Many moons ago I went on vacation to the Canary Islands, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean owned by Spain but physically closer to northeast Africa. One day trip was to the second smallest island called La Gomera, with a population of about 22,000, and an endless abundance of bananas.
Formed by a volcano that erupted over 3 million years ago, the hills were created by a porous rock that people dug caves into and used to live in. After the hour-and-a-half ferry ride, then the 2-hour rickety bus trip, I thought that La Gomera would be the perfect hiding place if I ever needed one.
As an adult, have you ever thought about running away? Just leaving your life and starting a new one in a different place? With the dawning of the Information Age, this is becoming a more difficult challenge.
Can you stop the paper trail?
To truly disappear, you would need to cease using all of the daily tools that lead to a recording of data. For example, if you withdraw money from a bank account using a debit card, the bank can track this transaction, including the geographic location of where the transaction occurred. Likewise, if you use a credit card, or even a phone tap now, at any store.
If you wanted to try to leave the country, you would need to use your passport, which would show where you went and how you got there. If you are on the run, can you run faster to the border than the time it may take for authorities to notify them ahead of you?
Even if you could get to a different country, it would not necessarily be easy to hide there either. Many international airports and other travel hubs use biometric security checks in addition to your physical passport.
So much for hiding in La Gomera.
Smile, you're on camera.
According to Statistics Canada (www.statcan.gc.ca), 80% of Canadians own and use a Smartphone. As Smartphones are now all equipped with a photo and video camera, the chances of you being recorded, either deliberately or inadvertently, are very high. Likewise, most businesses also have video cameras installed within or outside of their premises, which are now linked to a computer program to save the information digitally. Therefore, the footage is less likely to be taped over like older security systems.
In 2024, it is almost impossible to enter a store and not be recorded by a security camera, nevertheless traveling through busy public areas. According to tech research company Comparitech (www.comparitech.com), Toronto, Ontario has more than 15,000 cameras, both private and publicly owned.
You would also need to stop using your phone. Like, completely.
Although there may theoretically be ways to disable your phone from being tracked, all Smartphones now equip a default GPS system. Therefore, the phone service company can track your previous and current physical geographic location as long as you have your cell phone on you.
And delete your entire social media footprint.
Not only would you need to stop using your phone, you would need to go completely offline. With our new connected Internet normal world, any device you use to go online can be tracked. You may recall the story of Luka Magnotta, a murderer from Montreal, who tried to run away to Berlin. He was caught because he was using a public computer at an Internet cafe, and authorities were able to trace his location through the IP address.
Given the common obsession if not addiction to the cellphones and the internet, you may have to go through a withdrawal phase to step out of the technical world.
What about changing your appearance?
If you were able to get fake I.D., changing your appearance to look like the person who is pictured on that I.D. may be beneficial. Dye your hair or get a wig. Change your facial hair or wear heavy make-up. You could also get plastic surgery, but good luck hiding your identity in order to do so.
So if you can't get out of the country, where should you go in Canada?
Although it may be possible to get lost in the crowd of an overly-populated city, you are more likely to be able to stay hidden if you go way up North, amongst the rocks and wide swaths of boreal forest. There are fewer cameras to record you, and fewer neighbours nearby who may recognize your face.
How would you support yourself?
By law, you cannot obtain employment in Canada without a Social Security Number (SIN). It is often also impossible to rent a property or even a hotel room without providing proof of your identity.
Could you live off-grid?
There are very few locations where a person can set up to live off-grid for free and without the proper training and preparation, not many modern-day Canadians would likely survive comfortably for long.
For example, consider your basic needs:
for shelter, have you brought a tent to erect? Were you planning to make a shelter using trees, and if so, have you brought the tools (a hatchet) to create this?
for food, do you know what plants are edible and what plants could kill you? Do you know how to catch animals, birds, or fish to eat? How will you prepare these to eat?
for water, are you planning to set up close to a freshwater source, such as a river? If you intend to collect snow or rainwater, do you have a vessel to use?
have you brought enough clothes to keep you warm in the winter? Do you have the resources to create a heat source (fire)?
And don't forget about our Northern Canadian wildlife such as blackflies that may drive you crazy or bears would may eat you.
Can't you just get a fake ID?
Although a fake ID is still obtainable in some places, primarily for use by minors trying to enter licensed establishments, the security features of Canadian IDs are quite sophisticated and difficult to copy correctly. Many countries now use biometrics (fingerprints or eye scans) to verify your identity rather than simply looking at your picture and date of birth.
Can you legally go missing in Canada?
Yes. The RCMP operates the Canadian Witness Protection Program, when there is a proven risk of danger to the person who needs to disappear. However, this is not an easy process like it may be depicted in the movies, and involves many layers of government to enact. In 2020, there were only 12 Canadians who were admitted into the Witness Protection Program and provided with new legal identities.
Are you really that much of a jerk?
Although you may wish to disappear for personal reasons, have you considered the consequences for the people you may be leaving behind? According to statistics from canadasmissing.ca, about 3000 people or more go missing in Ontario annually. However, according to the RCMP's National Centre for Missing Persons, about 85% of people reported as missing are found within the week.
By not advising your family members or friends where you are going, you are causing them extreme stress and worry and you may be putting undue duress on our police system who are wasting time and resources to find you. Choosing to run away is an incredibly selfish move and most sane people should feel incredibly guilty for doing this.
How might a Private Investigator try to find me if I was reported as missing?
A Private Investigator would likely take the following steps to try to find where you may have gone:
request a credit report to look for any recent activity or contact information
request an MTO report to see what vehicle you may be driving
do an extensive online search on you to see what you may have posted recently on social media, if there may have been any recent news reports involving your name
contact the local police department to see what steps they may have previously taken to find you (for example, have they contacted all local hospitals to inquire if you may be there? has your telephone been traced? has your passport been used?)
talk to your family members or friends to try to get to know more about you, your habits, places you may have gone, and places they think you may have gone
show your picture to people who may have come in contact with you to see if they recognize you
If a Private Investigator does locate me, do they have to advise their client?
Depending on the reason that a P.I. is trying to locate you, most likely yes, they would advise their client that you have been found. However, they are not necessarily obligated to pass on your specific contact information to their client, if this may be your preference. From an ethical standpoint, you have a right to your privacy if you have chosen to remove yourself from someone else's life and they do not have a justifiable legal reason to locate you.
The caves are already inhabited.
Now as I google in 2024, I discover that most of the caves of La Gomera are actually owned by a 4-star rated luxury Hotel Jardin Tecina, and can be rented for about $300/night. But I would need to use my credit card to make a reservation.
Are you searching for a missing person? Agent K Private Investigations Inc. may be able to help. www.agentkpi.ca
