Jesse Cole
Caledonia Courier
The RCMP across Canada conducted a social media campaign aimed at solving cases of missing Aboriginal women across the country. Ten women were chosen to be profiled during the campaign including Fort St James area missing woman Immaculate “Mackie” Mary Basil.
The campaign ran from Oct. 3 to 12 during which time profiles of Basil were shared and spread across the RCMP’s social media accounts on websites like Twitter and Facebook.
RCMP Officers called on police partners and the public to share the information and take part in the campaign.
RCMP encouraged media and the public to help in the search for Basil and other missing women by doing the following:
λ Visiting the External link, opens in a new window
www.canadasmissing.ca and www.bc.rcmp.ca to review the cases and to learn how to submit a tip;
λ “Like” the BC RCMP and National RCMP on Facebook to see information about the cases and share them;
Follow @bcrcmp and @rcmpgrcpolice on Twitter to read about and re-tweet information on the cases.
Basil, 26 and the mother of a seven year old boy, was last seen on the evening of June 13 travelling from the Leo Creek area north of the Tachie Reserve near Fort St. James. Basil was reported missing on June 17, 2013.
Cheif Justa Monk of Tl’azt’en First Nation, of which Basil is a member, said that Basil was full of life and had a smile that could lighten any mood.
“I can’t say enough about her as she was always the life of a party, brightening up any day with her contagious laugh and her smile could lighten any mood. I personally thought that this world didn’t have enough ‘Mackie’s.’”
Subsequent to Basil’s disappearance searches were carried out by RCMP in Fort St. James, Burns Lake, Vanderhoof and Mackenzie which deployed helicopter and dog units to aid in the search. Sadly, after four days the search was called off.
“She is missed,” said Monk. “She is constantly on our minds, especially as seasons come and go.”
Despite more than a year having passed since Basils disappearance Tl’azt’en Nation and Monk remain hopeful that campaigns like these will help to put an end to the ongoing mystery.
“We will never give up hope, our community is missing a wonderful mother, sister, friend, etc. We want nothing more than her return home safely,” Monk said.
The month of October was chosen by RCMP officials to coincide with the Sisters in Spirit vigil that is held each year on Oct. 4 by the Native Women’s Association of Canada.