Historical missing persons case from 1967 highlighted in national initiative

BONNYVILLE – After 54 years, there whereabouts of Margaret Mildred Batoche remain unknown to police. 

On July 7, 1967, the then 23-year-old Batoche was reported missing from her family residence in Bonnyville.  

However, information provided by RCMP state Batoche had been missing since May 26, 1967, more than a month prior to when she was reported missing by family. 

At the time of her disappearance, police said Batoche had always kept in contact with family and friends, and that her disappearance was considered suspicious. 

In a case file released by the Government of Canada, it states the 23-year-old had gone missing from Edmonton.  

Born in 1943, Batoche would now be 78 years old.  

Batoche was also known to go by the nicknames Wanchisco and Millie. 

Two unique features that were noted by the police included a wart/skintag on her right cheek close to her ear and a tattoo of an H on her left shoulder. 

Batoche was described as being an Indigenous women with long black hair and brown eyes. She was 5ft 4in tall and weighed roughly 134 lbs when she went missing. 

Police also noted she had some visibly missing teeth. 

Batoche’s historical missing person case was highlighted on the Canada’s Missing website associated to the Government of Canada’s Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Initiative. 

The start of the initiative’s campaign was chosen to coincide with the Sisters in Spirit Vigil held by the Native Women's Association of Canada on Oct. 4, when the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls are honoured.   

The 2021 Missing Campaign – Sisters in Spirit initiative is an opportunity for communities across the country to be involved by sharing information that may generate tips for investigating officers, states the federal government’s Canada’s Missing website. 

“With the public's help we hope to bring these missing women and girls' home, and seek justice and closure for families,” reads a Bonnyville RCMP press release. 

For a period of 11 weeks, Canada’s Missing is highlighting 11 cases, and Batoche is one of them.