The search for six-year-old Ellie and four-year-old Wesley has now stretched into its third week, casting a shadow over the tight-knit communities of rural Nova Scotia where their disappearance has transformed daily life.
“These children belong to all of us now,” says Constable Marla Thompson of the RCMP’s Southwest Nova detachment, her voice betraying the emotional toll of the investigation. “Every officer has children’s photos taped to their lockers. Every morning briefing starts with updates on the search.”
The children were last seen playing near the treeline of their grandmother’s property in Waterville on the afternoon of March 27. Their grandmother, Margaret Collins, reported them missing after calling them in for dinner and finding no response—a moment that launched what has become one of the province’s largest search operations in recent memory.
What began as a localized concern has ballooned into a province-wide vigil. Yellow ribbons now adorn mailboxes and fence posts across Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, while community centers have become impromptu headquarters for volunteer searchers who arrive daily from as far as Cape Breton and Yarmouth.
According to the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office, more than 1,200 volunteers have participated in the search effort, combing through roughly 4,000 hectares of mixed forest, brush, and farmland. The terrain—challenging even in optimal conditions—has been complicated by spring’s freeze-thaw cycles and occasional heavy rainfall.
“We’re dealing with marshland that can hide footprints, dense brush that can conceal evidence, and water features that require specialized search techniques,” explains search coordinator James MacPherson. “But we’re also seeing incredible dedication from community members who show up day after day, refusing to give up hope.”
The RCMP has deployed ground teams, K-9 units, aerial surveillance, and underwater recovery specialists. Yet despite this massive mobilization, investigators acknowledge they’re working with limited information.
“The investigation remains open to all possibilities,” RCMP Superintendent Carol MacDonald told reporters at yesterday’s press briefing outside the Waterville Community Hall. “We’re pursuing multiple avenues simultaneously and won’t speculate publicly about specific scenarios while the search continues.”
This measured approach hasn’t stopped local speculation, however. At the Country Corner Market in nearby Berwick, conversations inevitably turn to theories about what might have happened. Store owner Diane Whynot has heard them all.
“Everyone’s got a theory, but what people are really expressing is their heartache,” says Whynot, who has been donating coffee and sandwiches to search volunteers. “This valley raises children together. When kids go missing, it shakes our sense of safety to the core.”
The children’s parents, James and Rebecca Harrington, made their first public appearance since the disappearance at a community prayer service held at the Waterville Baptist Church last Sunday. Visibly exhausted, they thanked the community for its support but made no formal statement, requesting privacy through their family spokesperson.
Support has flowed in from across the country. The Prime Minister mentioned the missing children during his remarks at a Halifax infrastructure announcement last week, pledging federal resources if needed. The provincial government has activated emergency coordination protocols usually reserved for natural disasters.
“We’re treating this as we would any other emergency that threatens Nova Scotians,” said Premier Tim Houston during a visit to the search command center on Monday. “The province stands ready with whatever resources are required for as long as they’re needed.”
For teachers and students at Waterville Elementary, where Ellie attends first grade, the absence of the bright-eyed girl known for her elaborate stories has created a palpable void. School counselors have been brought in to help children process the situation.
“Children this age understand more than we sometimes give them credit for,” explains school counselor Tamara Wilson. “They know their friend is missing, and they have questions we can’t always answer. We’re focusing on helping them express their feelings while maintaining routines that provide security.”
Local businesses have contributed to a reward fund now exceeding $75,000 for information leading to the children’s whereabouts. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign to support the Harrington family during their extended leave from work has raised over $42,000.
The children’s disappearance has also renewed calls for a provincial AMBER Alert system review. Currently, alerts are only issued when abduction is confirmed and when specific criteria are met—a threshold that wasn’t crossed in the initial hours after the children were reported missing.
“Every minute counts in these situations,” says child safety advocate Jennifer MacKay, who lost her own daughter to abduction in 2011. “While we don’t know if an earlier alert would have made a difference in this case, we need to examine whether our current protocols serve families when children go missing under ambiguous circumstances.”
As the search enters its fourth week, fatigue is setting in among volunteers, though determination remains strong. At the Waterville Fire Hall, which serves as the volunteer coordination center, a handwritten sign reads: “We search until they’re found.”
For now, the yellow ribbons flutter in the spring breeze, symbols of a community’s refusal to surrender hope—even as each passing day complicates both the search and the questions surrounding what happened that Wednesday afternoon at the edge of the woods.
