Chilliwack – In 2021, the body of a missing 23 year old Chilliwack woman, Shaelene Bell was found. Chilliwack RCMP were notified of the discovery of a woman’s body in the Fraser River near Coquitlam on Wednesday, June 2.
The Ambera Alert system has been up for a number of years, but its focus is on kids and teens.
Why not adults over the age of 18?
Since her daughter’s death, her mom, Alina Durham has been pushing for changes to the criteria (to include adults over 18)
NOTE: Alina and her husband are friends of FVN’s Editor Don Lehn, so there is an obvious emotional bias in this story.
From FVN in 2023: On Monday November 27, Chilliwack-Hope MP Mark Strahl, made the following statement on an Adult Missing Persons Alert System in the House of Commons.
He referred to the Shaelene Bell case:
“I rise to pay tribute to my constituent, Alina Durham, for her tireless efforts to bring attention to the issue of adult missing persons. Her daughter Shaelene Keeler Bell was reported missing on January 30, 2021. Tragically, Shaelene’s body was found several months later in the Fraser River.
“Alina has used her personal tragedy to draw attention to a gap in Canada’s missing persons protocols. Right now, AMBER Alerts are only issued if the victim is under the age of 18. There is no AMBER Alert system for adults.
“To honour Shaelene’s memory I’ve introduced a private member’s motion M-89 which calls on the government to work with the provinces and territories to expand protections for victims of crime over the age of 18 by amending the criteria for the activation of an AMBER Alert for missing persons.
Now in 2025, Shaelene’s mother, Alina notified FVN that the Provincial Public Safety Minister Garry Begg asked her to send him her proposal:
Minister of public Safety and Solicitor General
Dear Mr. Begg:
NOW IS THE TIME FOR CHANGE!
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to present this proposal. I am appreciative of your time
and know that these solutions will make a change for the better and succeed. This has been needed for so long. We know Alerts in The USA and Canada have been successful.
The Legislation in the USA passed an Adult Alert named The Clear Alert in 2019 The USA has many color coded Alerts that are specific to the color that have proven successful. What we can do is learn from others who have already activated these Alerts.
MYTH:
There is a Myth and Concern in BC of to many activations overwhelming Our Alert Ready System, Evident based Statistics show otherwise. Our National Alert Ready System in BC activated Five Amber Alerts between 2022 to 2025
If you press the Icon Ok on you your mobile it will acknowledge you have accepted it and it will not go off again.
PROPOSAL:
I propose that we keep The Amber Alert in BC in place but add the following:
– Use only the word Victim not Child
– Follow the strict criteria of The Alert and make if for an Abducted Child and an Abducted Adult
– Leave the name Amber Alert for an abducted child and expand the alert to include eligible adults
– Add a Silver Alert to Our Alert Ready System waiting to be used to its capacity. We started asking for a Silver Alert in 2013
– Utilize what we do have ex: Provincial Boards, Highway Signs, Bill Boards, Busses, Ferry Terminal and Boarder Crossings.
IN CLOSING:
I can not change my Daughters circumstance, I started this in Honor of Shaelene Bell and I would like to complete this in Honor of Shae and help other Adults and Seniors. I always told Shaelene actions speak louder than words. it’s up to all of us to work together and do our utmost best. The good news is we have everything to succeed. I would kindly ask you Mr. Begg to help me move this forward so we can add to what is already in place so we can further the success for everyone and make a difference.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE!
A lot of people in Government, MLA’S, MLA’s Assistants and Our Businesses and People in our Community have been involved in this, with a petition on Change.org and Mark Strahl had a Petition to make Awareness, Kelli Paddon presented Signatures Provincially. I just had a Teams Meeting with MLA Aaliya Warbus and our Shadow Minister Elenore Sturko
‘OUR COMMUNITY IS OUR VILLAGE’
As our Public Safety Minister I would kindly ask that you listen to our Community and help make improvements for the better of others that is long long overdue.
