Cremation ashes of a deceased person have been found near the Nechako River in Cottonwood Island Park.
The remains, which date back to 2016, were discovered in an airtight bag used by a local cremation service by Duncan Desharnais, who posted a photo of the bag containing them in Facebook's "What's Up Prince George" group, hoping for the safe return of the ashes. The post was later deleted.
“On my way back from our walk, I noticed this black can with a white bag inside it,” said Desharnais.“I thought somebody was making square sandbags and when I walked up and saw a name on it, I thought that's not supposed to be there. I heard on Facebook a couple of months ago about somebody getting a B&E and that a loved one's ashes were taken. So I phoned the RCMP on my way home and they came and picked them up and took them, simple.”
Desharnais said was happy to return the ashes to the RCMP but was upset at the thought they might have been stolen.
“It was startling to my friend, and I thought it was kind of upsetting,” said Desharnais. “You know damn well nobody put there there like how you spread ashes. The only saving grace, I thought, is that at least they left it somewhere someone could find it and get it back to the rightful owner.”
The Prince George RCMP confirmed they have collected the ashes and are working to return them to the deceased's family.
The deceased person's name was clearly written on the bag. The Citizen is not sharing this information.
A comment on the Facebook post alleged the remains may have been stolen from a car several years ago, suggesting criminal charges could apply if the suspect dumped the ashes. That comment disappeared along with the post. It's unknown if there is any connection between the two incidents.
In British Columbia, cremated remains are legally considered human remains, and their disposition is regulated by the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act.
Under Section 182 of the Criminal Code, indecent interference with human remains is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Prince George RCMP Sgt. Craig Douglass told The Citizen that anyone who finds ashes or the containers they are stored in should contact RCMP.
“It has come up a couple of times where we’ve found urns full of ashes,” said Douglass. “So, yes, call us. We will do our best to return them to the family and determine why they ended up where they did — whether that’s due to criminal action, such as theft, or if someone left them there on purpose.”
