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◆ FUR INDUSTRY P. 2 ◆ EDITORIAL P. 6
◆ FAMILY WANTS CLOSURE P. 4 ◆ BANTAM HOCKEY PICS P. 9
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Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Bjornson body still missing Ruth Lloyd Caledonia Courier Another grieving family is asking people to come forward. RCMP and the family of Fribjon Bjornson are requesting the public’s help in locating the body of their missing loved one. After he was reported missing on January 21, 2012, remains found on the Lower Road on the Nak’azdli Reserve were confirmed to be Bjornson’s on February 3, 2012. RCMP have since disclosed the remains identified as Bjornson did not include his body, but they do believe he is deceased. “The nightmare for this family is not over and we hope someone can leave an anonymous tip as to where we can find Fribjon Bjornson.” Stated Cst. Lesley Smith North District Media Relations Officer in her release. “We are asking for a location or to be directed to a certain area where we can recover a much loved son so he can be properly laid to rest.” The RCMP acknowledges Bjornson had struggled with drug use throughout his life and he therefore associated with people known to “live a high risk lifestyle and were also caught in a world of addiction.” “It’s to those witnesses, who we believe are too scared to come forward, that we have other ways for them to contact us and that’s through Crime Stoppers,” said Smith in an interview. “They can remain anonymous and leave us the information we need to bring closure to this family.” If information does lead to the recovery of Bjornson’s body, the person or persons with information could be eligible for a $2,000 cash reward. Smith reassures people who may have information the investigators are not there to judge and
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people’s anonymity can be protected. “We don’t want their names, just their information,” she said. If you have any information that could bring closure to the Bjornson Family or could assist police in furthering their investigation please contact Sgt. Randy Bosch of the North District Major Crime Unit at 250-649-3903 . If you do not want to give your name and would like to remain anonymous please call Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-TIPS (8477). Statement from Eileen Bjornson, Fribjon’s mother: Fribjon was our son. He was a father to two beautiful children and best friend to his sister, Amanda. He was kind, helpful and generous. Our family is stunned and devastated by his death. How could somebody do something so horrible to him, or anyone? Every time we thought it couldn’t get any worse, it has. What are we going to tell his children? How will we explain to them what happened to their daddy, when we don’t understand it ourselves. We need to be able to put our son to rest and give him a proper burial. Our family needs some closure and finding Fribjon’s body is the first step. We are pleading to anyone who knows anything to come forward and tell us what they know, no matter how insignificant it may seem. We have had a memorial service for him and have smudged the house where we found evidence of his death but we are still missing Fribjon. We would like to be able to spread his ashes and have a closed family service but we can’t do this until we recover his body. We will always be looking for him, until he comes home to us. Please help us look. We are asking people to keep their eyes open for anything suspicious: birds, clothing, something in the lake, etc. Fribjon was a good person, he did not deserve this. Please help us.
Staff Sergeant D.M. Beach from Vanderhoof RCMP celebrates getting $7,300 from proceeds of crime with Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad to buy crime fighting gagets. District councillor Brian Frenkle said they need to send a message that organized crime isn’t going to prosper in the Nechako region. Photo by Apryl Veld
Services boost for region Apryl Veld Omineca Express The RCMP in Vanderhoof will be buying new crime fighting equipment to battle outlaw activites thanks to $7,300 grant from proceeds of crime. “We’re getting a video camera and night vision goggles and infrared (heat sensing) equipment,” Staff Sergeant D.M. Beach said. He added this will go a long way to fighting drug grow ops and other illegal activities tied to organized crime in this area. “When there’s a house or a vehicle and they can’t prove they got it legiti-
mately we can seize it,” Beach added. The Vanderhoof detachment commander thanked the MLA for Nechako Lakes, John Rustad for the monies that are being granted to the police and social services in our region. “Nechako Lakes is getting four grants,” Rustad noted. Carrier Sekani Family Services for the Nechako district received $250,000 for a Highway of Tears Prevention and Awareness fund which they said will address community safety and prevent violence against women along Hwy. 16 where dozens of women have disappeared. continued on page 3
April is Cancer Awareness Month
Help create awareness by sponsoring a cancer fact in our Cancer Awareness Supplement. Copy deadline: March 30, 2012. Publishing date: April 18, 2012
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