Last Updated October 14, 2009

Saturday’s events stressed me all day

Is a trucker responsible for missing women on Highway of Tears?
B.C. man who sexually assaulted hitchhiker declared dangerous offender
Highway of Tears theory rejected

Prince Rupert is planning a sign to beware the highway of Tears

Inquiry demands getting louder

Erickson new Highway of Tears co-ordinator

Open letter calls for public inquiry into missing and murdered women

Inquiry urged for BC’s missing women

Rights group demand probe into missing women case delays
Attorney-General defends police investigation

E-PANA Investigators clarify misinformation in media coverage involving Private Investigator Ray Michalko

March 6, 2008 - New officers start work on Highway of Tears case

February 17, 2008 - Two BC teens added to Alberta's high-profile Project  KARE cases

February 17, 2008 -  Missing British Columbia women believed seen in West Edmonton Mall

January 6, 2008 - Toronto Star - Edmonton killer preying on prostitutes

Sometimes you wonder about people Terrace Standard http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/terracestandard/opinion/63980422.html Published: October 13, 2009 11:00 PM Saturday’s events stressed me all day. My first stressor was a driver whose hatchback zoomed through a stop sign on his way in from Keith Avenue to Wholesale Club’s gas pumps as I drove  past the Chamber of Commerce building from Thornhill mid-morning.  He had been nowhere close to hitting me, but what if everyone ignored traffic control signs? I parked, clamped a lump of plastic bags under my arm, and walked across the parking lot to greet him where he was filling up.   “I saw you breeze right through that stop sign.” I motioned toward The Yellow House.  “I checked carefully,” he said.  “There were no cars around.” The exact excuse I expected, but one that wouldn’t  sway a judge from levying a $167 fine.  “Suppose you missed something, or another driver didn’t see you.  What then?” He had a pat excuse for wriggling out of that, too. Then, at mid-afternoon at the Clark Street/Highway 16 intersection I stopped to catch  my breath before biking home along the right shoulder of the highway. I’ve learned to wait on the south end of the marked Clark Street intersection; otherwise considerate highway motorists driving west stop, holding up highway traffic while they wait for me to cross Highway 16, which I have no intention of doing. Sitting  on the  pedestrian crosswalk if the sun is right  it’s possible to count the drivers not wearing seatbelts as they make their turn entering or leaving the highway, or fly by on the highway, so long as their vehicle doesn’t have tinted windows. On average, about three out of ten drivers aren’t wearing seatbelts. More than one has been a woman with little heads poking up in the back seat. I have also watched diesel-powered crewcabs inch north out of the intersection in a hurry to blend with highway traffic until their front bumper must be mere millimeters from the path of through traffic proceeding east at 50 kph or more. Also too common are drivers who approach the stop sign at street speed, glance left, then accelerate right around the corner on to the highway heading east. One afternoon a pickup sailed by, tailgate down, and five or more feet of aluminum ladder jutting from the back of the box with no red flag to warn followers of his hazard. Last Saturday a hitchhiker capped my stress level. She was standing directly across the highway from the 4 x 8 foot sign,  “Hitchhiking.  Is it worth the risk?” Female.  Native. Middle-aged or younger. The profile of so many women who have gone missing along the so-called Highway of Tears. She said she had missed her ride home to Kitwanga when she had to wait for a prescription to be filled. I could see it happening. Few if any doctors open their offices on weekends. Though she might have been given the prescription by a doctor in Emergency. I’m not sure if that would be a possibility. She didn’t know the cost of a bus ticket (less than $20 to Kitwanga). Greyhound leaves Terrace heading east twice a day, after lunch at 12:50  p.m. and at 11:00 p.m., most days except Sunday or Monday. I spoke with her about 2:30 p.m.; she had definitely missed the first bus of the day.  If Greyhound comes upon a hitchhiker on the highway signaling an intention to ride, it is up to the individual driver to stop (if traffic makes it safe to do so) and pick up the person, if the person has cash to pay for the ticket. Random roadside stops are not designated pick-up points and thus are not strictly regulated by company policy. Earlier Saturday when I drove home from  Terrace  a 16-year-old Native girl stood in the same spot, opposite the hitchhiking warning, thumbing.  I hope they both got home safely.   B.C. man who sexually assaulted hitchhiker declared dangerous offender By Keith Fraser, The Province August 6, 2009 VANCOUVER — A northern B.C. man who pleaded guilty to unlawfully confining, choking and then sexually assaulting a teenage hitchhiker has been declared a dangerous offender. In imposing sentence on Daniel Joseph Bruneau, B.C. Supreme Court Madam Justice Janet Sinclair Prowse said she was satisfied there was evidence that the accused was a dangerous offender and that he had no reasonable prospect of being controlled in the community. “Given these decisions, I impose upon you a jail sentence of an indefinite period.” Bruneau, 48, a father of two, sat quietly in the prisoner’s dock during the sentencing Thursday in a Vancouver courtroom. He’d earlier confessed that in August 2007 he had picked up the 18-year-old girl while she was hitchhiking and had taken her back to his residence in Kitwanga, a small village located between Terrace and Smithers. After plying her with alcohol, the former garbage-dump employee choked her and brought her to the ground before slapping handcuffs on her and then dragging her into his bedroom where he sexually assaulted her. The judge, who said she will release her full written reasons at a later date, took into account Bruneau’s past criminal record, which included a manslaughter conviction and a prior sexual assault. In 1990, he was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for choking to death a teenaged girl, who he was angry at because she was in the midst of her menstrual cycle. The body of Crystal Hogg, 17, was found near the Terrace airport. Initially charged with second-degree murder, Bruneau claimed the choking was accidental. Several months later, he was sentenced to an additional six months in jail for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl while she was walking home from school. The manslaughter happened in 1988 and the sex assault dated back to 1986. The two sentences were served consecutively. The judge told Bruneau that, while the dangerous offender designation carries an indeterminate period of incarceration, it doesn’t mean he’ll be in prison the rest of his life. She noted that the National Parole Board must do periodic reviews, with the first one occurring after he’s served seven years in prison, then every two years. The judge also ordered Bruneau to comply with the sex-offender registry and provide a DNA sample. RCMP have ruled out Bruneau as a suspect in connection with the missing women along Highway 16, now called the Highway of Tears. E-mail: kfraser@theprovince.com Is a trucker responsible for missing women on Highway of Tears? By Keith Bonnell, Canwest News ServiceAugust 9, 2009 A stretch of highway between Smithers and Burns Lake along Highway 16, known as the "Highway of Tears" because many women have gone missing while travelling it. Photograph by: File photo by Mikael Kjellstrom, Canwest News Service/Calgary Herald Police investigating the disappearance of missing and murdered women across this country are being urged to take a long, hard look at the trucking industry, following an FBI investigation that has linked serial killings to long-haul truck drivers in the U.S. It's a call that Angela Marie MacDougall is taking across Western Canada — and one that's being echoed by an international expert on serial killers. MacDougall is the executive director of Battered Women's Support Services in British Columbia, and she has been touring the Prairie provinces for the last two weeks, speaking with women's support groups, sex-trade workers and relatives left shattered by the disappearance of their loved ones. She's trying to form a coalition to bring forward a report this fall on the disappearance of women in Canada. Some have placed the national numbers in the hundreds. "There is a sickness within our society that grinds down the lives of aboriginal women," said MacDougall. It's a problem that has plagued the Prairies, with advocacy groups saying the streets in cities such as Winnipeg are no longer safe — as others question whether serial killers are to blame. B.C. police have the Missing Women's Task Force; Alberta police have the Project Kare task force; and Mounties in Manitoba announced last week they will review decades' worth of cold cases where the victims were women, looking for any possible links. On her tour, MacDougall is taking with her a report released earlier this year by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, explaining the work done in the U.S. to link truck drivers to serial killings. Analysts have compiled a list of more than 520 homicide victims who have been found along or near highways in more than 40 states, as well as a list of 200 potential suspects. "The suspects are predominantly long-haul truck drivers," the FBI said this spring in its report publicizing the Highway Serial Killings initiative. It said the victims, many of them drug addicts and prostitutes, are often picked up at truck stops, sexually assaulted, murdered, then dumped along a highway. So far, 10 suspects believed to be responsible for 30 killings are in custody, the FBI said. The FBI uses a massive database for violent crimes. A unit of 23 analysts goes through the system, looking for links among crimes that have been submitted by state investigators. Last year, the FBI took the program online, making it available to law-enforcement agencies across the U.S. But participation is still voluntary, so much of the agency's work is convincing police forces across the country to use the program. FBI unit chief Michael Harrigan said there's no systemic problem with the trucking industry. "It's an honourable profession," he told Canwest News Service. "These are a very, very small minority of individuals." Still, MacDougall said the report should serve as a wake-up call in Canada, a country where there are roughly half a million licensed truckers on the road. Thoughts immediately come to mind of the so-called Highway of Tears, a 700-kilometre stretch of road that runs between Prince George and Prince Rupert, B.C. RCMP say 18 women are missing from the area, while Amnesty International attributes 32 missing persons cases to the area, all women, most of them aboriginal. "A truck driver can pick up a woman in one state and take them to another state and dump them," MacDougall said, adding the FBI report shows predators could find the industry's working conditions ideal for committing their crimes. If long-haul truck drivers are behind any of the missing-women cases, it would instantly reframe the issue as a Canada-wide problem, rather than a province-by-province phenomenon. "It's our intention to encourage law enforcement, and encourage the (trucking) industry to take some responsibility for ensuring women's safety," she said. "We're also talking about women who got away from long-haul truck drivers," MacDougall said, adding she knows of eight B.C. women who she said have been attacked, but escaped. The RCMP in Manitoba have said there is no evidence to support the theory that the province's unsolved homicides are linked, let alone that truckers are behind any of them. The RCMP also analyze violent crimes with the help of a database The VICLAS database, or Violent Crime Linkage System, is meant to help officers search for possible serial criminals — including killers. "All law-enforcement agencies in Canada contribute to this VICLAS," said Sgt. Line Karpish. "Right now, we have no reasons to believe that our homicides are linked to other cases," she said, adding: "I'm not going to get into the specific occupations of those that could be travelling criminals." But, if they haven't already, Canadian police should at least consider a link between long-haul truck drivers and the disappearance of women, said Steven Egger, an associate professor of criminology at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. "It's something they should look at," said Egger, author of The Killers Among Us, a exploration of serial murder, who consulted with the Alberta task force on missing women. "It's something they might want to check with the FBI and check if it has any fit with what they're looking at," Egger said, adding it was very possible the force has already considered such a scenario. The group that represents the trucking industry in Canada said it hadn't heard of the FBI report. "Like any population, could there be a serial killer (among) truck drivers? Sure," said Doug Switzer, a spokesman for the Canadian Trucking Alliance. "Who am I to argue with the FBI?" But he stressed that, just because there could be killers among the ranks of Canada's truck drivers, it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the industry itself. "It's not that truck drivers are by nature serial killers," said Switzer. "Serial killers are dysfunctional people. . . . There's something very wrong with them that makes them serial killers." He said he wasn't aware of his organization being approached about potential serial killers by police. "There's no particular efforts that are made within the trucking industry to look for serial killers," he said. The Manitoba RCMP's decision to review cold cases stretching back to the 1960s has raised speculation that one or more serial killers could be responsible. But MacDougall, who has spent two decades working with abused women, including sex-trade workers, said the truth may be something less sensational, far more prevalent, and just as dark. "We like to think that there's some abhorrent individual who's out there killing women," she said. "It's much harder for us as a society to understand that hatred of women . . . is deeply entrenched in our society. "There are men who seek out young aboriginal women to beat and rape and pay them." © Copyright (c) The Province Highway of Tears theory rejected Written by Mark Nielsen Citizen staff  Wednesday, 12 August 2009 A private detective is casting doubt on a possible link between long-haul truck drivers and the disappearances of women along the Highway of Tears. "Is a trucker involved? Maybe, and unfortunately until someone gets caught we're never going to know, but I just don't see it, personally," Ray Michalko said Wednesday. Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Vancouver-based Battered Women's Support Services, is pointing to an FBI investigation that has linked serial killings to long-haul truck drivers in the United States and believes it's is a similar scenario in Canada. "Years ago in my work with sex workers, a woman said to me 'there are tricks, there are bad tricks and there are truck drivers,'" MacDougall said in a telephone interview. But Michalko, who is looking at several Highway of Tears cases on behalf of the missing women's families, can't see it for Highway 16 West at least. "If you look at the highway between Rupert and Prince George, most places you can't pull a car over, and although there is hundreds of places where a car could easily drive off the road in two car lengths you certainly can't do that with a semi. "So picking someone up and then disposing of them somewhere along the way far enough off the road that no one can find them I think would be a little difficult with a semi." Michalko regards the scenario as more possible further south were there are truck stops and places along the side of the highway where a semi can pull over. "It could be a different story for Vancouver to say, Toronto, because you're going through Alberta and Saskatchewan where you could stop a train on the side of the road," he said. "There's lots of road, there's open highway, where here (Highway 16 West) it's a bit of a different story." RCMP provincial spokesperson Cpl. Annie Linteau said all possibilities are being considered. "We're not discounting the fact that yes, long-haul truck drivers, like anybody else, could be involved in the disappearances or homicides of these women," she said. In what's been dubbed the highway serial killings initiative, FBI analysts compiled the names of more than 520 homicide victims who have been found along or near highways in more than 40 states, as well as a list of 200 potential suspects. "So far, at least 10 suspects believed responsible for some 30 homicides have been placed in custody...including a trucker arrested in Tennessee charged with four murders and a trucker charged with one murder in Massachusetts and another in New Jersey," FBI officials said. MacDougall wants the trucking industry "to join us in recognizing this relationship and the danger, and we want them to begin seeking options in terms of making women safer." mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca Prince Rupert is planning a sign to beware the highway of Tears Written by George T. Baker The Daily News   Monday, 10 August 2009 As drivers head westbound on their way to Prince Rupert from Terrace there is an unmistakably large sign that catches the eye. “It reads, “Is It Worth The Risk?” and with that question there comes a stern reminder of the unsafe passage that Highway 16 presents to would be hitchhikers. Prince Rupert City Hall is hoping that soon enough, it too will raise a sign that warns of the potential deadly consequences that begging for a ride can bring, It’s been almost 25 years since Monica Ingas’ body was found lying dead and discarded in a gravel pit outside of Terrace. In 1988, Alberta Williams, age 24, was also found murdered a month after disappearing. Since those initial murders, many women have either gone missing or have been found dead on Highway 16 - the latest being Tamara Chipman, who went missing on September 21, 2005. Chipman may be the last or not. But communities along the sadly named “Highway of Tears” are hoping that by raising awareness there is be hope that she will be. That list of communities will soon include Prince Rupert, as the city’s council looks to move closer to erecting a sign that many believe is long overdue. Mayor Jack Mussallem said that signage on the North Coast has to be built properly for the kind of weather that the area is subject to. “There is additional cost to put something up that is going to last, that is going to stand our weather and the test of time,” said Mussallem. It is expected that when the sign is erected in a few months time, at 4x8 feet it will be taller than most structures on the highway, “ and that is why you basically have to overbuild it,” explained the mayor. The wooden sign will be covered by lexan, a clear, plastic-like material that is vacuum-formed over molds, to give the surface more durability in an inevitable North Coast storm. There are a couple of different designs in mind for the fascias, but nothing has been finalized yet. “That’s because it’s not just a local initiative, but a regional one,” said Mussallem. City Hall has sent letters to the surrounding First Nations communities and the Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District, asking for assistance in funding the project. So far there has been no response, but Mussallem said he believed it was just a matter of time. Lax Kw’alaams elected chief, John Helin, said his community would certainly support the initiative, but was surprised to hear about it. “It’s the first I’ve heard about it,” said Helin of the planned Prince Rupert sign. “I think we do a lot of traveling on the highway and the members [of lax Kw’alaams], as do I, think it’s important that everyone is aware of it,” he added. Because Prince Rupert is looking not only for public support, but also financial support, Helin said they would consider what would be needed first before committing. “We are always stretched for money, but I am sure if there is a will there is a way,” said Helin. Christine White is the Executive Director of the North Coast Transition Society. Her organization helps ‘at risk’ women put their lives together and transition from disruptive situations to healthier lives. NCTS holds a march every year for the Highway of Tears in September and it even has its own slogan for the march, “There is a Killer on the Road.” “That slogan is written that way so that the blame is not placed on the women that are hitchhiking, but the blame is on the actual person who is doing this,” said White. However the message is sent, White agreed with Helin that it was very important that the message of danger was noted by women who might think it a good idea to test their luck. “It let’s women know that there is a killer out there on the road and if you hitchhike you don’t know who that person can be.” For his part, Mussallem said that the delay on Prince Rupert not having its own sign was not based on a lack of care for the issue or a lack of desire to have the sign placed on the road. “I haven’t heard the criticism about the signage, but this issue was dealt with by the prior council. It was unfinished business and this council is dealing with it,” said Mussallem. Inquiry demands getting louder Written by Frank Peebles Citizen staff    Monday, 13 April 2009 More calls were made last week for a public inquiry into the Highway of Tears attacks, but authorities countered that before anyone could give an answer, first there had to be a clear question. Most calls for inquiry in northern B.C. have been leveled by Carrier Sekani Family Services, the host agency for the Highway of Tears Report and the co-ordinator tasked with fulfilling its 33 recommendations. On the cusp of the provincial election campaign, CSFS renewed that demand. "You can look to Robert Dziekanski, God bless the hearts of his family," said Highway of Tears co-ordinator Mavis Erickson, to illustrate the frustration of those connected to the missing and murdered women along Highway 16. "An inquiry into his death was almost immediate. Here, look at all those deaths and all that violence over all these years, and still nothing. No inquiry at all." On March 11, a letter was issued to Premier Gordon Campbell, Solicitor General John van Dongen and Attorney General Wally Oppal signed by the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and the United Native Nations. They were calling for an inquiry but into the whole breadth of missing, murdered and otherwise victimized women across B.C. The response from the provincial government, most notably from Attorney General Wally Oppal, was that the Pickton case was still before the courts (in the form of an appeal) so an inquiry could not proceed on that front. According to Canadian Press, Oppal added that the Highway of Tears cases were also off limits because "It is conceivable that that police investigation could result in charges and if that happens then we're really in a situation where we could not proceed with the inquiry until the charges were disposed of." CSFS spokespeople said an inquest did not have to touch upon the cases specifically to still unearth breakdowns in the social system that create the conditions by which women are victimized sometimes to the point of murder. "I think 'curing' poverty is everyone's ultimate goal," said Mary Teegee of CSFS. "B.C. has Canada's highest rate of poverty. We all understand that is an issue, that neglect is an issue, that health-care and education are issues, and affordable housing, and mental health and addictions services. So many factors play a role in why, ultimately, women are victimized. Of course nobody is ever going to end all these problems perfectly, but a lot can be done to make it less of a problem. We are not going to 'cure' it ourselves, it is going to take a collaborative approach." A public inquiry, she said, would get a lot of the problems and possible solutions on the public table. Incumbent MLA John Rustad is seeking reelection for the riding encompassing the majority of Highway 16 West. He said the provincial government did invest some initial money so the Highway of Tears symposium could be held in April, 2006 and some followup funding to CSFS so the co-ordinator could be hired, "and more is needed," but he said one of the reasons an inquiry had not yet been held could perhaps be a simple lack of clarity. I'm not sure what is being asked for, in terms of how to open an inquiry," he said. "Is it the conduct of law enforcement over the years?, practices within communities?, the larger systemic issues? I'm not sure what an inquiry would achieve because no one has ever be specific about what an inquiry would be examining. I would be certainly willing to sit down and talk to CSFS about the parameters of what an inquiry would look like to them, that might help us all move forward on this. No one disputes that these are tragedies and that mistakes were made, and we need to do more so it does not happen in the future." Rustad said he was pulling out of a rural town in the region just a week or two ago and was struck by the sight of two youth with their thumbs out, still willing to hitchhike despite the well known dangers. He said that, to him, was all the evidence he needed that not enough had been done yet.

Erickson new Highway of Tears co-ordinator Written by Frank Peebles Citizen staff    Friday, 10 April 2009 A Harvard-educated Prince George lawyer is the new Highway of Tears co-ordinator. Mavis Erickson had been hired by Carrier Sekani Family Services to carry out the work of implementing the Highway of Tears report into missing and murdered women along Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert. Erickson is a is a two-time elected chief of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council and a vocal advocate for aboriginal women. When inaugural Highway of Tears co-ordinator Lisa Krebs departed the position earlier this year, Erickson put her name forward for the position, though not at first. The initial call for applications brought forth a number of strong candidates, CSFS officials said, but they felt a second call was required and that's when Erickson's name came across their desks. "She sent me a letter of intent and I did a double-take," said CSFS spokeswoman Megan Hunt. "We needed someone in that position with political savvy, someone who knows how to be a strong advocate," said CSFS's Mary Teegee. "She is an excellent candidate for that work." Erickson said she had other options, but this position felt like a calling, to honour her late mother whom she saw struggle through life for basic rights that always seemed beyond her grasp because she was a non-status Indian. "We have gone from a matrilineal cultural system to the Highway of Tears and the pig farm," Erickson said, referring to the gruesome Robert Pickton case. "How do we restore that? How do we turn around what has happened to the status of women? This goes back to my passion for re-empowering aboriginal women. They were being legislated out of their homes and exiled from their families and their cultures. That is something Canada has not yet apologized for and here we are talking about missing and murdered women. And women in our region are still suffering. The legislation was there, the attitudes are there, and the results have been devastating." Erickson is calling on provincial ministries to start directly answering the questions posed by the Highway of Tears - poverty, First Nations alienation, mental health and addictions recovery, basic education and health care for isolated communities - and she singled out Attorney General Wally Oppal. "I already consider him a visionary," she said. "He has to take this more seriously." The MLA who has the majority of the Highway of Tears running through his riding, John Rustad, said Erickson was a brilliant choice. "I think Mavis will be very vocal, she is very motivated, and my hope is that we can find ways to support the work she wants to do," he said. Erickson is only contracted for the next eight months because that's all CSFS can afford on current government funding, said Hunt. "People always tell us they are passionate about this issue, it is such a vital issue, but they do nothing; it is just words without action," Hunt said. "We need annualized funding for a number of people for a number of years. I think you could easily invest, realistically, $500,000 a year and that would just be a healthy start." "Funding for the Highway of Tears initiative should have been in this year's provincial budget," Teegee added. "We are again going to be scratching around and begging for money all over again, but I guarantee you if these women went missing from West Vancouver or from Oak Bay there would be a lot more action."

Inquiry urged for B.C.'s missing women Aboriginal leaders, (Grand Chief Stewart Phillips at left) family members, and community groups call for public inquiry into murdered and missing women, here in Oppenheimer Park on March 11 in Vancouver. Photograph by: Ian Smith, Vancouver Sun By Lori Culbert, Vancouver Sun March 11, 2009 VANCOUVER - A group of native leaders, community activists and victims’ families gathered in Oppenheimer Park this morning to collectively call for a public inquiry into missing and murdered women in British Columbia. The inquiry should look into the case of the 65 women missing from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, six of whom serial killer Robert (Willie) Pickton has been convicted of killing. It should also examine the case of 18 murdered or missing women in the so-called Highway of Tears case in rural B.C., Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, said in an interview. Phillip and the B.C. Civil Liberties Association sent letters outlining their request Wednesday to Premier Gordon Campbell, Attorney-General Wally Oppal, and Solicitor General John van Dongan. Victims’ families attended the rally today, and have long believed that society paid little attention to their loved ones vanishing from the Downtown Eastside because they were poor, marginalized women, many of them Aboriginal. “This situation was allowed to continue a very, very long time. It spanned a couple of decades. Had there been an immediate response on behalf of the Vancouver police, the RCMP and the criminal justice branch, we suggest lives could have been saved,” Phillip said. Phillip argued the same systemic issues exist in the Highway of Tears case, which has not resulted in any suspects being arrested yet. Oppal repeated Wednesday what he has said in the past: It is unlikely any inquiry would be held until the Pickton case is no longer before the courts. "I'm really sympathetic to [the victims’ families]. We all want to find out what happened. But the missing women's case is really a part of the Pickton case, and that matter is still before the court of appeal,” Oppal said in Victoria. "We can't order any inquiry, it would be totally improper for us until the courts have finally and completely disposed of the charges." Pickton was convicted in 2007 of six counts of second-degree murder. An appeal of the verdict is scheduled for two weeks, starting March 30. However, Phillip and others fear the case could drag through the courts for years while Pickton exhausts the appeal process. Pickton has also been charged with killing 20 other missing women, but it is also not clear whether that trial will ever be held. Waiting several more years for an inquiry would be wrong, “given the frailty of human memories, the loss or destruction of relevant evidence with time, and the retirement or death of key witnesses,” says the letter sent to the politicians. If the government does not grant an inquiry soon, Phillip said, those in attendance at today’s rally threatened to stage demonstrations during the 2010 Olympics to “draw this to the attention of the international community.” “The families are sick and tired of being stonewalled,” he added. David Eby, of the civil liberties association, also called on the government to cover expenses for victims’ families to attend Pickton’s appeal, as it did for the families during his 2007 trial. And Eby said the group would like assurances that Pickton’s second trial on 20 counts of first-degree murder will proceed. The government has indicated it may not, should the defence fail in its appeal bid, as Pickton is already serving a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. lculbert@vancouversun.com © Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Rights groups demand probe into missing women case delays Attorney-General defends police investigations By Susan Lazaruk, The ProvinceMarch 12, 2009 A public inquiry into the murdered and missing women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside is needed to determine why it took police years to investigate the deaths, a group of native advocates said yesterday. The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and the United Native Nations in a letter faxed to the premier and two ministers are also demanding the inquiry analyze the investigation into 18 women and girls who have disappeared along Highway 16 in northern B.C., the so-called Highway of Tears. In the case of the more than 60 women, mostly native, reported missing from the Downtown Eastside, "There are so many questions over how long it took for a legitimate police investigation to begin," said the UNN's David Dennis. "The only legitimate forum to compel police and other officials to give testimony is a public inquiry," said Dennis. "It's the most appropriate forum." The letter faxed to Premier Gordon Campbell, Attorney-General Wally Oppal and Public Safety Minister John van Dongen, also signed by the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, accused police of errors in the Vancouver cases. An inquiry is needed to hold accountable officers who ignored or undermined concerns of friends and families and for police to prove they've changed how they deal with similar cases, the advocates wrote. They also say aboriginal communities suspect they "receive less in terms of police service than other communities" and that "police are indifferent to the suffering and disappearance of aboriginal women along the Highway of Tears." Oppal said yesterday those racism charges "aren't valid" because most of Pickton's victims were native and "that was one of the most exhaustive police investigations in our history." Pickton is serving life with no parole for 25 years for six second-degree murders. The verdicts are scheduled for appeal beginning March 30 and a ruling would likely take months. If the verdict and sentence stand, Oppal has said, the Crown won't try Pickton on 20 other murder charges. Oppal said yesterday a public inquiry can't be called while a retrial is possible because of different testimony admissibility. "As far as the Highway of Tears, there is an ongoing major police investigation and that might well result in charges," he said. slazaruk@theprovince.com © Copyright (c) The Province

Open letter calls for public inquiry into missing and murdered women By Staff United Native Nations, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs released today (March 11) the following open letter calling for a public inquiry into the missing and murdered women of the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver and the Highway of Tears, among other demands: Premier Gordon Campbell Office of the Premier PO Box 9041 Station Provincial Government Victoria BC V8W 9E1 VIA FAX: 250-387-0087 Minister John van Dongen Ministry of Public Safety and the Solicitor General PO Box 9053 STN PROV GOVT Victoria BC V8W 9E2 VIA FAX: 250 356-8270 Minister Wally Oppal Ministry of the Attorney General PO Box 9044 STN PROV GOVT Victoria BC V8W 9E2 VIA FAX: 250 387-6411 March 11, 2009 Dear Sirs: We write to you today as representatives of British Columbia’s largest and most prominent advocacy and service organization for off-reserve aboriginal people, the most visible and influential coalition of aboriginal leaders in British Columbia, and Canada’s oldest and most active Civil Liberties advocacy organization. The United Native Nations Society represents approximately 90,000 Aboriginal people within British Columbia (BC) with membership open to anyone of Aboriginal ancestry. The UNNS currently has a membership base of 11,000+ people. UNNS’ major concern is to represent and protect the interests of Aboriginal people who currently do not have a voice on government decisions affecting their life and culture. The UNNS supports on and off reserve, status and non-status, Métis and Inuit people from all areas of BC. The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs is a coalition of Chiefs from aboriginal communities across British Columbia. The organization has been established to support the work of aboriginal people at the community, national and international level, in the fight for recognition of aboriginal rights and respect for aboriginal cultures and societies. The goal of the UBCIC is to give the aboriginal people of BC a voice strong enough to be heard in every corner of the world. The B.C. Civil Liberties Association has been defending the freedoms and rights of Canadians since 1962. The BCCLA is concerned with issues of freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, privacy and other core liberty values. In this particular context, concerns related to equal treatment of diverse communities and our interest in effective police oversight bring this matter to the attention of the BCCLA. We are writing to you today to demand a full public Inquiry into the ongoing issue of murdered and missing women from aboriginal communities, in particular surrounding the murdered women in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver and the missing and murdered women who have disappeared along the “Highway of Tears” in northern British Columbia. The aboriginal community and the community at large has heard many public statements from Attorney General Wally Oppal and spokespeople for him concerning the potential for a public Inquiry into the murdered and missing women of the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. On multiple occasions, he or his spokespeople have suggested that those concerned with this issue must wait for the criminal trial of Robert Pickton to finish before the government is able to publicly inquire into the lack of response of police to missing person reports in that neighbourhood. The first and only expected trial of Robert Pickton is now complete. We understand that the matter is now under appeal and is expected to be heard in March at the B.C. Court of Appeal. We understand further that, following this hearing and the judgment of the Court, it is quite likely that the matter will be appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada. The case, at any of these levels, may be sent back for trial again, and that trial may be appealed again. Given the frailty of human memories, the loss or destruction of relevant evidence with time, and the retirement or death of key witnesses, both of our organizations share an equal concern about this approach taken by the Provincial government. It is inappropriate to ask the aboriginal community to wait for years to have these matters publicly discussed and rectified based solely on government speculation that a public Inquiry could affect issues on appeal or at a second trial. Similar to the Dziekanski (Braidwood) Inquiry, it is sometimes necessary to press ahead with an Inquiry before a matter is resolved at the criminal level, as the Inquiry is likely to last longer than the criminal process. In balancing whether to press ahead or wait, the government must consider that in Dziekanski, witnesses affected by the criminal process were put off by the Inquiry to future hearing dates, and schedules were adjusted accordingly to accommodate the criminal justice system. The same could easily be accomplished here. Our goal must be to ensure witnesses for a potential Inquiry are called in a timely manner that permits them to remember key facts and prevents the inadvertent destruction of key documents to ensure a full and comprehensive public record. Both of our organizations participated in the Frank Paul Inquiry and saw firsthand the implications of waiting 10 years for investigation of injustice. Women continue to go missing along the Highway of Tears and in the Downtown Eastside. The Vancouver Police and RCMP have not yet satisfied the aboriginal community or the larger community that they have addressed the errors of the past comprehensively and that they are, on a priority basis, working to find the daughters, sisters and mothers who continue to go missing. Only through a public airing of the historical and current responses of the involved law enforcement agencies, accountability for those who undermined or ignored the efforts of friends and families to track down their loved ones, and concrete documentation of the improvement and comprehensiveness of current investigation efforts can the community begin the process of healing these wounds. We look forward to hearing from you on this matter, and invite you to meet with us to outline the response of the Provincial government to this critical issue of our missing family members and friends in this, an election year, just one year out from the Olympics. The continuing concerns of the urban and reserve aboriginal communities that they receive less in terms of policing service than other communities in the Province, and that police are indifferent to the suffering and disappearance of aboriginal women along the Highway of Tears, in itself justifies an investigative and responsive process. In the context of near identical concerns from a separate City about one man having near unfettered access to mass murder marginalized women from the DTES, the majority of whom were aboriginal, commends itself to your attention and a formal response in the form of a public inquiry. We look forward to your urgent response to this continuing and pressing issue. Yours truly, David Dennis, President United Native Nations Robert Holmes, President B.C. Civil Liberties Association Grand Chief Phillip Stewart Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs

Travel editor dubs Hwy 16 a no-go zone Published: January 27, 2009 11:00 PM Updated: January 28, 2009 5:52 AM Send Peter an email and tell him what you think. sarika@petergreenberg.com - info@petergreenberg.com My Response to him you can find below this article. PETER GREENBERG – the Travel Editor for NBC’s Today show, CNBC and MSNBC – has dubbed Highway 16 as one of his must-miss places of the world in his new book, Don’t Go There! “Even what seems like a perfectly safe place to visit can be a deadly destination – on the road. Highway 16 in Canada is nicknamed the “Highway of Tears”; in 30 years, there have been at least 43 unsolved murders of women along this isolated highway,” states Greenberg on the travel section of the MSN website, which names off 12 of his must-miss destinations. Although Greenberg states that there are at least 43 unsolved murders along the highway, in October of 2007 when the RCMP announced that they were expanding their investigation back to 1969 – they stated that the total of missing or murdered women was 18. But it was also in 2007 that Gladys Radek – the aunt of Tamara Chipman, who went missing while attempting to hitchhike from Prince Rupert back to Terrace in 2005 – said that she believed there were 43 murdered or missing women along the highway, by her estimate and public information. Hwy 16 stretches from Prince Rupert to the outskirts of Winnipeg, Manitoba but the Highway of Tears is considered to be the stretch of highway from Prince Rupert to Prince George and on to Edmonton. Greenberg’s biography describes him as the nation’s preeminent expert on travel and his new book – which was released Nov. 11, 2008 – focuses on where not to go, why you should never go and when not to go to places all over the world. Some of his subjects include polluted countries and cities, the most dangerous theme parks, the stinkiest cities, dirty hotels with bedbugs, airports to avoid and highways to steer clear of, with Hwy 16 in the mix. Some of the other destinations on the MSN website are Lagos, Nigeria and Nevada, USA for being dangerous destinations; Vermont, USA and Galway, Ireland for their polluted waters, western Kentucky for its stinky smell caused by cows and Naples, Italy for its stench from piling garbage. Greenberg started his career in journalism, working as a west coast correspondent for Newsweek. It wasn’t until 1985 that he began working as a TV journalist, and it was in 1995 that he began his position as the Travel Editor for NBC. Send Peter an email and tell him what you think. sarika@petergreenberg.com - info@petergreenberg.com My Response to Peter. Peter, you have published false information about Highway 16, dubbed “Highway of Tears”, you really need to do your homework and do not listen to those who throw out numbers without verification. Your “NO GO” travel information is damaging to our tourist industry and this is unacceptable. I run the Highway of Tears website www.highwayoftears.com. And from there you can glean the truth or better said more accurate information. The “Highway of Tears” section of Highway 16 west, runs between Prince George, my hometown and Prince Rupert BC, a stretch of about 450 miles and an amazing scenic route to the coast of BC. The accurate number missing and murdered along this stretch of highway is 11. Last year the Integrated Police Force of the RCMP added 8 more of those missing and murdered, but, a BIG BUT, the additional 8 are NOT along this stretch of highway but in other parts of Northern BC. These were added as the police did profiling and there were similarities to those missing and murdered along the “Highway of Tears”. I have attached a .PDF map file, if you do not receive this please look at my website at http://www.highwayoftears.ca/specialprobe.htm#Map.  Yes, there have been those who have freely thrown out numbers as many as 50 or more along the Highway of Tears. The number, of 43 you have used as missing or murdered have never been verified, no names or places have ever been given of those who supposedly are missing along the “Highway of Tears”. You owe us who live in this amazing part of Northern British Columbia, a retraction and apology. Sincerely, Tony Romeyn   travel Don't Go There! Peter Greenberg’s guide to the must-miss places of the world.  Don't Go There! Even what seems like a perfectly safe place to visit can be a deadly destination — on the road. Highway 16 in Canada is nicknamed the “Highway of Tears”; in 30 years, there have been at least 43 unsolved murders of women along this isolated highway. Peter greenberg.   Tony Romeyn tony@iammissing.ca tony@highwayoftears.ca Websites www.iammissing.ca I Am Missing- Missing Persons www.highwayoftears.com Missing Loved Ones www.doorsofhope.com Victim Resource Site www.windowsofhope.ca Keeping Families Together www.stopchildabuse.ca Stop Child Abuse          Because He Cares....... My Business Website www.irlsupplies.com A proud sponsor of all I do

Money to find missing - Mounties boost effort on Highway of Tears By ALYSSA NOEL, SUN MEDIA The father of a woman who went missing along the Highway of Tears says he's pleased Mounties have ramped up their budget to investigate murders and disappearances that have occurred along the roadway. Jack Hoar's daughter, Nicole, then 25, vanished in June 2002. He attended a meeting B.C. RCMP held at their headquarters in Surrey, B.C. last week to brief the families of victims on their ongoing efforts. "We're very pleased," Hoar said yesterday from his home in Red Deer. "It looks like things are progressing very well." RCMP announced the E-PANA investigative team, formed in 2005, was allocated a budget of $3.6 million for this year. Since its inception the team has spent $2.1 million. "The funding) recognizes that the B.C. provincial government is committed to trying to resolve these issues," Hoar said. "We're very positive about it." This is the fifth meeting RCMP have held with the families in recent years. Hoar said it's helpful simply to meet with people going through the same experience. Nicole Hoar disappeared from Highway 16 on June 21, 2002 while she was hitchhiking from Prince George to Smithers to visit her sister. The Red Deer resident had been working in B.C. as a tree planter. Since 1990, a total of nine women have gone missing from the 750 km remote stretch of highway that runs from Prince Rupert to Prince George. None of their cases have been solved. Ray Michalko, a former Manitoba and North Vancouver RCMP officer turned private Vancouver investigator, has dedicated much time to trying to come up with leads to the cases. Although he said RCMP have been critical of his investigation, they have now reached a sort of truce. He said he continues to get calls from tipsters. "I'm still getting calls, calls from people who aren't particularly excited to talk to police for one reason or another," he said. Michalko follows up on leads, but turns the information over to RCMP for their investigation. He said he's hopeful that the new year might lead to at least one case being solved. "I said last year I was optimistic and I got criticized by the RCMP," he said. "I continue to be optimistic."

Highway of Tears investigative force to receive more funding By ALYSSA NOEL, Sun Media - Edmonton Edmonton — The father of a woman who went missing along the Highway of Tears says he’s pleased Mounties have ramped up their budget to investigate murders and disappearances that have taken place along the roadway. Jack Hoar’s daughter Nicole, then 25, vanished in June 2002. He attended a meeting B.C. RCMP held at their headquarters in Surrey, B.C. last week to brief the families of victims on their ongoing efforts. “We’re very pleased,” Hoar said today from his home in Red Deer. “It looks like things are progressing very well.” RCMP announced the E-PANA investigative team, formed in 2005, has been allocated a budget of $3.6 million for 2008/2009. Since its inception the team has spent $2.1 million. “(The funding) recognizes that the B.C. provincial government is committed to trying to resolve these issues,” Hoar said. “We’re very positive about it.” This is the fifth meeting RCMP have held with the families in recent years. Hoar said its helpful simply to meet with people going through the same experience. Nicole Hoar disappeared from Highway 16 on June 21, 2002 while she was hitchhiking from Prince George to Smithers to visit her sister. The Red Deer resident had been working in B.C. as a tree planter. Since 1990, a total of nine women have gone missing from the 750 km remote stretch of highway that runs from Prince Rupert to Prince George. None of their cases have been solved. Ray Michalko, a former Manitoba and North Vancouver RCMP officer turned private Vancouver investigator, has dedicated much time to trying to come up with leads to the cases. Although he said RCMP have been critical of his investigation, they have now reached a sort of truce. He said he continues to get calls from tipsters. “I’m still getting calls, calls from people who aren’t particularly excited to talk to police for one reason or another,” he said. Michalko follows up on leads, but turns the information over to RCMP for their investigation. He said he’s hopeful that the new year might lead to at least one case being solved. “I said last year I was optimistic and I got criticized by the RCMP,” he said. “I continue to be optimistic.” alyssa.noel@sunmedia.ca

Funding for Highway of Tears investigation almost doubled, police say By Neal Hall, Vancouver SunJanuary 22, 2009 6:01 PM Billboard warning girls not to hitchhike on the Highway of Tears (Highway 16) where many young women have gone missing. This is just north of Smithers. Photograph by: .., Vancouver Sun files VANCOUVER – An investigative police team probing the murders or disappearances of 18 young women in northern B.C. has increased it budget to $3.6 million this year, up from $2.1 million spent in previous years, police announced Thursday. The announcement came after members of the E-Pana investigation team spent most of the day Thursday meeting with family members of the 18 women who were murdered or went missing along highways in northern B.C. and the Interior. "The RCMP is fully committed to pursuing each of the identified investigations in order to bring successful conclusion to as many of the investigations as possible and closure to the families” Vancouver RCMP Chief Supt. Richard Bent said in a prepared statement after the meeting. He assured the victims' families that the RCMP is committed to catch "the person or persons responsible for their loved ones disappearance or murder." Vancouver RCMP Const. Annie Linteau, who attended the meeting, said about 18 family members attended and they were able to ask questions of investigators and see the facilities where the team works. "I think they really appreciated that," she said, adding RCMP paid for the travel expenses and hotel costs for families. The meeting with the families was the fifth held since the Highway of Tears symposium in Prince George in March 2006, when the RCMP promised to keep families better informed of any developments in the investigation. Thursday'[s meeting allowed the RCMP to show the families the police team’s project offices and to explain the various investigative tools and techniques used by investigators, including forensic labs and the Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System (ViCLAS). The E-Pana investigative team was formed in 2005. Since then, it has spent a total of $2.1 million and the budget for 2008-09 fiscal year is $3.6 million, police said Thursday. Linteau said the increased spending was the result of doubling the number of files to 18, causing "more resources to be allocated to the investigation." In October 2007, the RCMP added nine unsolved cases to the Highway of Tears investigation, doubling the total to 18. Some of the cases added dated back to 1969. The most recent case involved a girl found dead in Prince George in 2006. The geographical scope was also expanded to include unsolved cases along other major highways in B.C., including those leading to Hudson's Hope, Kamloops, Merritt, 100 Mile House and extending as far as Hinton, Alta. Before the probe was expanded, the police listed nine females between the ages of 14 and 25 who were murdered or missing along Highway 16, a desolate two-lane highway that runs from Prince Rupert to Prince George and on to Edmonton. It was dubbed the Highway of Tears because of the grief caused by a string of unsolved murders and mysterious disappearances over the years. There has been speculation that a serial killer has been preying on young women -- a large number of the victims were aboriginal -- hitchhiking on the highway. Anyone with any information about the 18 files should contact the Unsolved Homicide Tip Line at 1-877-543-4822 or if they wish to remain anonymous Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS). nhall@vancouversun.com Here are the 18 cases under investigation: 1. Gloria Moody. Murdered. Williams Lake. 1969 2. Micheline Pare: Murdered. Hudson Hope. 1970 3. Gale Weys. Murdered. Clearwater. 1973 4. Pamela Darlington. Murdered. Kamloops. 1973 5. Monica Ignas. Murdered. Terrace. 1974 6. Colleen MacMillen. Homicide. 100 Mile House. 1974 7. Monica Jack. Murdered. Merritt. 1978 8. Maureen Mosie. Murdered. Kamloops. 1981 9. Shelly-Ann Bascu. Missing. Hinton, Alta. 1983 10. Alberta Williams. Murdered. Prince Rupert. 1989 11. Delphine Nikal. Missing. Smithers. 1990 12. Ramona Wilson. Murdered. Smithers. 1994 13. Roxanne Thiara. Murdered. Burns Lake. 1994 14. Alishia Germaine. Murdered. Prince George. 1994 15. Lana Derrick. Missing. Terrace. 1995 16. Nicole Hoar. Missing. Prince George. 2002 17. Tamara Chipman. Missing. Prince Rupert. 2005 18. Aielah Saric Auger. Murdered. Prince George. February 2006 Photos and information about each case is listed on the website: www.highwayoftears.ca/ © Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Families of victims in Highway of Tears investigation to get update By Neal Hall, Vancouver SunJanuary 22, 2009 VANCOUVER – The families of 18 murdered or missing women being investigated by police in the Highway of Tears case will get an update Thursday in Surrey. The meeting is expected to start at 9 .m. and go until 3:30 p.m. RCMP Const. Annie Linteau said Wednesday. This will be the fifth meeting with families since a Highway of Tears symposium was held in Prince George in 2006, the RCMP offered to meet every six months with the families to discuss the police investigation. The Project E-Panna task force was formed to investigate the cases in northern B.C. Up to 20 family members are being flown to Thursday's meeting. There will be no announcements of arrests or major developments, Linteau said. "We do have a dedicated team of investigators working on these files," she said. In October 2007, the RCMP announced it was adding nine unsolved cases to the Highway of Tears investigation, doubling the total to 18. Some of the cases of young women who went missing or were murdered dating back to 1969. The most recent case involved a girl found dead in Prince George in 2006. The geographical scope was also expanded to include unsolved cases along other major highways in B.C., including those leading to Hudson's Hope, Kamloops, Merritt, 100 Mile House and extending as far as Hinton, Alta. Before the probe was expanded, the police listed nine women between the ages of 14 and 25 who were murdered or missing along Highway 16, a desolate two-lane highway that runs from Prince Rupert to Prince George and on to Edmonton. It was dubbed the Highway of Tears because of the grief caused by a string of unsolved murders and mysterious disappearances over the years. There has been speculation that a serial killer has been preying on young women -- a large number of the victims were aboriginal -- hitchhiking on the highway. The RCMP, however, maintains there is no evidence of a serial killer. The investigation is being conducted by senior investigators from the Vancouver RCMP Major Crime Section, including geographic and criminal profilers. Police said earlier the investigation was expanded after investigators initially identified nine cases with similarities to those along Highway 16. The Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System (ViCLAS), which investigates serial crime, had identified more than 200 similar cases, which was eventually narrowed down to nine other cases that had "commonalties," which have not been revealed by police. nhall@vancouversun.com

RCMP call in Tears families Smithers Interior News By Todd Hamilton - Smithers Interior News Published: January 21, 2009 8:00 AM RCMP have called a meeting for families of murdered and missing women in the Highway of Tears cases for Thursday in Vancouver. “They didn’t speak on really what it’s all about,” Matilda Wilson, the mother of murdered Ramona Wilson, said on Monday. “I’m not sure what the next topic will be. In the last one.. it’s always something like they’re `still working on it’ and `it’s very slow’ and things like that. “We’re trying to keep this alive. We still don’t know if this person is going to do this again, is going to strike again.” Late last year, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) called on Canada to set up an inquiry that will not only look into reasons for the failure of law enforcement to investigate the cases of missing and murdered aboriginal women over the past two decades. A recent report on Canada’s compliance with the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women called on the government, “to take the necessary steps to remedy deficiencies in the system.” In British Columbia, 18 women have gone missing along Hwy 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert, dubbed the Highway of tears. In September, family and friends of the victims met with the Walk 4 Justice group to travel from Prince Rupert to Parliament Hill to raise awareness about the perceived inaction of the police and various levels of government. “A unity has been formed and people can start working together to voice their opinions and get something done about it,” Brenda Wilson, sister of the late Ramona Wilson whose remains were found in 1995 and Smithers Highway of Tears campaigner, told The Interior News. At the federal all candidates debate in October, MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley, Nathan Cullen said the Prime Minister had a lot to answer for because he didn’t come out and accept the petition. “I was really impressed with the Prime Ministers’ apology to First Nations residential school survivors,” Cullen said. “But his actions when these people walked all the way to Ottawa — he was given three months notice and he was in Ottawa that day — it makes me doubt the sincerity of that apology.” Three Smithers area women are among the many missing and dead women along the Hwy of tears: Cecilia Anne Nikal who went missing in 1989, last seen in Smithers, Delphine Nikal who diappeared from Smithers in 1990 while hitchiking to Telkwa and Ramona Wilson whose remains were found near the Smithers airport in 1995. None of these cases have been solved and in some people’s view not even adequately investigated. Carrie Humchitt, president of the Aboriginal Women’s Action Network said the high level of stranger violence experienced by Aboriginal women is not the committee’s only concern. “The committee is also concerned about the poverty of Aboriginal women, their poor health, inadequate housing, lack of access to clean water, low school completion rates, and the high levels of child apprehension from Aboriginal parents,” Humchitt stated. “The committee urges Canada to develop a comprehensive and integrated plan for addressing the conditions of Aboriginal women as a matter of urgency.” -with files from Brian Bloom

Private Investigator Launches Hotline Written by FRANK PEEBLES Citizen staff Sunday, 14 December 2008 Printable Poster A new hotline has been opened for the Highway of Tears cases. Private investigator Ray Michalko, who has for years been working behind the scenes on behalf of some of the victims' families, set up the 24 hour toll free number so anyone with possible information can call in at any time. "It is a big step," Michalko told The Citizen. "I thought about doing it a while ago. I was reluctant. I was concerned about the kind of calls I'd get, but since I've been doing this the quality of calls has been really good so I am not worried about that anymore. I'd like to have my phone ring off the hook now until Christmas, that would be great." The free call can be made dialing 1-866-862-5585. To help promote the new number, Michalko sent out an email flyer this weekend that included a public appeal for information on some people of interest from one of the Highway of Tears cases. Lana Derrick, then 19, was last seen getting into a vehicle at a service station in Thornhill (near Terrace) on Oct. 7, 1995. No trace of her has been seen or heard since. However, RCMP did release at the time a composite sketch of two persons of interest. Michalko located those sketches and has re-introduced them to the public. "These particular faces the police were looking for way back in 1996," he said. "I thought it would be great to talk to people and remind people, and maybe talk to these two guys." It was the largest mass communication Michalko has made since he took on a number of Highway of Tears cases starting in 2006. "They went to about 120 aboriginal organizations from Prince Rupert across the north to 100 Mile House," he said. "It is a lot of coverage. I think that it is very important that as many people as possible in the north get to see these sketches. "And whether or not anybody recognizes these two, they might see that I am out there working on this, and if someone knows something or someone decides to do the right thing, I am available to help. " Michalko was also working on the Wendy Ratte disappearance which had a major break this past week. On Dec. 5 Ratte's husband Denis Ratte was arrested and he has been charged with second degree murder. "It is important for people to see that result," Michalko said. "It can give hope for these other cases that have gone on for year. It is coming, I can feel it.

RCMP now support Tears P.I. By Quinn Bender - Smithers Interior News Published: July 16, 2008 8:00 AM Updated: July 16, 2008 2:01 PM The RCMP has clarified the force’s opinion of Highway of Tears private investigator Ray Michalko, saying the police in fact value his contributions to their investigations and that any misconception of ill feelings are the result of news reports. Superintendent Russ Nash, officer in charge of E Division Major Crime Section, sent an open letter to B.C. newspapers acknowledging Michalko’s contributions. The letter was issued in the wake of the RCMP’s widely-publicized advisory to Michalko that probes into one particular case may carry criminal charges if continued. “It is truly unfortunate that this situation has become a topic of recent news articles and broadcasts,” wrote Nash. “There are now those with the false impression the RCMP may harbor ill feelings against Mr. Michalko for his personal involvement in attempting to gather witnesses or evidence that may be of assistance to our investigation. The truth is that I applaud Mr. Michalko’s commitment and resolve....” Last April, Michalko asked the police force if an action he intended to make in one of his investigations would conflict with theirs. The RCMP said it would, and then went further to issue a letter threatening any further investigation into this case could carry criminal charges of obstructing justice. The RCMP said they were concerned the private detective may unintentionally tip off suspects or corrupt witnesses’ memories, and thus impede their investigation or future criminal court cases. The move outraged some members of the victims’ families, who have built a trusted relationship with the private eye. They felt Michalko breathed new life into the investigations and provided them with the only glimmer of hope for justice they have seen in the last 20 years. In his letter, Nash assured the public their request for Michalko to desist will not delay the investigation’s outcome. “It is important to understand that a large dedicated team of investigators are presently reviewing a number of files involving missing and murdered women in the North District and Central region of British Columbia,” Nash wrote. “It is also important to recognize that the RCMP is appreciative of the information that Mr. Michalko has provided to our investigators.” “I can assure the public that the RCMP are absolutely committed to this investigation and continue to expend extraordinary human and financial resources toward the resolution of these important investigations.” Michalko told The Interior News he has read the letter, and for the sake of the families involved will accept Nash’s words at face value. “I still don’t necessarily agree, but I will abide by their request for now and leave the one case alone,” he said. “I’m tired of arguing with these guys, and I don’t think it’s good for the families.” Ten young women, mostly aboriginal, have gone missing or have been found murdered along the 450 kilometre stretch of Hwy 16, dubbed The Highway of Tears, since 1974. Seeing little progress in police investigations, Michalko, a former RCMP officer, started probing into the cases at his own expense in 2006.

Native groups get crime prevention money

Written by Citizen staff - Wednesday, 16 April 2008

A pair of northern aboriginal community groups are among 27 B.C. communities that will benefit from $500,000 forfeited as a result of unlawful activity, Prince George MLAs announced Wednesday.
The money will support grassroots crime prevention projects.
The Takla First Nations will receive a $20,000 grant to adopt the Good Medicine Pathways to Power Program, which draws on natural strengths and local traditions to enable the community to prevent violence and antisocial behaviours.
Carrier Sekani Family Services are also in line for $20,000, which will bring together urban and rural youth at Takla Landing for two weeks of violence prevention training. The participants will then deliver 12 workshops to Highway 16 communities. The program is a collaboration between the Highway of Tears initiative and the Street Spirits Theatre Company.
Funds are supplied by the Ministry of Public Safety's civil forfeiture office, which has acquired $3.4 million in assets since its inception two years ago

Written by Citizen staff - Wednesday, 16 April 2008

Some $40,000 worth proceeds from crime seized by law enforcement officials will be used fund two programs in the Takla Lake area, 400 km. north of Prince George, area MLAs announced Wednesday.
The Takla First Nations will receive a $20,000 grant to adopt the Good Medicine Pathways to Power Program, which draws on natural strengths and local traditions to enable the community to prevent violence and anti-social behaviours.
Carrier Sekani Family Services will receive a $20,000 grant to bring urban and rural youth together at Takla Landing for two weeks of violence prevention training.
In turn, the grant will support these participants in delivering 12 subsequent workshops to rural and First Nations communities along Highway 16, the Highway of Tears corridor.
This youth-teaching-youth program is a collaboration between the Highway of Tears initiative and the Street Spirits Theatre Company.
In all 27 communities across B.C. are sharing in one-time funding of $500,000 forfeited as a result of unlawful activity, to support grassroots crime prevention projects.
The Civil Forfeiture Act came into effect April 2006 with the intent of suppressing criminal and other illegal acts and taking the profit motive out of crime.
Where it has been proven in civil court that property was acquired as a result of, or used for, unlawful activity, the Supreme Court can order the property forfeited.
Proceeds from its sale are paid into a special account and used, in part, to compensate victims of unlawful activity and help prevent or remedy the effects of crime

New information investigated

By Arthur Williams - Prince George Free Press - April 04, 2008

E-PANA Investigators clarify misinformation in media coverage involving Private Investigator Ray Michalko

March 7, 2008

E-PANA, the investigation reviewing the cases of those women who have gone missing or were found murdered in Northern and Central BC, would like to set the record straight with regards to its on-going investigation.

There have been recent reports misrepresenting the status of one of our files. It is important that the public knows that the E-PANA team is currently assessing some recent information about a case. We are at the early part of that assessment. Until we have had the opportunity to complete that assessment and determine if the information is credible it would be pure speculation to assign any value or significance to the information.

The E-PANA investigators are concerned about the impact that unconfirmed or misinformation has on the on-going investigation and on the families of the victims. There is an inherit danger to the investigation and possible future court process when inaccurate information is released. The investigators also share the concerns of families of the victims who are crushed when their hopes and expectations are wrongly raised. E-PANA investigators remain in contact with the families regularly and meet with them twice a year to provide updates and will continue to do so.

Over the years the RCMP has been actively investigating a series of files that have a number of commonalities. The victims shared similar profiles; geography etc.. An extensive amount of time has spent thoroughly investigating each and every case to gather evidence, follow leads, and even eliminate suspects and possible theories.

The E-PANA investigators have made significant progress to date and have set out a very viable, active and productive operational plan that we are confident meets the investigative review mandate and our commitment to the families of the victims.

E-PANA is and remains the primary task force responsible for investigating the crimes. The team has access to and is reviewing all information associated to the original files and are in the best position to determine the speed, flow and direction of the investigations.

The scale and scope of the review makes it one of the larger on-going projects in B.C. and the number of investigators involved in the review varies based on the exhibits, information management, tip follow-up, etc, however there is a core of dozens of investigators who work full-time on the investigative review and future investigative strategies. All investigators are ensuring that the integrity of the investigation is maintained and all methods would withstand any possible judicial process.

Since the investigative review began, members from E-PANA have been in contact with the various Detachments and jurisdictions that handled the original files. Members of ?E? Division Major Crime has also worked closely with North District Major Crime in areas like tip follow ups. Two members from North District Major Crime are focussing on E-PANA requests and investigators continue to use or access any and all resources as when required as the investigation continues.

It is important for the public to remember that should they have any information relating to any of the 18 files under investigative review, they should contact the police either through the Unsolved Homicide Tip Line at 1-877-543-4822 or if they wish to remain anonymous Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

E-PANA will continue to provide updates and should the media have any inquires, you are asked to call (604)264-2929.

Released for E-PANA by:

Sgt. Pierre Lemaitre
"E" Division - Media Relations
Phone: (604)264-2929
 

Two BC teens added to Alberta's high-profile Project KARE cases

Trish Audette -  Canwest News Service
Sunday, February 17, 2008

EDMONTON -- A young mother from Fort St. John, B.C. and a teenager from Dawson Creek are the two latest additions to Alberta's list of people whose suspicious disappearances are being investigated by Project KARE.

Project KARE is the police team designed to investigate the deaths and disappearances of people whose lifestyles put them at high risk of becoming victims of violent crime.

The team's caseload includes approximately 35 missing person's investigations and at least 18 slayings of Edmonton-area prostitutes.

Rene Lynn Gunning and Krystle Ann Julia Knott were last seen at West Edmonton Mall on Feb. 18, 2005.

The teenagers - Gunning was 19 at the time and Knott 16 - were not believed to have been involved in prostitution. Project KARE took on their cases in July 2007.

"Both women, based on the fact they engaged in quite long-distance hitchhiking, that puts them in a high-risk lifestyle" category, RCMP Cpl. Wayne Oakes said Sunday at RCMP headquarters in Edmonton.

"The information that we have is there was no involvement whatsoever in the sex trade."

The girls did not know each other before they arrived at Canada's largest mall.

Gunning, who has a son, arrived in Edmonton three years ago, hitchhiking from Fort St. John, on Highway 97 in British Columbia's north, through Grande Prairie to Edmonton.

She was reported missing in February 2005, and RCMP in British Columbia released a series of missing person news releases at that time.

RCMP have since determined Gunning was last seen at the mall with Knott, but Oakes could not say whether their images were captured on security camera footage. The girls made a connection, and let others know they planned to hitch hike back to Dawson Creek or Fort St. John.

"They may have left the mall or the mall area together," Oakes said.

He could not say what kind of group or groups they were with at the time.

Knott's missing person's file was opened by Project KARE earlier this year.

The young women were last seen at West Edmonton Mall about two months before Edmonton teen Nina Courtepatte was lured from the shopping centre.

The 13-year-old was kidnapped, raped and left for dead on a Stony Plain golf course in April 2005.

Five people were charged in her death; Joseph Laboucan and Michael Williams were both found guilty of first-degree murder, Michael Briscoe was acquitted, a 17-year-old girl was found guilty of manslaughter, and a 16-year-old girl has not yet been tried.

Edmonton Journal

See Project Kare &  Alberta Missing Persons for more detail

In Edmonton, where a serial murderer is loose, sex workers fear they'll be next victim

Jan 06, 2008 04:30 AM

Petti Fong  - Western Canada Bureau Chief

Vancouver–Of the many painful lessons learned on the long and slow path that led to Robert Pickton's arrest and conviction, this may be the saddest:

In Edmonton, where another serial killer is preying on women, sex trade workers are voluntarily giving police samples of their DNA so their bodies can be more quickly identified if they're killed.

The discovery of human remains at the Pickton pig farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C., hit home for many. "It was a war zone out there at the Pickton farm," said Carol-Lynn Strachan, a sex-trade worker and advocate in Edmonton.

"There are war zones still all over cities in the west. Killing fields where women's bodies are found."

Since 1983, the bodies of 20 women have been found in the Edmonton area. JoAnn McCartney, a retired vice cop on the Edmonton police force who now runs a program to help women who work on the streets, said the voluntary DNA collection is used only for identification, not to aid any other police enforcement.

"It's to identify you so your family has some closure. And the faster we can do that, the quicker we can ask questions about your most recent activities and start the investigation," she said.

"It's basic: Women involved in prostitution are vulnerable, vulnerable to be murdered."

Pickton's conviction brought little solace to families of his other alleged victims. Ottawa resident Pam Eyre started a petition on New Year's Eve urging B.C.'s attorney general to go ahead with a second trial against Pickton for the murders of 20 other women. Families of some of those women worry his conviction last month in the deaths of six women may persuade the Crown to drop the next set of charges. "A second trial should go on, we still need answers," said Marilyn Kraft, the stepmother of Cindy Feliks, one of the other 20 women. The petition has received 400 signatures in less than a week.

Geoff Gaul, a spokesperson for the Criminal Justice branch in B.C., said the trial is proceeding.

"What happens in the future remains to be seen. Right now, this is an active court case," he said yesterday. Pickton is scheduled to appear in B.C. Supreme Court Jan. 24 so a date can be set for the second trial.

Meanwhile, dozens of women go missing every year.

In Edmonton, Thomas Svekla, a 39-year-old former tire store worker, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Theresa Innes and Rachel Quinney. But that has provided little reassurance to women who work on the streets. Police believe more than one person is responsible for the murders.

In Winnipeg, police are probing 16 homicides involving women who either worked in the sex trade or may have been mistaken for sex-trade workers by their killer.

In British Columbia, 18 women have gone missing or been found dead along a stretch of Yellowhead Highway 16 now known as the Highway of Tears. In some cases, the disappearances date back to 1969. Last October, RCMP said they've expanded the list of women missing and broadened the area where a killer may be picking up victims.

Since Pickton's conviction, Tony Romeyn, a Prince George businessman who runs a website dedicated to the Highway of Tears victims has been getting more emails. "There is greater awareness that if more and more people get talking to each other, we may find answers," he said.

In Winnipeg, Gloria Enns, the program manager at Sage House, a resource and outreach centre for sex-trade workers, said despite the publicity over Pickton's verdict, too often women – especially native women – can go missing and their disappearances barely register.

"The sad thing is we can predict many of the deaths and disappearances," she said. "The reality is we may have a dozen or two dozen Picktons running around Winnipeg. He was just one guy. There are others out there and that's something we know for sure.