Prince Albert Police host Missing Persons Week family gathering

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Acknowledging it’s been nine years since his daughter went missing, Carson was overcome with emotions as he talked about the impact on the rest of his family. He wiped tears from his eyes as he stated due to the amount if time he has spent looking for Happy, his other children and grandchildren have felt left out.

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“When you have a missing loved one it’s all you focus on. People along the way get lost.”

Going forward, Poitras said he will never stop looking for his daughter and that he can be that voice for the families that can’t speak up for themselves.

“Every time we do a publicity stunt, we get tips”

Thursday’s event was hosted by the Prince Albert Police Service’s Victims Services Unit.

Inspector Lisa Simonson stated the goal of the event was to share space, tell stories, and pay remembrance to those who have gone missing.

She also acknowledged there is an important relationship between police and the families, and the investigations themselves can be very complex.

“Sometimes we can’t give families the answers they are looking for necessarily. Sometimes for the integrity of the investigation and sometimes we’ve exhausted those investigative leads.”

But she also noted the importance of public tips.

“Any small amount of information can be that key in getting momentum again with an investigation and advancing it even further.”

From left to right: Nora Vedress, Jennifer Lariviere, Brianna Nicholson, Kelly Clark, Liz Settee and Gavin Jutras. (Image Credit: Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

The Woods family. (Image Credit: Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

The formal gathering included a moment of silence to honor those who are missing.

Clifford Woods, whose son Lindsay went missing in 2024, thought the event was a positive and stated hearing peoples voices, helps with his own healing. He added when you have a missing loved one, the search never ends.

“Everyday it goes through your head and there’s never a moment you don’t think about it,” he said.

Cheryl Ring, founder of the Heart Spirits Project, was also among the guest speakers and shared her work honoring missing and murdered individuals through handcrafted hearts.

Her work has been recognized provincially, including being featured in the Qu’Appelle Gallery at the Legislative Building. Through her initiative and her work at Heart Space Clay Studio, Cheryl continues to support families and raise awareness through art and community connection.

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell