Human bones discovered at a work site in the south Ottawa community of Manotick last May have been identified as belonging to a 19-year-old man who had not been seen since 1994.

Tim Carver and his colleagues discovered the remains, which included a jawbone and some vertebrae, while building a deck at a home on Cabrelle Place in Manotick on May 10.

They notified police, who sent the remains for forensic examination. The results determined the remains were that of Shafiq Visram.

Visram, a South Carleton High School student, disappeared from his home on May 30, 1994.

Ottawa police sifted through soil at a construction site in Manotick last May after several bones were found. (CBC) His family has been notified of the identification.

Chris Napior, a Manotick resident and businessman, told CBC News last May that the land where the remains were found had been vacant farmland for years, and that a lot of backfill has been trucked in over time.

"Many different sources — a lot of fill came in to these properties. It was vacant farmland for years, so who knows how long it's been sitting there. ... It didn't seem that [the bones were] too deep," Napior said.

Investigators with the Ottawa police major crimes unit are now asking for help to help determine what happened to Visram.

They're asking anyone with information to call them at 613-236-1222, ext. 5493, or to leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).