March 23 - Missing since 1991

Good morning !

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Now on to today’s news. 

— Cam & the rest of the Capital Daily team

Today’s approx. read time: 4 / 6 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌧 11 / 7

Tomorrow: 🌧 14 / 7

Tuesday: 🌧 16 / 8

NEWS

34 years since Michael Dunahee vanished from local playground

The four-year-old disappeared on March 24, 1991, from Blanshard School playground in Victoria during a football game. His parents were close by and had only lost track of him for seconds. Police searched the area within half an hour, but little evidence of him was found. The case drew attention from across Canada, becoming one of the country's largest missing-person investigations.

Victoria police released an aged-up sketch of him in 2021 (above), and say that hundreds of tips came in; last year they called again for public input.

In 2022 the podcast Island Crime ran a 10-episode series on Dunahee with new interviews with the family and investigators; the Capital Daily Podcast spoke to its host Laura Palmer about the story.

Mother's efforts helped establish missing-child alerts

The Amber Alert system that is used today was developed with contribution from Michael’s mother Crystal Dunahee; she received the Order of BC in 2011. She said last year that she believes her son is still alive somewhere and will someday find the family, potentially by checking his geneology.

Michael Dunahee Keep the Hope Alive run/walk is today

The annual 5km event fundraises for Child Find BC. The family 5km walk/run goes through Esquimalt, with a wheelchair, stroller, and pet-friendly route. It begins at Esquimalt Rec Centre at 10am. [Info]

Many well-known disappearances and cold cases on Island

This disappearance is one of many in BC, which has the highest number of missing persons in Canada. Other high-profile Island criminal mysteries include the 2008 killing of Lindsay Buziak, the 2002 disappearance of Lisa Marie Young, and until last year the 2017 death of Richard Blair Young—which now has a suspect and charges.

Some Islanders have still been found after years missing. Brandon Cairney of Port Alberni re-emerged in fall 2022, with no desire to connect with his old life or family; he had disappeared in 2017 nearly a decade after a life-altering brain injury. In late 2023, Melissa McDevitt’s body was found one year after she died while hiking in Sooke’s Sea to Sea Regional Park.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Rain likely throughout next several days.

Election call expected today, meaning that local MPs will not be returning to a parliamentary session tomorrow as scheduled.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

Note: The second Sunday main story, below, will only be visible to Capital Daily Insiders as of next weekend.

NEWS

Victoria Royals win BC division of WHL for second time ever

The local hockey team was jostling for the top of the 5-team division up until this final weekend. Victoria (40-17-4-7) held a narrow lead over ast year's conference-toppers the Prince George Cougars, with the two rivals closing out the regular season against each other. With Victoria winning 6-3 on Friday, the gap became too wide for the Cougars to catch up—even with a win in Saturday's rematch (which PG took 4-3 in overtime).

Victoria last won the BC division in 2015-16, when it was on top of the league. This time, Victoria is second in the Western conference behind Everett (the only WHL team to crack 100 points this season). Spokane currently has more points and more wins than Victoria, but will be slotted lower than Vic due to not winning its division.

After several years of rebuilding, the Royals are once again a playoff threat and well-stocked with talent:

• Teydon Trembecky is #3 in WHL in goals with 46

• Deadline acquisition Brandon Lisowsky is #8 in goals

• Jayden Kraus is ranked 7th among goalies

• Cole Reschny, a likely late-first-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft, ranks #10 in points with 92 (26 goals 66 assists).

The playoffs begin this weekend, with the Royals division win securing them home-ice advantage. The series against the Tri-City Americans starts on Friday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Arena. Tickets here.

It's a big month for local hockey, with an upcoming celebration marking the Victoria Cougars’ Stanley Cup win a century ago.

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