Who Will Save the Paiges, Still? An Open Letter to B.C. Leaders

 Who Will Save the Paiges, Still? An Open Letter to B.C. Leaders

Ten years ago, in 2015, I wrote a blog post called “Who will Save the Paiges? WTF when will it Change!” after the heartbreaking death of Paige, a 19-year-old Indigenous girl abandoned by the very system meant to protect her. At the time, we were told it was a wake-up call. A damning report said professional indifference and systemic racism failed Paige, and warned there were 100–150 other children just like her in the Downtown Eastside.

Today, in 2025, we are seeing it happen again.

This week, a Vancouver restaurant owner spoke out after encountering a 12-year-old girl alone in the Downtown Eastside. He tried to help, but like me, he was left asking: how can this possibly still be happening?

It feels like déjà vu. Paige’s story should have forced change. Instead, nothing has changed.

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A Message to Our Leaders

Premier David Eby, Minister of Children and Family Development Mitzi Dean, and Representative for Children and Youth Jennifer Charlesworth:

How many more children have to be failed before you act?

• In B.C., the law says children must be protected until age 18. How does a 12-year-old end up in the DTES with no one stepping in?
• In 2015, we were promised Paige’s death would not be in vain. Yet here we are, a decade later, with the same failures, the same excuses, and children still slipping through the cracks.
• Indigenous and vulnerable children continue to be treated as if their lives matter less.

This is not “a tragic one-off.” It’s a systemic crisis.

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My Own Experience

I know how frightening and inconsistent this system is, because I lived it. When my own child was 17, they moved out. I feared that the Ministry would force them into foster care even though they were working and trying to find their own way. I told them honestly that they were struggling with self-harm, and I thought they would use that against us. They spoke to me, their stepdad, my sister — and in the end, they wrote that it was a “mistake.”

But that’s the point: sometimes the Ministry overreaches, sometimes it disappears completely. Families are left in fear and confusion, while children who truly need protection — like Paige, or this 12-year-old — are abandoned. The rules don’t make sense, and they don’t keep kids safe.

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What Needs to Change

1. Immediate protection for children in the DTES — no excuses, no waiting until the next tragedy.
2. Real supports for youth past 19 — stop abandoning them on their birthdays.
3. Accountability and transparency — the public deserves to know how many kids are at risk and what’s being done.
4. An independent inquiry into why nothing has changed since Paige’s report.

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My Plea

When I saw a young girl smoking crack at a Surrey bus stop, I called for help — because that’s what we should all do when a child is in danger. But as citizens we can only do so much. The people in charge have the power to protect children, and they are failing.

Ten years ago, I asked: “Who will save the Paiges?”
I’m asking again today: Who will save her? Who will save them?

Wake up, B.C. The time for reports and excuses is over. Children’s lives are on the line.

Sincerely,
Tina Winterlik