PRINCE ALBERT – Family and supporters of missing woman Happy Charles came together Thursday to raise awareness that Charles is still missing.
This marks the eighth year since Charles disappeared on April 3, 2017 in the area of Prince Albert Collegiate Institute.
About 40 people attended the afternoon gathering that was held outside the Prince Albert Police Service site.
"I think we had a lot of our MMIW [Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women] families come out to support us," Carson Poitras, Charles' stepfather, told SaskToday.
The family and supporters of missing North Battleford woman Ashley Morin also took part. Morin has been missing since July 10, 2018.
Representatives from the Prince Albert Police Service came out to speak to Charles' family during the gathering.
But Poitras said he would like to see more action from the police to help find Charles, who was 42-years-old when she disappeared.
He said there should be more searches and "more timely action on tips."
"We want the police to do their jobs," Poitras said. "[There needs to be] more action, more communication… and more investigative [work]."
For the family, it's been another hard year missing their loved one.
The family are still hoping for closure and will continue to hold gatherings for Happy Charles until she is found.
Poitras remembers Charles as a kind person who loved to make people laugh.
"She liked to cheer people up and stuff like that," he said. "She would help out wherever she could, however she could, people who needed it. In all walks of life, you know. Not just her family, but even the people who were on the street. People who she didn't even know."
The Prince Albert Police Service has released video surveillance and said they have explored multiple leads, including more than 120 tips related to Charles' disappearance.
"The Prince Albert Police Service is once again asking the public for any information that will help locate Happy," police said in a news release Thursday. "To this day, Happy Charles has still not been located and is considered missing."
Happy Charles was last seen on video surveillance on April 3, 2017 at approximately 11:50 p.m. at Prince Albert Collegiate Institute. Happy was wearing white shoes, sweat pants, a long dark jacket over top of a leather jacket, a dark baseball cap, with a black backpack and a white plastic bag. She was also wearing dark framed glasses.
The Prince Albert Police Service said it continues to actively investigate and search for Charles and is once again asking anyone with information on the whereabouts of Happy Charles to contact police at 306-953-4222. Anonymous tips can also be provided to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.
