Saskatchewan Missing Persons Week Opens with Official Welcome, Walk and Ceremony to Honour the Missing

Released on May 1, 2023

2023 Marks 10th Anniversary of Missing Persons Week

The Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed May 1 to 7 as Missing Persons Week with the theme, "Never Forgotten: Honouring the Missing and Supporting their Families," to raise awareness about missing persons and prevention and support services.

This morning, Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty, Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre, Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Laura Ross welcomed families of long-term missing persons to the official launch of Missing Persons Week at Wascana Place in Regina.

“Missing Persons Week provides us with the opportunity to come together as a province to remember those who are missing and to support the families who continue to bear the pain of not knowing what happened to their loved ones,” Mirasty said.

Today, members of the public were invited to support families in a Walk to Honour the Missing, followed by a bench dedication ceremony at the Missing Persons Tree and Bench in Wascana Park.

"This week is about raising awareness about missing persons, highlighting prevention and safety tools and responses, and, above all, honouring missing persons and supporting their families," Eyre said. "Each of the flowers and messages placed at the Missing Persons Tree today represents the 137 long-term missing people in our province who are never forgotten.”

Missing Persons Week is organized by the Saskatchewan Missing Persons Partnership (SMPP), which is a unique collaboration between government, police agencies, Indigenous and community-based organizations. The SMPP helps raise awareness about missing persons issues, works to coordinate policies and legislation, shares prevention and safety tools, and supports agencies that provide services to families when people do go missing.

“As we reflect on ten years of marking Missing Persons Week, it is significant to consider that every missing person’s case is an active file until investigators can find answers,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell said. “To the families of missing people, we know we cannot ease the fear you live with, yet we do support you in hope.”

SMPP partners are hosting multiple events in person and online across the province during Missing Persons Week. Please find the full events calendar for 2023 online or follow the SMPP social media channels for updates, including a livestream video of the launch event.

For more information on the supports available to families of missing persons, visit Help for Families of Missing Persons | Family and Social Support | Government of Saskatchewan.

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