It has been 19 years since the disappearance of 24 year-old Nicole Hoar from what is dubbed as the Highway of Tears.
Hoar, a young tree planter from Red Deer, Alberta, working in the Prince George area disappeared in June 2002 and was last seen at a gas station on Highway 16 on the outskirts of Prince George, BC. She was reportedly hitchhiking from Prince George to Smithers.
According to the RCMP spokesperson Madonna Sanderson, while she isn’t aware of any new leads, the investigative is still active and ongoing into the disappearance of Hoar.
Hoar, like several other women and girls, had disappeared without any trace or clue at all. However, her disappearance was highlighted in every media outlet and brought into focus the several other missing and murdered people especially Indigenous girls, women and men, along Hwy. 16.
Earlier this month, the Ramona Wilson memorial walk took place near Smithers, to remember Ramona Wilson, an Indigenous girl who went missing in 1994 and whose body was found a year later near the Smithers airport in the woods. While Wilson was found deceased, the reason behind her murder remains a mystery.
Perry J Sebastian Jr., is another such name from the Southbank, who went missing in 2011 and neither any information on him nor the man himself has been found yet. His mother, Theresa Joyce Michell, also participated in the Ramona Wilson walk and told Black Press Media she was sure that someone out there knows something, and by walking she felt she was doing something. She also thought that whoever that person is will know seeing her that she is still looking for answers and hoped they will come forward.
The RCMP also continues to encourage anyone with any information to contact their local detachment or the E Division Unsolved Homicide Unit RCMP at 1-800-222-8477. People could also leave anonymous tips on Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-TIPS(8477) or online at https://www.canadiancrimestoppers.org/tips