‘Start with a prayer’: Saskatchewan docuseries rewrites the script on the search for missing persons

Cast and crew filming an episode of 'Searchers' outside of Saskatoon. (Hallee Mandryk / CTV News)

The filming of a docuseries brought a cast and crew near Saskatoon, as they work to tell the stories of missing people and those who search for them.

“We have a lot of Indigenous searchers who really know their business,” said Doug Cuthand, a producer for Searchers.

“They really know how to get out there and go into the forest or into swamps, whatever. And, they’re these are people off the land and they’re from the land. And so they really know their stuff,” he said.

“And I think a lot of our people are quite proud of that.”

Searchers is currently in its second season of production. Each half hour episode of the show tells a different story of a missing person in Canada, and the search efforts to find them.

The production team has a handful of people who have years of experience as searchers, including writer-director Cory Generoux.

“When I was asked to come in and write and direct the show, it was like marrying two of my passions, which was search and rescue and filmmaking,” Generoux said.

After many years of involvement with search and rescue efforts, Generoux has witnessed firsthand how powerful the stories can be.

“We have a lot of missing Indigenous people, as well as a lot of missing kids, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. And for me, that was the purpose of me getting into search and rescue in the first place, as I wanted to help and I wanted to help families, especially in their time of need,” Generoux said.

Generoux shared that this first-hand knowledge has been incredibly valuable in terms of making the show as accurate as possible.

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“We bring a real sense of realism to the show. So what you’re watching, the techniques, how they form up, how they search, how their head movements are everything. It’s, they’re all actual techniques in search and rescue,” Generoux said.

The series not only highlights Saskatchewan stories, but also the film production talent in the province, boosted with a $500,000 funding bump from Creative Saskatchewan.

According to the production team, 83 per cent of the budget is spent in Saskatchewan, and an estimated 70 per cent of the cast and crew identify as Indigenous.

“You’ll notice that we have a mixed bag of people here. We’ve got Indigenous people and others working together quite successfully. I think it shows the diversity in the film industry in this province,” Cuthand said.

The show underscores how dedicated many individuals and communities are when it comes to finding a loved one. Those involved in the project emphasized how meaningful it’s been to learn about the way communities can rally when looking for one of their own.

“I think that’s the skill of the Searchers and it shows when the search and rescue teams go out and why it’s so important to follow these. It’s the involvement of the community, but also the skill that’s evolved and the technology now that comes into play," said Wally Start, the show’s executive producer.

“It’s something really cool that the community just comes out and is so involved and people volunteer their time to work with the searchers and to help find missing people.”

Generoux says the significance of the stories is never lost on his team.

“At the beginning of our shooting, we always start with a prayer with the cast and crew and just remind people that these are actually people who are loved not only by their family, but by their communities,” he added.

“And their communities are going to be watching, so you have to all come from your heart, come from a good place.”