information we need,” said Mark Saunders, chief of Toronto Police Service.