NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
The family of Kelvin Smallgeese is reaching out to the hundreds of mushroom hunters who will be lining the territory's highways this summer.

Kelvin Smallgeese was last seen in Yellowknife in September 2010. His family is asking those planning to pick mushrooms along the territory's highways this summer to keep an eye out for anything that may lead to his discovery. - photo courtesy of the family of Kelvin Smallgeese

Smallgeese was last seen in Yellowknife in September 2010 and told a family member he intended to travel home to Hay River. He never made it.

For those who have had loved ones disappear traveling between the communities, the mushroom harvest presents a unique opportunity to explore places that may have been missed during initial investigations, according to one of Smallgeese's family members.

Kathleen Graham, told News/North there have been no leads in the disappearance of her cousin, who was 37-years-old when he went missing. At this point, she says, her family is just looking for closure.

"Last year was a record-breaking year for forest fires so we know there will be hundreds of people picking morel mushrooms this spring along the NWT highways," she said. "That's hundreds of eyes on the ground."

Graham said Smallgeese was last seen by a family member outside Bruno's Pizza in Yellowknife where he asked for a cigarette and chatted about his plans to return home. Because he had been in and out of jail and lived a somewhat wayward lifestyle his disappearance was not reported right away.

"My mom noticed around Christmas time, she said, 'He usually calls by now, where is he,'" Graham recalls. "She started asking family members if they had seen him and then after awhile nobody had and that's when she called the police."

Graham says her family thinks he may have caught a ride with someone and due to an argument was kicked out or dropped off part way to Hay River, where they assume he may have succumbed to exposure. Smallgeese was five feet, four inches tall, with a medium build and six missing teeth. Graham says he always wore bulky belt buckles and is hoping an item like that might have survived the fires.

"Our prayer is that one of those mushroom pickers might come across a belt buckle, a shoe or boot or possibly one of my cousin's bones," she said. "We may never know what happened to our cousin Kelvin but we pray we will someday be able to properly bury his remains if we ever find them."

RCMP constable Elenore Sturko told News/North if the public comes across any unusual items that could be related to an investigation they should call their closest detachment, adding the North presents specific challenges when finding missing persons.

"The NWT is a very large land area with a relatively small population . lots of heavily forested areas and so many lakes, rivers and streams. These type of factors can make it difficult to locate a person," she stated in an e-mail.

"However . we have a very concerned and active population. There are always people who come forward to help with searches."

RCMP have also cautioned adventurous mushroom hunters about straying too far from the road and getting lost in the bush as many of the areas are outside cellphone coverage and emergency services will be limited.

Graham says she and her family intend to be among those participating in the search.

"If some of those people who are out picking mushrooms and they come across (something) I cannot dismiss it because it could potentially bring closure to a family like mine or somebody elses who have someone missing," she said.

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