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OUR VIEW: Pass along any info on Owen Rooney

It is fast-approaching one year since Australian man Owen Kiernan Rooney was last seen in Grand Forks.

It is fast-approaching one year since Australian man Owen Kiernan Rooney was last seen at a picnic table at Boundary Hospital in Grand Forks.

Some people will probably be very surprised that 365 days have passed (as of Aug. 14) and will be asking, “Was it really a year ago?” but for the family however, it probably feels like exponentially more.

There have been sightings all over the province since Owen Rooney’s disappearance but all have led to dead ends and the lack of information is beginning to weigh on the family.

Owen’s parents and brother Sean were in Canada for the latter stages of 2010 and early stages of 2011 and have since headed back to Australia while sisters Bree and Kelly remain in B.C. – both have said they could head back to their homeland soon as well and have confessed to being extremely drained by the whole ordeal.

Owen was attending the 2010 edition of the Shambhala music festival and apparently took some magic mushrooms.

He also got into an altercation at Christina Lake and suffered some injuries and checked into the hospital in Grand Forks before disappearing – he left behind his belongings and his bank account has seen no activity since.

There have been rumours circulating ever since last August regarding what may have happened to Owen between the music festival and the disappearance but there have been no solid leads and canvassing by the RCMP has yielded nothing, at least so far.

But it is possible that someone out there knows something.

If there are people out there that have information, they should share it with the authorities.

Somebody may have seen Owen Rooney hitchhiking or leaving the Boundary Hospital area on Aug. 14, 2010 or may have seen him talking to someone.

Police are baffled as to what may have happened to Owen Rooney, the investigation continues and you really have to feel sympathy for the Rooney family.

Having no idea about the whereabouts of a loved one must be maddening and not knowing for a year is exhausting – the Rooney family has said as much.

If there is any information out there please pass it on to the police so that the family and the city can have some closure one way or another.