If McLeod and Schmegelsky are in the Gillam area and alive, I think that they have to be in a cabin that they came across quite accidentally and that for whatever reason hasn’t been searched yet, or somewhere along the Nelson River. I believe that other scenarios, without a topo map and orienteering skills, mean that they are dead or close to it, quite possibly from hypothermia.
If they got out of Gillam, they could be anywhere in Canada. The scenario that the RCMP has raised - someone giving them a lift and not coming forward - is entirely possible. There are many reasons why someone would prefer to say nothing - suspended driver’s license, outstanding criminal charge, a certain empathy for McLeod and Schmegelsky, even interest in watching this play out.
This weekend’s canvass of local homeowners, if it comes up blank, will exclude one more scenario.