ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Politicians, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, spoke Wednesday about hopes of resuming the search for a 25-year-old man from St. John's missing in a mountainous park in British Columbia.
Jordan Naterer, who has been living in B.C.for the past two years. He was last seen on Oct. 10 departing for a hike in Manning Provincial Park, about 150 kilometres east of Vancouver, where he lives.
Naterer was reported missing three days later. After a five-day search, rescuers called off those efforts. There has since been a call from the family and from members of the public to start up the search again.
"There's limited leverage I have, even as Prime Minister, over a local issue and a local search like that, but I certainly ask about it and try and see if there isn’t something I can nudge a little bit, because I know the heartbreak the Naterer family and the entire community is going through right now." — Justin Trudeau
It was a subject that came up Wednesday at a virtual town hall organized by Memorial University and involving the Prime Minister and Newfoundland and Labrador's federal cabinet representative Seamus O'Regan. The video question-and-answer session was to be about problems facing the university during the COVID-19 pandemic, but one participant — Justin Dearing — took the opportunity to ask Trudeau if there was anything he could do to encourage a resumption of official search efforts for Naterer.
Dearing heads up Memorial's office on sustainability and climate change, making him a colleague of Greg Naterer, who is the university's dean of the faculty of engineering and applied science.
Greg Naterer and wife, Josie, are in British Columbia doing their own search for their son.
The search for Jordan Naterer was raised Wednesday during a Memorial University town hall involving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Here's a video excerpt of that town hall session, beginning from when Memorial president Vianne Timmons introduced Justin Dearing, who asked Trudeau about the Naterer search. — YouTube
In his reply, Trudeau spoke about his brother Michel, who was 23 when he died in 1998 as a result of an avalanche during a ski trip in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park in British Columbia. His body was never recovered.
"I can’t personally hear that story and not think about my little brother who was lost almost 25 years ago ... in the beautiful mountains in B.C.and the efforts that went in trying to find him and how I felt when the search was called off," said Trudeau.
"I have no words except deep compassion and thoughtfulness and I promise you, Justin, I will look into this.
"There's limited leverage I have, even as Prime Minister, over a local issue and a local search like that, but I certainly ask about it and try and see if there isn’t something I can nudge a little bit, because I know the heartbreak the Naterer family and the entire community is going through right now."
New clue of synthetic down, 4-5 days old, material used in pillow fillers and by Jordan to make crafts, found by tracker near Monument 78/83 crossover, rarely hiked area, outside SAR areas checked - please @VancouverPD restart search as snowstorm and freezing temperatures coming! pic.twitter.com/q6e9Dnqcvd
— Greg Naterer (@GregNaterer) October 21, 2020
Wednesday's town hall was moderated by Memorial president Vianne Timmons, who had issued a news release about Naterer.
“Though authorities in B.C. have suspended their search activities in mountainous Manning Park, located about two hours east of Vancouver, the search continues by the Naterers and Jordan’s friends and colleagues. I have been in touch with Dr. Naterer and offered him and his family my support,” reads the statement from Timmons.
“Please join me in keeping Greg, Josie and their children, as well as our colleagues in engineering, in your thoughts and providing to them whatever supports you can through this most difficult time.”
The provincial government has also added its voice to those calling for the search to start again
Justice Minister Steve Crocker says he has spoken with officials in British Columbia, with a plea to resume the search.
“(On Tuesday) morning, the premier asked me to reach out to my counterpart in British Columbia,” he said.
“We want to thank them for their efforts thus far and offer any assistance that we might be able to do at this point in time.”
Crocker says another conversation between both provinces' Departments of Justice took place on Wednesday.
“We’re hopeful that the search will resume,” he said
