Parker, an 11-year-old non-verbal boy with autism, shown in this undated handout photo, went missing from a day home in Calgary's north end on Thursday, July 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Calgary Police Service (Mandatory Credit)
By The Canadian Press

Flowers and teddy bears: Makeshift memorial started for 11-year-old Calgary boy

Jul 30, 2026 | 1:00 AM

CALGARY — Calgarians journeyed today to a north end park to hug, cry and honour the memory of an 11-year-old boy.

The makeshift memorial for Parker has grown one flower and one stuffed toy at a time on a footbridge in Laycock Park.

Close by is a culvert and a network of underground pipes.

On Wednesday, searchers found the boy’s body in one of those pipes.

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Parker, who had autism and was non-verbal, wandered away from a daycare home two weeks ago.

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His disappearance sparked a massive search that captured the attention of the city, with hundreds of police and volunteers checking homes, boats, sheds, garages and waterways to find the child.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2026.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

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