On January 21, Ajax’s St. Francis Centre for Community, Arts and Culture hosted a sneak preview screening of CBC’s The Fifth Estate documentary, Missing Black Boys, drawing a full room of community members from across Durham Region and beyond. The event highlighted the urgent need for collaborative action to address the growing concern around missing Black youth from the Greater Toronto Area that are being found in remote communities across Ontario and beyond.
The screening was followed by a powerful question and answer session with The Fifth Estate journalists, researchers, social advocates and Shana McCalla – founder of Find Ontario Missing Boys. Panelists discussed systemic gaps contributing to these disappearances, including limited employment opportunities that leave some youth vulnerable to being lured into quick-money activities, such as selling drugs or stolen goods, often referred to as going “OT” and “trapping”. These youth are taken across the province to communities like Thunder Bay and Sarnia with limited contact with the outside world and their caregivers. Panelists also outlined concrete steps that communities and institutions can take to address these risks.
Key takeaways included:
- Lack of qualitative data across schools, social services and all levels of government can reduce funding for programs that deter youth from risky situations.
- Educators play a crucial role in prevention. Recognizing warning signs, such as repeated unexplained absences or sudden changes in behaviour, allows early connection to support services.
- Increased visibility and awareness help protect youth by reducing isolation and vulnerability.
Next steps and community actions:
- Train educators to identify early warning signs and ensure referral pathways to mental health and social supports.
- Encourage dialogue between municipal government, law enforcement, educators, community advocates and parents to coordinate prevention and response strategies by attending local committee meetings.
- Improve tracking of youth attendance, disengagement and missing cases to guide effective prevention strategies.
Moderator, Brandon Gonez, closed the event by emphasizing that any youth can be targeted, not just Black youth, and particularly those who are showing signs of isolation.
The Town of Ajax remains committed to working with the community to raise awareness, support preventative programs and create opportunities that empower and uplift all youth.
Quick Facts
- Missing Black Boys premiered on The Fifth Estate’s YouTube channel on January 22 at 7 p.m. and airs on CBC at 9 p.m. on January 23.
- Holding the event in Ajax was particularly meaningful, as Black youth in Durham are disproportionately affected by this issue.
- In May 2025, the Ajax Anti-Racism Task Force supported Durham Family Cultural Centre in hosting a parent support event, The Unseen: Town Hall Meeting on the Durham Missing Black Boys. The event is featured in parts of the documentary.
- Find Ontario Missing Boys is a grassroots initiative dedicated to finding Ontario’s missing boys and girls, empowering families, driving action and inspiring change.
- CBC’s The Fifth Estate is a documentary series with episodes featuring Canada’s top investigative stories from across the country and around the world.
- Brandon Gonez is Canadian journalist and host of The Brandon Gonez Show. He and his show have helped raise public attention on the problem of missing Black boys in Ontario.
- Throughout the month of February, the Town of Ajax celebrates Black History Month (BHM), recognizing the unique and important role of the Black community in Canada’s past, reflecting on current realities and recommitting to positive action for the future. A 2026 BHM event listing will be available in the coming weeks at ajax.ca/BHM.
