Media Release - New Billboard Campaign Raising Awareness about local Missing Persons Across the Prairies

New Billboard Campaign Raising Awareness about local Missing Persons Across the Prairies

The Prince Albert Police Service is funding a new billboard campaign across Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba in an effort to generate new information into long-term missing persons investigations and raise awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous People from the local community.

More than 20 locations in communities such as Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary, and places in between, have been selected for this campaign running May 10 until May 23. The police service has partnered with Vendo Media on this important new initiative.

The new billboards include photos and information about the nine long-term missing persons files still under investigation by Prince Albert Police investigators. Police continue to seek information and raise awareness in the hopes that someone will come forward with additional information and help families learn what happened to their loved ones.

Sgt. Kathy Edwardsen is leading the investigations into historical crimes and long-term missing persons files for the police service, and urges anyone with information to reach out to police.

“Their families need to know what happened,” Sgt. Edwardsen said. “No amount of information is too small, and that little bit of information might be the detail we need to finally help family members learn what happened and find closure.”

The new billboards include information about the following cases from Prince Albert:

• Happy Charles: Missing Since April 3, 2017.       Last seen near P.A.C.I.
• Ernestine Kasyon: Missing Since December 6, 1989. Last seen the evening of December 6, 1989 while using a payphone in the 100 Block of 10^th Street East.
• Robert Allan Wiggins: Missing Since July 28, 1980. Last seen just before sunrise on July 28, 1980 after getting a ride to a residence in the 500 Block of 11^th Street East in Prince Albert.
• William Slywka: Missing Since November 7, 1982. Last seen leaving North Park Centre and may have been in the area around Little Red River Park.
• June Ann Johnson: Missing Since August 3, 1979. Last seen leaving the former Marlboro Inn in the Unit Block of 13^th Street East.
• Timothy Charlette: Missing Since October 8, 2014. Last seen on the train bridge overlooking the North Saskatchewan River.
• Norman James Halkett: Missing Since March 16, 2003. Last location is unknown.
• Joseph Couldwell: Missing Since May 25, 1981. Last seen near the North Saskatchewan River.
• Samuel LaChance: Missing Since July 29, 1987.

Anyone with information about any of these open missing persons files is asked to contact Prince Albert Police at 306-953-4222 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.