CANADA Canada - Jack, 4 & Lily Sullivan, 6, Vulnerable, wandered from home 10am, Gairloch Rd, Landsdowne Station, Pictou County, NS, 2 May 2025

[whitelilac]

This was me. My gut feeling is that there's a very, very remote chance of a stranger abduction from the first car that saw them on the highway. Otherwise, any other driver would have remembered and/or reacted to seeing two small, improperly dressed children on the highway, and this would have been reported by now.

I think there's a much greater chance of an abduction from the property, especially if it's normal for visitors to come & go. The timeline is not clear, but the stepfather estimated a 20-minute gap before he noticed them missing. Both the mother and stepfather have mentioned (repeatedly) that the children are friendly and would willingly get into a car with other adults. And, as mentioned above, they were both very quick in asking LE to investigate an abduction vs. searching locally.

Thank you.
The stepfather did mention he was checking dirt roads as well iirc. Are there secluded little roads that are relatively close to the property, other than that main road? If so where do those dirt roads lead?

 

[Twick]

Google says there’s black bears but they’re not usually dangerous. Regardless, in the case of bear attacks there would be visible indications. ie blood, clothing, etc.

Black bears can and will kill and eat people. They’re not normally aggressive, but small defenseless children? Maybe.

 

[Montrealaise]

Black bears can and will kill and eat people. They’re not normally aggressive, but small defenseless children? Maybe.

This is the season when female bears have cubs, so they might be more aggressive than usual if they think someone is threatening their cubs.

 

[Jenna80]

Black bears can and will kill and eat people. They’re not normally aggressive, but small defenseless children? Maybe.

Surely they would leave a trace, blood, the boots, or the backpack

 

[Stunned]

I'm surprised no family dogs followed the children.

I wondered if they had dogs. Do they?

 

[MistyWaters]

Ahha so “a missing persons investigation” is different than the Investigation. Got it!

Searchers exhausted but optimistic as missing child search continues in N.S.

Lansdowne children Lily and Jack Sullivan missing since Friday morning

www.saltwire.com

“This does remain a missing persons investigation,” McCann said. “At this point, we’re still treating it as missing people, and our goal is still, with the police and searchers on scene, the variety of GSAR teams, to locate Lily and Jack and bring them home safe.

“I can’t comment on the investigation, just the search.”

 

[TMich6811]

Ahha so “a missing persons investigation” is different than the Investigation. Got it!

Searchers exhausted but optimistic as missing child search continues in N.S.

Lansdowne children Lily and Jack Sullivan missing since Friday morning

www.saltwire.com

“This does remain a missing persons investigation,” McCann said. “At this point, we’re still treating it as missing people, and our goal is still, with the police and searchers on scene, the variety of GSAR teams, to locate Lily and Jack and bring them home safe.

“I can’t comment on the investigation, just the search.”

Good catch

 

[iveyguy]

Thank you.
The stepfather did mention he was checking dirt roads as well iirc. Are there secluded little roads that are relatively close to the property, other than that main road? If so where do those dirt roads lead?

Yes, in fact there's one particular "logging road" that is adjacent to their property, and judging by google maps, would have been accessible to the children without using the main road. Here's a Google Street View of this road: Street View · Google Maps

This road looks to be about 1.5-2 km long, but it goes nowhere. There appear to be numerous clearcuts. But otherwise, a very thick forest that would make for extremely difficult travelling for little ones. It would be relatively easy to search the entirety of the trail, especially with a four-wheeler.

 

[ASipowicz]

Mom is a stay-at-home mom, unlikely receiving any child support from the bio Dad. The BF's work hours at the sawmill had been decreased. How were they getting by financially? Does Canada have the U.S. equivalent of "food stamps"? Or food banks? Or free breakfast and lunch programs at the school? Is the grandmother living on the property employed and perhaps helping out financially?

 

[Panniniclaus]

Mom is a stay-at-home mom, unlikely receiving any child support from the bio Dad. The BF's work hours at the sawmill had been decreased. How were they getting by financially? Does Canada have the U.S. equivalent of "food stamps"? Or food banks? Or free breakfast and lunch programs at the school? Is the grandmother living on the property employed and perhaps helping out financially?

My take would be the father was working no more than one day a week to draw unemployment insurance. They would also to be eligible to use food banks. There could also be other sources of income.. under the table.

There would be a breakfast program at school.

 

[MistyWaters]

Yes, in fact there's one particular "logging road" that is adjacent to their property, and judging by google maps, would have been accessible to the children without using the main road. Here's a Google Street View of this road: Street View · Google Maps

This road looks to be about 1.5-2 km long, but it goes nowhere. There appear to be numerous clearcuts. But otherwise, a very thick forest that would make for extremely difficult travelling for little ones. It would be relatively easy to search the entirety of the trail, especially with a four-wheeler.

I agree, I just can’t imagine little children with tiny short legs navigating very far in this type of terrain.

Searchers exhausted but optimistic as missing child search continues in N.S.

Lansdowne children Lily and Jack Sullivan missing since Friday morning

www.saltwire.com

“It’s difficult,” Weiss said. “You have blow-down (trees, vegetation) from the last few storms, from Fiona. You have bugs, heat exhaustion, it’s cold at night, and water pouring down on your head.

“And this terrain is not flat. It’s uphill and downhill, there are holes, cervices, and bogs – it’s a lot of work. It’s physical exhaustion for these searchers when they’re out there doing their thing.”

 

[whitelilac]

Yes, in fact there's one particular "logging road" that is adjacent to their property, and judging by google maps, would have been accessible to the children without using the main road. Here's a Google Street View of this road: Street View · Google Maps

This road looks to be about 1.5-2 km long, but it goes nowhere. There appear to be numerous clearcuts. But otherwise, a very thick forest that would make for extremely difficult travelling for little ones. It would be relatively easy to search the entirety of the trail, especially with a four-wheeler.

Thanks.
I hope that logging road and environs have been thoroughly searched, but I expect they have. Do you know if there have been any reports of teens or other people getting into mischief, drugs, gatherings etc. along that road? It would look like the sort of hidden area where one could get up to no good.
I wonder if they can check for recent tire tracks.
eta, though presumably there are the searchers' tire tracks.
I wonder if they've found any garbage etc that people may have left, IF this logging road is used by groups.

 

[MerlinFalcon]

Yes we can all read back or use search...but BEAR has not been mentioned previously in the thread before FWIW....thanks

Search results for query: Bear

websleuths.com

Someone had said Canada is full of grizzlies and wolves wayyy back. Grizzlies aren’t in this area. Like someone else said, black bears are usually scared of people but if a mom bear has cubs that would change things. They do have black bears in that area. Hopefully they arbor involved in this disappearance.

 

[swanniee11]

I wondered if they had dogs. Do they?

I have not heard/read about any dog.

 

[whitelilac]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

I'm a little concerned too about the "holes" and "crevices" mentioned above by searchers.

 

[tarabull]

Someone had said Canada is full of grizzlies and wolves wayyy back. Grizzlies aren’t in this area. Like someone else said, black bears are usually scared of people but if a mom bear has cubs that would change things. They do have black bears in that area. Hopefully they arbor involved in this disappearance.

Thanks muchly....Weird tho...searching "grizzlies" in this thread has no results.

Regardless WHERE are these kiddos!?!?!?

PS we are not FULL of grizzly bears.

 

[Ontario Mom]

Yes we can all read back or use search...but BEAR has not been mentioned previously in the thread before FWIW....thanks

Search results for query: Bear

websleuths.com

Yes, it was falsely presumed early in the thread wolves & grizzlies were a massive issue in the Canadian provinces.

In NS, the most concerning wildlife would be various types of wildcats and black bears.

 

[Ontario Mom]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

From all I've read, the signs point to the kids innocently venturing into the woods, getting lost & sadly not surviving.

jmo

 

[Amoca]

Someone had said Canada is full of grizzlies and wolves wayyy back. Grizzlies aren’t in this area. Like someone else said, black bears are usually scared of people but if a mom bear has cubs that would change things. They do have black bears in that area. Hopefully they arbor involved in this disappearance.

Not in Eastern Canada they are solely out West, all we have are Black Bears in NS. They are awake now, our neighbours bin is knocked over every night. We live about 25 mins drive from these people, in the same county. As an adult, black bears don't bother me, we treat them like big raccoons. Scream at them and they'll run usually if they don't have cubs. But kids might be a different thing.

 

[Minordetails]

From all I've read, the signs point to the kids innocently venturing into the woods, getting lost & sadly not surviving.

jmo

Unless they are submerged under water, I find it highly unlikely that they are ‘lost’ the woods, after 4 days of intense searching.

JMO