The mother of Mackenzie Trottier took to social media to thank searchers and supporters for their continued work to find her daughter.
“Thank you for all the love & support for our family! Today is hard – but we must never forget it’s HARD for a lot of missing persons families,” wrote Gina Trottier on a Facebook page called FindMackenzieT.
“We will never give up on our girl or ANY of the other missing people in Canada! Somebody knows – they always know! One thing I know for sure is Mackenzie Trottier would not want all of this attention unless action was being taken to support ALL THE MISSING!”
Mackenzie was 22 when she left her home on Dec. 21, 2020. She said she was going to get a lift with a ride-booking service when she left her family’s home. She was in good spirits, said her father, Paul Trottier. MacKenzie hasn’t been seen since.
On April 19, Saskatoon police announced that it would be searching the landfill based on evidence collected to date.
“In late 2023 a substantial amount of data was collected which identified a specific area of the landfill, located at 42 Valley Road, which may contain evidence in the investigation,” the statement said. “The area is approximately 930 m³ and is approximately one meter in depth. The search will utilize resources from the SPS along with dogs from RCMP E Division and the Calgary Police Service.
“The teams will also be consulting with forensic anthropologist Dr. Ernie Walker. 33 days have been set aside for the search if needed and regular updates will be provided publicly.”
According to Saskatoon police, “Transport Canada has declared the airspace above the landfill a no-fly zone effective immediately until June 4, 2024; this includes a 1000 foot ceiling and two nautical mile radius surrounding the landfill. Private drones and civilian aircraft are prohibited from entering into the no-fly zone; violations will be addressed accordingly. A police drone has been authorized for use in the restricted airspace.”
Michelle LeClair, vice president of the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, said the work the police are doing at the Saskatoon landfill is important for the family.
“That’s important for that family to know that they are being acknowledged and that their child is important,” she said.
On Wednesday, Paul Trottier looked on as officers accompanied by dogs specialized in searching for human remains began examining a specific area of the landfill.
Officers went in and out of a large white tent, moving wheelbarrows of waste, as dozens of birds picked at scraps on a nearby hill.
“Emotionally, it’s difficult,” Trottier said.
LeClair said although MacKenzie isn’t here to use her voice, she is helping raise awareness about missing and murdered people.
“Women in particular are at risk of going missing, of being murdered and some of us for no other reason than we look the way that we do,” said LeClair.
