Death of Calgary boy with autism hits home for Conservative MP and party leader

CANADA Death of Calgary boy with autism hits home for Conservative MP and party leader By Rob Drinkwater The Canadian Press Posted July 31, 2026 7:40 am 3 min read WATCH: Parker's grieving parents thank public for search after son's body found LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE Whenever Mike Lake hears news that a child with autism is missing, he knows how vulnerable they are. “There’s a need to catch my breath a little bit because it hits close to home right away,” the Conservative MP from Alberta said in a phone interview on Thursday. Lake and his party’s leader, Pierre Poilievre, are both fathers of children with autism. They are calling for a Canada-wide framework for public alerts when vulnerable children go missing, even when abduction or foul play is not suspected. Lake’s son, Jaden, is now 30, but he said a child with autism on their own can be in serious danger within minutes. “He has and has always had a really visual memory. He would know exactly where a swimming pool that he likes is, or a park that he likes is, but the abstract world is a little bit tougher for him to navigate,” Lake said about his son, who is non-verbal. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT “So things like danger and understanding traffic, and dangers around water and those kind of things for a lot of kids on the autism spectrum — particularly in that range of the autism spectrum — are really difficult.” On July 16, an 11-year-old boy named Parker, who had autism and was non-verbal, wandered from his daycare home in Calgary just before lunchtime. He was found dead in a labyrinth of pipes under the city, police announced Wednesday. Get breaking Montreal news Get breaking Montreal news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story. SIGN UP FOR BREAKING MONTREAL NEWSLETTER GET STARTED BY PROVIDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO GLOBAL NEWS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY. Early in the search, Parker’s family described him in a statement as a “loved son, brother and friend.” A massive search galvanized the city, with hundreds of officers and volunteers scouring city blocks, homes, sheds, garages, boats and under patio decks. The search raised questions about how to alert the public when vulnerable children disappear. Amber Alerts are currently broadcast for children…