There are 126 long-term missing persons cases in Saskatchewan and 16 in Saskatoon, all of which remain open. The oldest is from 1953, when Grace Johnston was visiting her mother and was last seen getting off a bus in downtown Saskatoon. She was on her way to work, and never seen again.

Tips about Johnston have stopped coming in, but the case remains open, according to Insp. Randy Huisman.

“A lot of cases we might get information when we’re doing another investigation from somebody in regards to that missing person,” he said. “Or somebody has come back to the city that has been out of town and they realize that somebody is missing and they may have some information.”

Some of the missing people are as young as three-years-old, and some don’t have photos to accompany their missing poster.

Kandice Singbeil

Kandice Singbeil was 32-years-old when she was last seen May 25, 2015 riding her bike on the 200 block of Third Avenue South in Saskatoon. Her mom, Pauline, said Singbeil always took care of others before herself and is too trusting. She said although it’s been nearly three years, it doesn’t get easier.

“The emotions never change. They sky rocket then plummet,” Singbeil’s mother said.

Singbeil’s two children, now three and 11, keep her legacy alive, which helps but is hard, according to Pauline. They hang a new angel decoration on the Christmas tree each year and blow out a candle on a cupcake on their mom’s birthday. Pauline makes a point of showing the children photos of their mother.

Pauline sometimes suspects the worst, but she still has hope.

“You can never lose hope. Some days we feel hopeless, but you always hope for answers. Hope for someone to step forward. Hope that she’ll walk through that door, (we can) give her a hug again, and a kiss.”

Supporting hope

Dorthea Swiftwolfe said her job as a missing persons liaison is to “support hope.” She is one of three missing persons liaisons in Saskatchewan and works with the Saskatoon Police Service.

Whether it’s to organize vigils, take a phone call in the middle of the night, go for coffee, or just check in, Swiftwolfe is available to support families.

She said when one person goes missing there is an average of 12 people dealing with the loss.

“Even though a file may be 10, 15, 25, even 40, 50 years old, there's always somebody still waiting,” Swiftwolfe said. “Try to imagine what it’s like to walk around with a big part of your spirit, your heart and your soul missing.”

She keeps in contact with those who have been reunited with their family and the cases that date back decades.

“I keep the missing persons and loved ones always in my thoughts and in my prayers,” Swiftwolfe said.

She said when a person is first reported as missing, there’s a lot of attention. She’s asking the public to take the time to learn about who is missing and do what they can to help the families.

Pauline said there is someone who knows something about what happened to her daughter and is begging they help in the investigation.

“I wish they would come forward to help. For her family, her kids, help bring her home. That's all we want,” she said.