CANADA Canada - Jack, 4 & Lilly Sullivan, 6, Vulnerable, wandered from home 10am, Gairloch Rd, Landsdowne Station, Pictou County, NS, 2 May 2025 #3

[Ontario Mom]

Would also be interested to know - If they hadn’t notified the school Friday, did the school attempt to contact the mom as they do when a child is not present and the parents haven’t notified in advance. And, if that is the case what time(s) did the school call and how does that line up with the 911 call. Hypothetically there could be a situation whee something happened and they told the school they were sick Thursday but then forgot to do it Friday and after a couple missed calls from the school realized they have to put a report in to police quick before the school does. Obviously complete hypothetical and avenues/timelines the police would’ve already put together but just a thought.

The school system there uses the same Safe Arrival app Safe Arrivals that the school system does here in Ontario. The school doesn't phone the police if your child has an unexcused absence. On their end, it's entirely automated. The app calls your landline/cell phone or messages you via email or text, however you've set it all up. If mom is first contact and dad/step-dad/grandma/whoever is second contact, the app does the same with both contact people. And it will keep calling until you call back and excuse the absence.

 

[katydid23]

Maybe by feeding the smallest one they meant she was nursing. That could well be done in bed.

Maybe, but it seems odd to be breastfeeding a 16 month old before they had their breakfast even.

 

[AIGT]

The school system there uses the same Safe Arrival app Safe Arrivals that the school system does here in Ontario. The school doesn't phone the police if your child has an unexcused absence. On their end, it's entirely automated. The app calls your landline/cell phone or messages you via email or text, however you've set it all up. If mom is first contact and dad/step-dad/grandma/whoever is second contact, the app does the same with both contact people. And it will keep calling until you call back and excuse the absence.

So you’re saying that if the school can’t get ahold of the parent whose child is absent they just let an automated system call the parent/secondary contact all day and not take further steps? That seems highly irresponsible if true.

 

[iamafiusny]

So you’re saying that if the school can’t get ahold of the parent whose child is absent they just let an automated system call the parent/secondary contact all day and not take further steps? That seems highly irresponsible if true.

I'd think this would only happen for a day or two before someone would officially check in. Especially if both kids continued to be absent.

Moo

 

[iamafiusny]

Maybe, but it seems odd to be breastfeeding a 16 month old before they had their breakfast even.

I could see a 16 month old being an earlier riser and ready for a nurse and nap at ten.

But then they should have seen Jack.

Moo

 

[Skigh]

I’m still puzzled why they couldn’t have fabricated a more believable story. We slept in a bit, baby who sleeps in the same room was fussing all night, woke up late and realized the house was silent which was very odd, kids are always early risers and usually wake us up, checked the kids beds and both were empty, panic set in, noticed their boots missing, gone. Isn’t this the general theme of every missing children movie or book known to mankind?

I have wondered the same thing. Perhaps they thought it they went in and found them gone it would make them look guilty !!

 

[AIGT]

The school system there uses the same Safe Arrival app Safe Arrivals that the school system does here in Ontario. The school doesn't phone the police if your child has an unexcused absence. On their end, it's entirely automated. The app calls your landline/cell phone or messages you via email or text, however you've set it all up. If mom is first contact and dad/step-dad/grandma/whoever is second contact, the app does the same with both contact people. And it will keep calling until you call back and excuse the absence.

So for this app does it allow you to mark your child absent for multiple days in the future or do you have to do it every day?

 

[AIGT]

I'd think this would only happen for a day or two before someone would officially check in. Especially if both kids continued to be absent.

Moo

Even a full day seems too much for me.

 

[Skigh]

I could see a 16 month old being an earlier riser and ready for a nurse and nap at ten.

But then they should have seen Jack.

Moo

I would have thought the 16 month year old would be wanting to be up and about and seeing what the other children were doing.

 

[Ontario Mom]

So you’re saying that if the school can’t get ahold of the parent whose child is absent they just let an automated system call the parent/secondary contact all day and not take further steps? That seems highly irresponsible if true.

I'm saying, if Jack and Lily's school absences on Friday were unexcused via the safe arrival app, the app will attempt to contact the first contact, then second contact, many times before it would ever escalate to the point of school staff being notified and an actual person attempting to make contact. At that point, local authorities could become involved but it wouldn't have happened after a single day. I know this from first hand experience, since my family used the same app when the kids were in public school and there were times no one was able to phone back in and excuse an absence until later in the evening or the next morning.

 

[MistyWaters]

I agree completely with all your experiences. I've had similar.

There are a lot of logical reasons parents might be in bed. Maybe they were getting sick if Lilly was.

But it all flies out the widow when they state they didn't see Jack *at all*. They live in a small trailer, they would have had to have their door shut the entire time to never see him walk by. He didn't need the restroom? A parent didn't need the restroom?

Eta: they were also aware he was in a pull-up that would need checking/changing.

And I don't think 10 could be a usual time for them since the two older kids typically got on a bus for school.

I have seen a few pictures where you can see a little of the inside of the trailer and what I could see did look clean and organized.

Moo

Why would they claim not to have seen Jack, if details of their story were indeed fabricated? They could’ve said they saw him up, fine and well, but still claim to have not remembered a description of his clothing. For that matter, if they were involved in foul play, they’d know what clothes were no longer folded up in his bureau drawers.

Such a puzzle it is.

 

[Andromeda]

Jack has short, blond hair and was wearing blue dinosaur boots. Martell said he had not seen Jack on Friday morning, but believed he was wearing a brown shirt and pants with a pull-up diaper underneath. Stepfather calls for expanded search in case of 2 missing Nova Scotia children | Globalnews.ca

Awesome, Sailor Bug. So, based on your linked article and mine (DM saying Lilly was off Friday with a cough), do you think he might have been under the impression [IMO when he arrived to the home (after the school run)] that Jack was at school and the only one missing was Lilly? Maybe he thinks the same way as we do. Why keep both home when only one is not well?JMO/MOO

 

[AIGT]

So for this app does it allow you to mark your child absent for multiple days in the future or do you have to do it every day?

The school system there uses the same Safe Arrival app Safe Arrivals that the school system does here in Ontario. The school doesn't phone the police if your child has an unexcused absence. On their end, it's entirely automated. The app calls your landline/cell phone or messages you via email or text, however you've set it all up. If mom is first contact and dad/step-dad/grandma/whoever is second contact, the app does the same with both contact people. And it will keep calling until you call back and excuse the absence.

Okay I read the link you provided. They can report the absence in advance and can only report the absence on the day of if it is before the cut off time which is determined by each school. So it will be interesting to see when they reported the absences if they did. Surely with a cough you’re going to see if it has cleared up, you’re not going to report for Thursday and Friday on Thursday morning.

 

[Ontario Mom]

So for this app does it allow you to mark your child absent for multiple days in the future or do you have to do it every day?

You can excuse the kids for multiple days, yes.

 

[iamafiusny]

I would have thought the 16 month year old would be wanting to be up and about and seeing what the other children were doing.

I haven't met many (any) that stay still at that age.

Most kids that age aren't having frequent naps either, but she could be teething, getting sick etc.

I don't know. The morning doesn't make any sense to me no matter how I try to twist things.

Jmo

 

[AIGT]

I'm saying, if Jack and Lily's school absences on Friday were unexcused via the safe arrival app, the app will attempt to contact the first contact, then second contact, many times before it would ever escalate to the point of school staff being notified and an actual person attempting to make contact. At that point, local authorities could become involved but it wouldn't have happened after a single day. I know this from first hand experience, since my family used the same app when the kids were in public school and there were times no one was able to phone back in and excuse an absence until later in the evening or the next morning.

Understood. So in my opinion that is a faulty application for schools to use. Could result in a situation where children end up missing or dead because it took multiple days for anyone to realize something was wrong….

 

[iamafiusny]

Why would they claim not to have seen Jack, if details of their story were indeed fabricated? They could’ve said they saw him up, fine and well, but still claim to have not remembered a description of his clothing. For that matter, if they were involved in foul play, they’d know what clothes were no longer folded up in his bureau drawers.

Such a puzzle it is.

That is what I don't understand at all.

The only two things I've been able to come up with are for some reason they thought it sounded more believable to have the kids home instead of missing beds and to have different stories for each kid.

Or distancing themselves from Jack for some reason.

It is all very odd.

Moo

 

[AIGT]

Okay I read the link you provided. They can report the absence in advance and can only report the absence on the day of if it is before the cut off time which is determined by each school. So it will be interesting to see when they reported the absences if they did. Surely with a cough you’re going to see if it has cleared up, you’re not going to report for Thursday and Friday on Thursday morning.

Not to mention only one kid was reportedly sick. IMO not a coincidence it is the one they claim they saw that morning.

 

[AIGT]

That is what I don't understand at all.

The only two things I've been able to come up with are for some reason they thought it sounded more believable to have the kids home instead of missing beds and to have different stories for each kid.

Or distancing themselves from Jack for some reason.

It is all very odd.

Moo

Thinking about that distancing too. Like I just mentioned - they had Lilly sick but not jack as well. Why not say they both were sick?

 

[Skigh]

Not to mention only one kid was reportedly sick. IMO not a coincidence it is the one they claim they saw that morning.

And only one child took a backback on their walk.