'We've never stopped': Family still searching for Jennifer Catcheway 15 years after disappearance

It’s been 15 years since the disappearance of Jennifer Catcheway, and her family has never stopped searching.

Jennifer went missing on her 18th birthday on June 19, 2008. She had been in Grand Rapids and was expected to return home to Portage la Prairie to celebrate her birthday.

During her travels, she was dropped off near the Waterhen junction at Provincial Road 328 and PTH #6 and has never been seen since.

“Since Jennifer went missing in 2008, we’ve never stopped,” said Bernice Catcheway, Jennifer’s mom.

“We’ve gone every year, every summer. One time we went right until the snowfall…We’ve been going, going non-stop.”

Every year, Jennifer’s family searches the area where she was last seen, and despite the 231 calls for justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, they are searching alone.

“Those recommendations were put in place for a reason, for a purpose,” Bernice said.

Bernice said she wants everyone to know Jennifer’s story, as well as the thousands of other stories of missing women and children.

“Change has to start. There’s talk, talk, talk. [There’s] inquiries and forums and getting together and all of that, but now it’s time to stop and put things into action. Start putting those recommendations into action now,” she said.

Bernice and Wilfred Catcheway, Jennifer's father, fundraise each missed birthday, and use the money for their search.

“I’ll never stop searching until I find closure,” Wilfred said.

“I know it’s been 15 long years. I’ll just keep searching. I’ll keep searching. How can you give up? You can’t.”

- With files from CTV’s Jill Macyshon.