Our Children Aren't Commodities

  By Dale Jodoin Columnist                                               Most of us have watched a child climb onto a school bus, ride a bicycle down the street, or walk to a friend's house. We wave goodbye, expecting them to be home for supper. We never imagine that an ordinary day could become a family's worst nightmare. Then, for some families, it does. A child's bedroom remains exactly as it was left. The bed is made. A favourite stuffed animal rests on the pillow. School books are still on the desk. A backpack sits by the door. Every night, a porch light stays on because hope refuses to go out. No parent should ever have to live like that. Thousands of children are reported missing in Canada every year. The good news is that most are found quickly. The heartbreaking news is that not every child comes home. Some become victims of sexual exploitation. Some are trafficked. Some are murdered. Others simply disappear, leaving families with unanswered questions that may never be answered. According to the Government of Canada's National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains, 34,222 children under the age of 18 were reported missing in 2025. About 57 per cent were located within 24 hours, while 91 per cent were found within one week. The report also found that 70 per cent of missing children were classified as runaways, placing many at a much greater risk of sexual exploitation, trafficking, violence, and abuse. Nearly 78 per cent of all missing children were between the ages of 14 and 17. Statistics tell us how many. They do not tell us who. They do not tell us about the little girl who loved horses, the boy who dreamed of playing hockey, or the teenager who never forgot to hug their grandmother goodbye. Behind every number is a family waiting for a miracle. Canada has police officers who dedicate their careers to protecting children. The RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre works with police services across the country to identify victims, rescue children, and investigate those who prey on them. Earlier this year, Project STEEL brought police agencies together from across Canada. The operation resulted in the arrest of 106 suspected child sex offenders, the protection of 37 children, and the seizure of more than 1,100 electronic devices believed to contain evidence. Those officers deserve our respect and support. But here is the question I keep coming back to. If protecting children is one of Canada's highest priorities, should we create a nationally recognized organization whose sole mission is finding missing children, supporting families, coordinating investigations across the country, and carrying out the relentless pursuit of child predators? That is not about politics. That is about priorities. Children are not commodities. They are not to be bought, sold, exploited, or abused. Every child deserves the chance to grow up safe, no matter where they live or what their family's circumstances may be. Imagine knowing that every available resource was focused on bringing a missing child home. Imagine families knowing their child's case remained a national priority long after the television cameras had left. Imagine predators knowing there would be no safe haven because Canada had made the relentless pursuit of child predators one of its highest priorities. Would it solve every case? No. Would it save every child? Probably not. But if it saved even one child, would it be worth it? I believe most Canadians already know the answer. The true measure of a country is not found only in its economy, its technology, or its politics. It is found in how it protects those who cannot protect themselves. Every missing child has a name. Every missing child has a family. Every missing child has a future worth fighting for. Our children are not commodities. They are Canada's future, and they deserve nothing less than our full commitment to bringing them home and bringing those who harm them to justice. Sometimes the hardest conversations are the ones we most need to have. Until next week, I'll meet you Around the Coffee Table.