The search for a missing 64-year-old man with dementia has been called off, but family members say they will continue looking for Christian Dube, who was last seen on Saturday in the Mount Douglas Park/PKOLS area.
“We just want him home,” Dube’s niece Brittany Dube said Thursday.
Family members have printed photos of Dube, who has lived at Broadmead Lodge in Saanich for the past several months, to hand out, first in the Gorge Road area then door-to-door in the Broadmead area, said Dube, the family spokesperson.
Saanich police issued a statement Thursday morning saying that after an exhaustive search of PKOLS (Mount Douglas) Park by the Peninsula Emergency Measures Organization search-and-rescue team, “the decision has been made to stand down the search pending another sighting in the area.”
The search area Wednesday had included the shoreline in the Mount Douglas area using the Saanich police boat, and a search-and-rescue dog was brought in to help at PKOLS/Mount Douglas Park.
Christian Dube, known as Chris, hasn’t been seen since about 5:30 p.m. Saturday after leaving Broadmead Lodge.
Police have asked people living south of the park along Ash Road, Shelbourne Street and Cedar Hill Road to check security-camera footage going back to Saturday.
Brittany said she heard through police that her uncle had not been taking his stroke medication regularly. He has other health problems as well, she said.
She went to Broadmead Lodge on Thursday morning to learn more about her uncle’s medication and what had been happening prior to him leaving the facility.
Dube, the father of two daughters, has mainly lived in Esquimalt and worked as a house painter. He lived with one daughter near Esquimalt and Admirals roads for about 25 years before moving into the care facility, Brittany Dube said.
“The kids are devastated that grandpa’s missing,” she said.
Family members and supporters are also going to the Uptown shopping area to see if anyone remembers seeing him.
“They’re going to check out every single place that they can.”
She said her uncle is a quiet person. “He’s just a good guy. He would show up for absolutely anybody, anytime.”
Christian Dube is described as five-foot-six with a medium build, blue eyes, shaggy brown hair and a greying goatee, and was wearing a black winter jacket, blue jeans, brown shoes and a baseball cap.
He was carrying a black Reebok backpack with a purple-coloured pattern.
His jacket has a hood and white lining, and a Cleveland Browns logo on the front left side.
Anyone who sees Dube is asked to call 911 and keep him in sight, or call Saanich police immediately at 250-475-4321 if you have information on his whereabouts.
