Supporters of Lisa Young on the Pearson Bridge near Maffeo Sutton Park heard a steady stream of honks on Sunday, June 28. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

Where is Lisa?

Annual Lisa Young march draws energized crowd to downtown Nanaimo

Jun 28, 2020 | 1:52 PM

NANAIMO — A cold case of a missing Nanaimo woman yearning for answers led to a hopeful march through the city’s downtown.

Lisa Marie Young vanished in the early morning hours of June, 30, 2002 after a friend reported she was held against her will in a vehicle on a Bowen Rd. driveway.

RCMP believe the Indigenous woman, who was 21-years-old at the time, met foul play and is deceased.

Young’s annual march saw a crowd of roughly 100 people meet at the Nanaimo RCMP detachment on Prideaux St. and walk down to Maffeo Sutton Park.

During the march, Young’s friend Cyndy Hall said renewed support in the long journey for answers “means the world to us.”

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“Because for a while we felt that the world moved on and people forgot about Lisa,” Hall told NanaimoNewsNOW during the march. “To see all of the support and everyone reaching out to us with words of support too, it just makes us feel that everyone cares about Lisa.”

Hall organized the event, which included traditional Indigenous drumming and speeches, comes amid increased attention in Young’s case.

The march was also organized to bring more attention to other missing and murdered Indegenous people.

The event was attended by family members of murdered Nanaimo teen Makayla Chang.

“I think they’ll find Lisa this year,” Hall said. “Just everyone is coming forward, more information and it just seems more people care.”

Hall credited a recent podcast by Laura Palmer as a big reason for her increased optimism.

Palmer attended the march and emphasized her belief Lisa Young’s disappearance is a solvable case. She said hopefully people with knowledge of what happened to Young will be compelled to come forward all these years later.

“Eighteen years have passed, people who might have been young and maybe reckless are parents, are settled down now and maybe they’ll take a breath and say ‘It’s time,” Palmer said while marching down Comox Rd.

The former longtime CBC newsroom producer in Vancouver said nearly 50,000 people and counting have downloaded her investigative podcast series.

“Island Crime Season 1: Where is Lisa?” is an eight episode delve into Young’s case, including two new episodes featuring insight from Nanaimo RCMP.

Following Sunday’s march to the Pearson Bridge over the Millstone River, Young’s parade went to the Lions Pavilion at Maffeo Sutton Park for speeches and where people supported one another.

The City of Nanaimo proclaimed Sunday, June 28, 2020 Justice for Lisa Marie Young Day.

A ‘Lights on for Lisa’ event Tuesday, June 30, 2020 has also been formally recognized by the City.

People are encouraged to leave their porch lights on for Young that evening as a sign of hope for the missing woman, her family and friends.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes