The family of a teenager from Brampton, Ont. is heartbroken and seeking answers after he was found dead near a small community in Saskatchewan, according to an advocate from Toronto.
On May 13, Saskatchewan RCMP found human remains close to Pelican Narrows, which is part of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, situated about 420 kilometres north of Saskatoon.
Authorities identified the remains as those of 16-year-old Jay’siiah Webb-Long, who had been missing since last March, says Shana Mc Calla, founder of Find Ontario Missing Black Boys, a program that shares information about missing children online and supports families.
“Just the visceral grief that the family is experiencing right now, no family should experience something like this,” Mc Calla told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning Thursday.
“We were definitely holding on to hope that we would locate Jay’Siiah and this news is an unimaginable loss.”
Mc Calla mentioned that the family is trying to understand how their son ended up in Saskatchewan – a place they have no ties to – and why he was there in the first place.
She noted that Webb-Long’s death highlights a concerning trend regarding missing Black boys in Ontario, which she hopes will be addressed through collaboration and action among various police forces.
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Shana Mc Calla said the family is searching for answers on how the boy got to Saskatchewan – a place they have no connection to – and why he was there. (Submitted by Shenice Long)
“How a child gets from Brampton to Pelican Narrows is baffling,” said Mc Calla, adding she believes someone must have helped him travel there since it would have been tough for him to go alone.
“Josiah deserved a future; his family deserves answers and our community needs an immediate response system when vulnerable youth go missing.”
Black boys are going missing across the GTA. This advocate is calling for systemic change
Ontario faces a troubling situation with many Black boys going missing who are being lured into drug trafficking gangs, says advocate Shana Mc Calla from Toronto. Last month, she shared her insights with CBC’s Fifth Estate regarding this issue. Now, she’s planning to meet with the province’s solicitor general for urgent action and systemic change.
The family believes Peel police delayed investigating his disappearance due to their initial contact circumstances she added.
“When a family says … this is out of character; this child has never been to this area; it should immediately raise alarms for everyone,” she stated.
Earlier this year, Mc Calla submitted recommendations regarding missing Black boys in Ontario directly to its Solicitor General but hasn’t yet spoken with him.
However, she’s been in touch with police services throughout the GTA and hopes for collaboration or coordination between jurisdictions on these cases.
An investigation by CBC’s The Fifth Estate highlighted concerns raised by advocates showing that boys reported missing from the GTA often end up traveling north for involvement in drug-related activities.
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A Larger Issue Surrounding Missing Black Boys
Mc Calla expressed concern over seeing a child taken away from their home and family. It’s an escalating problem she’s noticed since starting her organization in 2024, which she feels isn’t getting enough attention. There are systemic issues at play where law enforcement sometimes views kids as runaways or fail to coordinate with other jurisdictions during investigations, she explained. The family thinks these factors may have influenced Webb-Long’s situation because his mother had limited contact with him via social media from March until May last year, according to Mc Calla. WATCH | Toronto advocate made a call for action into missing Black boys in Ontario:
Black boys are going missing across the GTA. This advocate is calling for systemic change
Ontario faces a troubling situation with many Black boys going missing who are being lured into drug trafficking gangs, says advocate Shana Mc Calla from Toronto. Last month, she shared her insights with CBC’s Fifth Estate regarding this issue. Now, she’s planning to meet with the province’s solicitor general for urgent action and systemic change.
The family believes Peel police delayed investigating his disappearance due to their initial contact circumstances she added.
“When a family says … this is out of character; this child has never been to this area; it should immediately raise alarms for everyone,” she stated.
Earlier this year, Mc Calla submitted recommendations regarding missing Black boys in Ontario directly to its Solicitor General but hasn’t yet spoken with him.
However, she’s been in touch with police services throughout the GTA and hopes for collaboration or coordination between jurisdictions on these cases.
An investigation by CBC’s The Fifth Estate highlighted concerns raised by advocates showing that boys reported missing from the GTA often end up traveling north for involvement in drug-related activities.Source link
