OPP confirm remains found are missing Thornbury man
OPP have confirmed that human remains found in Georgian Bay Township belong to 60-year-old Eric Spencer, who went missing in 2018.
It was mid-October 2018 when Eric Spencer was last seen in Honey Harbour.
A full-scale search by the OPP for the then 60-year-old from Thornbury scaled back when the search came up empty.
Then reignited one year later, with no trace of Spencer anywhere, Spencer's sister got in touch with the non-profit group "Please Bring Me Home."
"When Eric entered those woods, there has been no other evidence to suggest that he exited those woods," said Nick Oldrieve, executive director of Please Bring Me Home.
Six volunteers entered Honey Harbour on Sunday following a creek near where Spencer was last seen.
A search was encumbered.
"The swampiest area that we've ever been in. So every two feet you step out, you're in another, you know, another swampy area," said Oldrieve.
The team devised a plan to stay on the perimeter, hoping that his body would have likely drifted out after six years.
Then, at 10:30 that morning, "We were at the northmost end of this swamp just kind of turning around to come around the other side. And we had located what was clearly human remains at the time," said Oldrieve.
Police were alerted to the situation and brought in to retrieve the remains.
The Office of the Chief Coroner, with assistance from the OPP Forensic Identification Unit and the Centre of Forensic Sciences, confirmed the identity of the remains on Wednesday.
Police say foul play is not suspected in this investigation.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Oldrieve's work continues long after the search has ended.
"Organizing some counselling services, getting in touch with victim services, whatever it is we can do to ensure that they're supported all the way through this journey of grief," said Oldrieve.
Now, at the time Spencer went missing, it was a bit unclear what drew him to Honey Harbour.
Oldreive says he does have ties to the area, with a family campsite close to the area.
But what made him stop and enter the woods where he did is something we likely will never know.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
Tornado touches down west of the Island of Montreal
Emergency services in the town of Rigaud, Que. are investigating after a tornado touched down shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
B.C. senior prepares to move due to devastating effects of fraud
A Courtenay, B.C., senior is downsizing and packing to move as she comes to accept she can no longer afford to stay in her home, after falling victim to a scam that robbed her of her life savings worth more than $100,000.
MPs to decide on Speaker Fergus' invite flub as Conservatives advance effort to oust him
The federal Conservatives have advanced a motion that will force MPs to vote on whether to oust Greg Fergus as House of Commons Speaker, after MPs' deputy adjudicator ruled Monday that the Liberal member's allegedly errant partisan event invite required urgent attention.
WATCH Alta. man rescues wild foal trapped on steep cliffside
A man's daring rescue of a newborn wild foal that was trapped after falling down a steep embankment was caught on video over the weekend.
Stars roar back to win Game 3 over Oilers
Jason Robertson's hat-trick goal midway through the third period broke a deadlock and proved to be the eventual winner as the Dallas Stars beat the host Edmonton Oilers 5-3 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final to take a 2-1 series lead.
Kitchener, Ont. woman with incurable cancer pushing province to cover rare cancer drug
A rare cancer treatment could potentially extend the life of an Ontario woman. The problem is, the province won’t approve the pricey drug.
Trial for B.C. man accused of killing, dismembering wife begins
The trial for a Langley man accused of killing his wife began Monday, with the prosecutor laying out a disturbing series of facts agreed upon by both Crown and defence.