By Tyler Marr

‘We just want to bring her home’: Search effort for Happy Charles remains

Nov 5, 2017 | 9:38 AM

It has been seven months since Happy Charles was last seen in Prince Albert, but the search to find any evidence on what may have happened has not let up.

Organized by newly appointed police victim services missing person liaison Conrad Burns, a civilian search party braved the elements this weekend.

“Working with [Charles’ family] and talking with them and seeing how this has affected her family, they felt that victim services can be another resource for them to look for their lost loved one,” Burns explained. 

In his new role, Burns expressed a desire to be “more proactive,” highlighting a need to “educate people in situations and getting themselves away from situations that could lead them going missing or running away.”

“Unfortunately, Happy is one extreme case, but we have many youth who are running away and putting themselves in situations where they could go missing,” he added.

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Despite snow blanketing the area and winter weather setting in, nearly 15 people gathered around tables at Tim Horton’s Saturday planning their efforts, including Regina and Carson Poitras, Charles’ mother and step-father.

For Carson, seeing the community continue to lend a hand and come together was comforting. He and Regina welcomed the new role the Prince Albert Police have established through Burns, and are hopeful to see the role grow.

“It is coming at a good time, especially for us,” Carson said. “Even today, I was sort of overwhelmed at the search again. We were just here a couple weeks ago.”

He said the many months since her disappearance, the rigorous search efforts and various consultations are becoming taxing.

“It wears on a person,” he said. “We are getting worn out. Our core people are getting worn out.”

Carson and Regina have worked with spiritual advisors throughout the process. This weekend, they were hanging back from the main search group, citing a recommendation from their advisor.

“The spiritual advisor has told us, perhaps, the reason we are not finding her is that we are not supposed to find her as a family,” he said. “A non-family member might find her and we are hoping that will happen here.”

A number of areas were identified to scour over the weekend. Saturday, the group departed north of the city to the Buckland One Stop gas station and surrounding area. Sunday plans to examine shrubbery near the water treatment plant are in place.

With the snowy day closely mimicking the conditions of the day Charles went missing, both Burns and Carson believed this could play to their advantage in better understanding where one could or couldn’t go. As well, as aerial sweeps were completed this summer, with leaves now gone, the parties hoped this would make investigating foliage a simpler task and possibly present new clues.

Though Carson made note of continued talks with police on the top priority case, the call for any details on the disappearance remained.

“We are still hoping for more information and hoping somebody comes forward because somebody knows something, somebody doesn’t just fall off the face of the earth like that,” Carson said. 

“If something has happened to her, we accept that. We just want to bring her home.”

The 42-year-old mother of four was last seen at the Prince Albert YWCA. She was again seen in released video footage shortly after midnight near Prince Albert Collegiate Institute (PACI) on April 3. She was wearing a three-quarter length black jacket, blue jeans and a ball cap. She had light coloured shoes, a black backpack, a purse and a white shopping bag.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr