Smithers is a small town in northern British Columbia, nestled along the long stretch of Highway 16. This places the close-knit community right in the middle of the infamous Highway of Tears.
The Highway of Tears is the portion of Highway 16 from Prince George to Prince Rupert, stretching 720 kilometers. When driving this highway, people are treated to a beautiful landscape that changes from lower flat fields and farmland to towering mountains. Another thing you will notice along this highway is how isolated it is. You can often be driving for an hour or more between towns.
Ramona Wilson was a bright young first nations girl, aged 16, living with her mother and other siblings in Smithers, BC. Ramona was a typical teenager, she had a part-time job at a local restaurant and liked hanging out with her friends. Her mother Matilda said her daughter loved writing poetry and reads them often when she thinks of her. Even after all this time, Matilda still finds it hard to speak about her daughter.
On the night of June 11, 1994, Matilda said goodbye to her daughter Ramona, not knowing this was the last time they would ever speak. Ramona was going to go to a dance with friends that night, in Hazelton, BC, which is located about an hour's drive away from Smithers, but she never made it there. People suspect that instead of going to that dance, Ramona was…