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Family of Happy Charles request more tips one year after disappearance

Apr 4, 2018 | 8:00 AM

The mother of missing woman Happy Charles called for more information to help find her daughter on the one-year anniversary of her disappearance.

“Even if they phoned the anonymous tip line, nobody needs to know who you are,” Regina Poitras said at a gathering marking the anniversary of Charles’ disappearance in La Ronge Tuesday.

“Nobody needs to know what part you played,” she said. “Just let them know, even if you think it’s a minute bit of information.”

Charles was last seen in Prince Albert near PACI High School April 3, 2017, and her family has been searching for her ever since. Poitras said they began by calling agencies across the province who she could have encountered, before canvassing Prince Albert with posters to raise awareness of the case. With 12 months having passed by, she noted said from the public has been minimal but every tip is followed up on and taken seriously.

Poitras also asked local First Nations to become more involved in the search for Charles, as she believes there’s been a shortage of dignitaries lending their support. Leaders with Sturgeon Lake First Nation has been helpful, Poitras noted, as well as the people in Prince Albert who joined their searches for Charles. She said communication with the police has also been difficult, adding it seems she needs to approach them herself to get answers.

“We went right into the area where the street people live,” Poitras said of the searches in Prince Albert. “They were very helpful, always willing to listen and give us hints on where we should look.”

The gathering in La Ronge, which was also attended by Charles’s daughters, included a prayer followed by speeches. After a potluck meal, attendees released colourful lanterns into the sky over Lac La Ronge.

 

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 8:53 a.m. on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 to correct a typo.

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno