Yellowknife (Aug 23/06) - Candace Villeneuve, the 14-year-old daughter of Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche, was found safe and sound yesterday after going missing for three days.

Police located the girl yesterday around 6:30 p.m. According to RCMP Const. Roxanne Dreilich, Villeneuve had left Yellowknife for Behchoko (Rae-Edzo) without telling her brother or parents.

"I just received a call a few minutes ago that she had gone to Rae-Edzo with some friends and failed to check in with her family," said Dreilich.

Her disappearance had caused Menicoche to cut short meetings with the Legislative Assembly's Accountability and Oversight Committee, who are travelling through NWT communities this week to talk about the upcoming territorial budget.

Yesterday afternoon, Menicoche was trying to catch a plane from Hay River to Yellowknife, where his daughter had come to visit him last week.

Candace lives with her mother Connie Villeneuve in Fort Simpson. She was suppose to catch a plane yesterday to head back to the community to go to school.

The girl was last seen in Yellowknife outside the downtown Reddi-Mart around 2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 19.

"Last time I saw her was Saturday afternoon," said Menicoche from Fort Resolution yesterday, a few hours before police located his daughter. "I was going to do the meetings but as time goes on, you get more and more worried."

Menicoche's 22-year-old son Keon was looking after Candace while he was away. Menicoche said his son reported her missing to the RCMP Monday around 5 p.m.

Posters bearing Candace's photo and a contact telephone number began circulating throughout the city yesterday, and were still being handed out yesterday evening after police located the girl.

Const. Colleen Werrell said the RCMP received four missing persons reports last week, which typical in any given week. All four people who were reported missing last week returned home within a day.

"Sometimes, if youth stay out longer than they're supposed to, they may be afraid to return home," said Werrell.