Southend. Photo courtesy of peterballantyne.ca
A sunken aluminum boat in Reindeer Lake in northeast Saskatchewan is believed to belong to a Southend man who disappeared without a trace 35 years ago.
Simeon Bear, who was 26 at the time, was on a short trip on the lake when he vanished on July 22, 1982. His brother, Leonard, says there have been a lot of missed opportunities to solve this case.
It was Leonard who positively identified the boat a few weeks ago after learning of its existence. He says he also found out the boat was spotted from the air 20 years ago, but no one reported it. Leonard says when his brother went missing, family and friends searched for weeks, but he says the RCMP never really got involved.
“The RCMP, they didn’t have a missing person’s report on this case for 34 years,” he said.
Bear has provided the new information to the RCMP, which has opened a file and is investigating. Bear says police have told him they plan to bring in divers to see if any human remains can be found. The investigating officer is out of town, but is expected to have more to say next week.
Meantime, Leonard Bear does not believe this is a case of an accidental drowning. He thinks there was foul play.
“That’s what I think, and that’s what people have been saying,” he said. “I have heard a lot of rumours and stories.”
The family is planning a memorial for Simeon Bear. It will be held on July 29. Everyone is invited to attend. The memorial will be held at the Blue Church in Southend from 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon until 11:00 p.m. that night.
There will be grief and loss sessions, sharing thoughts and a candle light vigil. A supper will also be served.