Missing

This one has been photoshopped to make it suitable for print, so it seems grainier than the original file.


Had to set the ISO to max, kill the flash and take 50 shots in the hope of getting one where the camera shake didn't blurry it beyond use.

Came out nice. But it's a strange thing to be proud of.

It's at a candlelight vigil for Hilary Bonnell. At the time of this writing, she's been missing for around three weeks. Went to a party on one of the local first nations (she's native, but lives in Miramichi), then never was seen again. Last anyone saw of her was a surveillance video from, like 7 am the next day, walking along the highway past a convenience store at the entrance to the reserve.

All this time, everyone on that reserve is swearing sideways they think she's alive. Cops too. But the area has been searched over and over again, and extended beyond it. She could be anywhere now.

By a conjunction of the fates, three of us had to cover this over three days. One on the Thursday, when we went down first. Then he had the day off, so another of us went Friday. Finally, I was on that weekend, so I went down, heard of the vigil, then went down again in the evenings to grab a shot. We needed something the dailies didn't have, and it's an image of hope and waiting, rather than a shot of Hilary's tearful parents and stepfather at a press conference, begging her supposed kidnapper to return her.

Had to talk to the parents. Took awhile before we were let near, and mostly I listened. It's messed up. Her mum's total wreck. They're basically living in a holiday trailer by the fisheries building on the reserve where the search is being coordinated from, just so they can be as close as possible.

At the vigil that evening I was there, amidst the firelight and honour songs and prayers in English, French and Mi'kmaq, I could see the mum, rocking back and forth and holding herself. I can't imagine what she must have been going through. Still is.

Hope they find the girl, one way or another.