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Mary Papatsie has not been seen in more than 150 days.
During those five months, there has been little public attention to her disappearance. There has been no mass mobilization.
Just a few police news releases, and a growing sense of despair among those who loved her.
Her family clings to a stubborn hope — that someone, somewhere must know something.
The Ottawa woman, a mother of 10, seems to be slowly but surely fading into the ranks of Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women.
As families and supporters of missing and murdered women gathered at Parliament Hill on Wednesday for a national vigil, Papatsie’s disappearance was briefly captured a spotlight that has largely eluded it, the still-raw pain of her family and friends on full display.
“Somebody out there has to know. There has to be someone out there. Please give us information and give us hope,” said her brother, July Papatsie.
“I just want to say if she’s still out there, do the right thing.”
The Inuit woman has lived in Ottawa for about 10 years. Papatsie, who turned 40 in September, may have been living on the street on Montreal Road at the time of her disappearance. She was known to frequent the area across the street from the Jean Coutu drugstore in Vanier at the corner of Montreal Road and Bégin Street.
The last credible sighting of her was in late April, according to police.
Her disappearance, however, went unreported for five weeks, layering time onto the other difficulties authorities face in locating her.
On June 11, police released their first terse bulletin, requesting the public’s help. Papatsie was described as five feet, two inches tall, 140 to 160 pounds, with long, straight hair and a scar above her left eye from a piercing.
By July 17, the investigation had been upgraded, with the Ottawa police major crime unit taking over the file “due to some red flags suggesting this isn’t just a case of a missing person.”
Major crimes unit Staff Sgt. Bruce Pirt said police are following every lead.
“We’ve had boots on the ground for a long time,” he said.
July Papatsie, Mary’s niece Charlotte Lee and Rachel Quinn, the adoptive mother of Papatsie’s youngest son, Joshua, all stood on the steps of Parliament Hill on Wednesday with photos of the woman who was raised in Pangnirtung on Baffin Island.
She also has two sisters in town, said her brother. She was often in contact with family members. Her oldest children are teens. Two of her children have been adopted and two others are no longer in her care, but friends and family said Papatsie was a loving woman whose disappearance has been painful to all who knew her.
“She was really caring. She would always make sure that me and my son were OK and we had everything we needed,” said Charlotte Lee. “She would give her last water to help people who were on the street.”
Rachel Quinn said she adopted Joshua when he was 10 weeks old. He is now 4 1/2 years old. Joshua has only met his biological mother twice, but both occasions have been among the happiest of Quinn’s life, she said. She said she has made it her mission to draw attention to the disappearance.
“The more publicity, the better,” said Quinn. “It just takes one person to see her face. She’s a mother and a sister and a friend. Many, many people miss her. These people need to know and deserve to know.”
Papatsie has a deep and immense love for her children, even if she couldn’t care for them, said Quinn.
“She was strong, she was opinionated and she loved to laugh,” she said. “The first time she met Josh, she hugged and cuddled him. I want his to know his ‘anaana’ (Inukitut for mother).”
The last time Quinn saw Papatsie, Joshua’s mother was in a square dance competition with another family member. Papatsie won the competition, she gave the prize, a mug and a T-shirt, to Joshua, even though the shirt was much too big for the little boy.
“I have nothing but good things to say about her. She is sweet and sincere, and I hope she and Josh get to know each other. That’s who he is. He comes from her,” Quinn said.
On Wednesday, police said the disappearance was not necessarily a case of foul play, but it is suspicious.
“Anytime there are no sightings or financial transactions being made by the person missing, it’s concerning,” said Pirt, the police staff sergeant. “We need more information, and someone in the community knows something that can help solve this case.”
People have come forward with theories about her disappearance, “but none of it has come to fruition,” Pirt said.
Papatsie may have been wearing black jogging pants, a brown T-shirt, and blue and orange flip-flop sandals when she was last seen and may also have been carrying a purple and black backpack filled with clothing. Posters have been distributed around Montreal Road and RCMP investigators in the North have been enlisted in the search.
July Papatsie said his sister had an apartment in the west end, but she didn’t like being there because she felt it was haunted.
“She would see figures. She asked to be moved,” he said.
Asked if he had any idea where she might be, her brother said he has no clue. “There were so many rumours. I stopped listening to them. It was too stressful.”
Quinn said reports of seeing Papatsie after late April have surfaced. Papatsie had a boyfriend in Carleton Place, and it was believed she was with him in April. However, there have also been reports that she was seen with another man on Montreal Road, possibly May 4 and 11. He was described as young and clean-cut. If the reports are accurate, they are later than the last sighting accepted by police.
Quinn questioned why investigators have not released a description of this man. “We have all said ‘You need to be looking for this person,'” she said adding that police have not told her much about the progress of the investigation.
On Wednesday, numerous speakers urged the government and police to investigate missing Indigenous women thoroughly and to be sensitive to the pain of their families.
Quinn read a statement from Papatsie’s niece, Tracy Sarazin.
“I feel angry at the inequities that Mary and far too many Indigenous women and girls experience,” said Sarazin’s message. “I feel bothered by the number of people that lack empathy and use phrases like ‘their lifestyle choices.’ It is often not a choice and out of one’s control when they find themselves in tough situations and it does not make them any less important.”
jlaucius@postmedia.com
查看原文...
During those five months, there has been little public attention to her disappearance. There has been no mass mobilization.
Just a few police news releases, and a growing sense of despair among those who loved her.
Her family clings to a stubborn hope — that someone, somewhere must know something.
The Ottawa woman, a mother of 10, seems to be slowly but surely fading into the ranks of Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women.
As families and supporters of missing and murdered women gathered at Parliament Hill on Wednesday for a national vigil, Papatsie’s disappearance was briefly captured a spotlight that has largely eluded it, the still-raw pain of her family and friends on full display.
“Somebody out there has to know. There has to be someone out there. Please give us information and give us hope,” said her brother, July Papatsie.
“I just want to say if she’s still out there, do the right thing.”
The Inuit woman has lived in Ottawa for about 10 years. Papatsie, who turned 40 in September, may have been living on the street on Montreal Road at the time of her disappearance. She was known to frequent the area across the street from the Jean Coutu drugstore in Vanier at the corner of Montreal Road and Bégin Street.
The last credible sighting of her was in late April, according to police.
Her disappearance, however, went unreported for five weeks, layering time onto the other difficulties authorities face in locating her.
On June 11, police released their first terse bulletin, requesting the public’s help. Papatsie was described as five feet, two inches tall, 140 to 160 pounds, with long, straight hair and a scar above her left eye from a piercing.
By July 17, the investigation had been upgraded, with the Ottawa police major crime unit taking over the file “due to some red flags suggesting this isn’t just a case of a missing person.”
Major crimes unit Staff Sgt. Bruce Pirt said police are following every lead.
“We’ve had boots on the ground for a long time,” he said.
July Papatsie, Mary’s niece Charlotte Lee and Rachel Quinn, the adoptive mother of Papatsie’s youngest son, Joshua, all stood on the steps of Parliament Hill on Wednesday with photos of the woman who was raised in Pangnirtung on Baffin Island.
She also has two sisters in town, said her brother. She was often in contact with family members. Her oldest children are teens. Two of her children have been adopted and two others are no longer in her care, but friends and family said Papatsie was a loving woman whose disappearance has been painful to all who knew her.
“She was really caring. She would always make sure that me and my son were OK and we had everything we needed,” said Charlotte Lee. “She would give her last water to help people who were on the street.”
Rachel Quinn said she adopted Joshua when he was 10 weeks old. He is now 4 1/2 years old. Joshua has only met his biological mother twice, but both occasions have been among the happiest of Quinn’s life, she said. She said she has made it her mission to draw attention to the disappearance.
“The more publicity, the better,” said Quinn. “It just takes one person to see her face. She’s a mother and a sister and a friend. Many, many people miss her. These people need to know and deserve to know.”
Papatsie has a deep and immense love for her children, even if she couldn’t care for them, said Quinn.
“She was strong, she was opinionated and she loved to laugh,” she said. “The first time she met Josh, she hugged and cuddled him. I want his to know his ‘anaana’ (Inukitut for mother).”
The last time Quinn saw Papatsie, Joshua’s mother was in a square dance competition with another family member. Papatsie won the competition, she gave the prize, a mug and a T-shirt, to Joshua, even though the shirt was much too big for the little boy.
“I have nothing but good things to say about her. She is sweet and sincere, and I hope she and Josh get to know each other. That’s who he is. He comes from her,” Quinn said.
On Wednesday, police said the disappearance was not necessarily a case of foul play, but it is suspicious.
“Anytime there are no sightings or financial transactions being made by the person missing, it’s concerning,” said Pirt, the police staff sergeant. “We need more information, and someone in the community knows something that can help solve this case.”
People have come forward with theories about her disappearance, “but none of it has come to fruition,” Pirt said.
Papatsie may have been wearing black jogging pants, a brown T-shirt, and blue and orange flip-flop sandals when she was last seen and may also have been carrying a purple and black backpack filled with clothing. Posters have been distributed around Montreal Road and RCMP investigators in the North have been enlisted in the search.
July Papatsie said his sister had an apartment in the west end, but she didn’t like being there because she felt it was haunted.
“She would see figures. She asked to be moved,” he said.
Asked if he had any idea where she might be, her brother said he has no clue. “There were so many rumours. I stopped listening to them. It was too stressful.”
Quinn said reports of seeing Papatsie after late April have surfaced. Papatsie had a boyfriend in Carleton Place, and it was believed she was with him in April. However, there have also been reports that she was seen with another man on Montreal Road, possibly May 4 and 11. He was described as young and clean-cut. If the reports are accurate, they are later than the last sighting accepted by police.
Quinn questioned why investigators have not released a description of this man. “We have all said ‘You need to be looking for this person,'” she said adding that police have not told her much about the progress of the investigation.
On Wednesday, numerous speakers urged the government and police to investigate missing Indigenous women thoroughly and to be sensitive to the pain of their families.
Quinn read a statement from Papatsie’s niece, Tracy Sarazin.
“I feel angry at the inequities that Mary and far too many Indigenous women and girls experience,” said Sarazin’s message. “I feel bothered by the number of people that lack empathy and use phrases like ‘their lifestyle choices.’ It is often not a choice and out of one’s control when they find themselves in tough situations and it does not make them any less important.”
jlaucius@postmedia.com
查看原文...
