Rewards, tip line issued for First Nations man missing in Thunder Bay for nearly a year

Efforts are ramping up to locate a First Nations man who's been missing in Thunder Bay, Ont., for almost a year.

Joseph Alexander Lawson, known as Alex or AJ, was last seen on Nov. 27, 2022 in the 200-block of Madeline Street in the Grandview area, near where he lived.

The 65-year-old, who is a member of Lac Seul First Nation, is described as 5-foot-6 with a medium build, long, straight grey hair, brown eyes, and usually sports facial hair. He was last seen wearing a black baseball cap, a light-coloured North Face puffer jacket with a dark upper area, blue jeans and black shoes.

On Thursday, the Thunder Bay Police Service announced a reward of $5,000 for anyone who can provide information that directly leads investigators to confirm Alex's whereabouts. A dedicated tip line has been set up at 807-684-1055.

The police also released video footage for the first time of Alex Lawson, captured on the day he was last seen. He is shown walking through the hallway of a building before going outside.

"It shows his gait, his manner of movement, in the hopes that perhaps seeing him in motion will trigger recognition in someone who may have seen Mr. Lawson," said Det.-Insp. Jeremy Pearson, with the Thunder Bay Police Service's Investigative Services branch. 

WATCH | Thunder Bay Police Service shares footage of missing man Alex Lawson

The footage was acquired by police in the early days of the investigation, he said. 

When asked why the video was just released now, Pearson said "It's been at the request of the family that we're putting the footage out into the public. Up until this point, we've been focused on the still images of Mr. Lawson that we put out into the public sphere."

'Help us find our dad'

Alex's daughter, Kimberly Lawson, travelled from Sioux Lookout to Thunder Bay this week to participate in a several-day community-wide search for her father. It's not the first widescale search the family has done; a Facebook page with more than 1,300 followers called Missing Person Alex Lawson has been sharing updates about potential sightings and search dates since his disappearance. 

About 40 people – friends, family members and other volunteers – are in Thunder Bay this week, some coming from as far as Lac Seul First Nation and Mishkeegogamang First Nation to help.

The search party gathered at a command centre set up in the south end of town for the police's announcement of the reward and tip line before heading out to cover more ground.

"We are approaching a year that he's been missing," Kimberly Lawson told members of the media Thursday. "We are asking anybody with information to please come forward and do the right thing."

"Help us bring our dad home."

She thanked the police for helping to set up the reward, which she said the family has been trying to arrange for a while, and also said Lac Seul First Nation is offering its own $10,000 reward for information about Alex Lawson.

Policing partners working together

Pearson said there's been nationwide interest in Alex Lawson's case, with reported sightings coming from as far as the West Coast – but there has yet to be a confirmed sighting since last November in Thunder Bay.

"There has been a tremendous community investment in this missing person. There is a strong desire, I think, in this and in many communities to find the answers for the Lawson family," Pearson said.

Alex Lawson's family has shared he is known to walk long distances, even between towns. The Thunder Bay Police Service has worked alongside policing partners including OPP, across northwestern Ontario and beyond, to consolidate information and search efforts, said Pearson.

"We've utilized drone searches, canine searches, physical searches, as well as of course doing all of our background investigation into banking information, telephone records, every avenue that we can think to explore," he said.

"We are doing and will continue to do so as new information comes forward."

Those providing tips who want to be eligible for the reward must include their name and a phone number when providing information to the dedicated tip line, say police. Anyone who wishes to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at p3tips.com.