Mary Papatsie was the youngest of eight siblings raised in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, on Baffin Island, Canada. She was a hockey and volleyball coach, who loved to fish. Mary later moved to Ottawa's, Hintonburg neighborhood, but spent most of her time in the Vanier neighborhood.
Mary Papatsie was 39 years old and a mother of 10 when she was last seen on the afternoon of April 27, 2017. She was last seen east of Ottawa's downtown center, in the Montreal Road and Marier Street area.
Mary Papatsie (The Ottawa Citizen)
Mary may have been living on the street at the time of her disappearance. She was seen frequently in the area around Montreal Road and Bégin Street.
No contact was made with family or friends since the day she disappeared and her disappearance went unreported for five weeks. Police didn't issue their first missing persons press bulletin until June 2017. There were a handful of sightings that were reported to police after her disappearance, but none of the sightings were confirmed, as no one had spoken directly to her. One sighting included her being seen with two men.
Mary Papatsie is approximately five feet three inches tall, weighing around 140 to 160 pounds, with long, straight brown hair, and has a scar above her left eye from a piercing.
On the day she disappeared, Mary may have been wearing black jogging pants, a brown T-shirt, and blue and orange flip-flop sandals. She may also have been carrying a purple and black backpack filled with other clothing.
Ottawa Police's primary crime unit took over the investigation and is actively working on the case.
Update - October 31, 2022
Ottawa police reported today that the human remains of Mary Papatsie were found in an under-construction three-story Vanier apartment building on Deschamps Avenue. The remains were first uncovered on September 28th and later identified to be those of Mary. The Ottawa homicide department has now taken over the investigation.
Sources:
Remains of Inuk woman missing for 5 years found in Ottawa apartment building
Mary Papatsie mourned at makeshift memorial in Vanier
