Supporters marched through downtown La Ronge to bring awareness to the disappearance of Happy Charles. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW)

By Derek Cornet

Missing Woman

March held in La Ronge on second anniversary of Happy Charles’ disappearance

Apr 3, 2019 | 4:52 PM

It’s been two years since Happy Charles went missing in Prince Albert, but her family hasn’t lost hope she could still be found.

An awareness walk was held in La Ronge this afternoon in honour of Charles, as well as to call attention to other missing and murdered Indigenous women. It was organized by Charles’ mother Regina Poitras, as well as others, and it was attended by dozens of community members and officers with the Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) including Chief Jonathan Bergen. Poitras noted she was grateful for all the supporters who attended the walk but described the last two years without her daughter as terrible.

“You don’t want to grieve because you know there’s still hope,” she said. “You still want to hope, so it’s not my right to grieve yet. It’s kind of just sitting there.”

Charles disappeared April 3, 2017, after last seen walking alone at 11:50 p.m. near PACI High School. Ever since then, Bergen stated police have continued to search for the answers they need to locate Charles. During the investigation, he said the case has been painful for the family and challenging for officers.

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Bergen also believes someone has information which could be useful in solving the disappearance. He said officers will remain dedicated in their search and he hopes some day they’ll find the information they need.

“Please share your information with us,” Bergen said. “We continue to look, but so does the entire community.”

Poitras stated the PAPS have been helpful during the last two years, adding they’ve supported the family the entire time. Officers meet with Poitras regularly to review the investigation and to let her know of their ongoing efforts. Poitras is also grateful for the support from the community, adding it has given them strength to continue the search.

If anyone has any information about Charles, Poitras urges them to report it.

An image of Happy Charles shared by police. (submitted photo/Prince Albert Police Service)

“Anything at all might help,” she said. “You might not think it’s very important to the case, but it might just be the thing we need to break through the case.”

The public can report information through the Happy Charles tip line at 1-306-953-4248 or with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Charles is five-foot one, 115 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. She has a scar on her left cheek and a rose tattoo on her right thumb.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno