Burlington, Ontario — It was on May 7, 1975, that four-year-old Cameron went missing from the family's house in the Blind Line Road area in north Burlington.
According to the RCMP, the blond-haired and blue-eyed boy was last seen by his mother at around 3:15 p.m. He was reportedly playing on a swing set in a neighbour's yard not far from home. Cameron went into the neighbour's residence to play with a friend but was told that the friend was sleeping. He then left the residence and walked towards his house.
Not a day goes by that Gerry March doesn't think about his son Cameron, who disappeared more than 45 years ago.
March, who is turning 78, recalls the day he received the news.
"I was setting up a show at the CNE grounds. In those days you had no cellphones. So I never found out anything was going on until I got back to the office. All I was told was that he was missing. So I had to go from Mississauga back to Burlington," he said.
He felt "devastated" upon returning home, while his wife, Barbara March, "was just beside herself."
Extensive investigation and searches for the boy went on for "many, many days" and helped by "thousands of people."
The Milton Champion reported on its May 14 edition in 1975 how the aerial and land search efforts "covered the wooded swampy areas bounded by Blind Line, Colling Road, Guelph Line and Britannia Road."
It was later extended to the Lowville area and the Nelson Sand and Gravel pits, where "ponds in the area were dragged and explored by divers."
But their efforts were "to no avail" and to this day, Cameron's whereabouts are still unknown.
Over four decades later, March still keeps a box with newspaper clippings and "things from people." He's also still in touch with the police, the last time being a little over a year ago.
"They said they hadn't heard anything," March said.
Det.-Sgt. Kevin Britton of the Halton Regional Police Service said Cameron's disappearance remains open "until we're able to locate him or confirm what has happened to him or where he's gone."
"We are aided by tips from the public and if people provide us with new information... we will look into any new and all information we receive," he said.
In 1981, the March family decided to move from Burlington to Parry Sound, "not (to start) a new life but a different life."
"It was tough but we stuck it out and we made the best of it and moved away from where we were,” he said, feeling blessed that they got to raise their other son – and now have a couple of grandchildren.
Cameron March's Vital Statistics
Date of Birth: March 31, 1971.
Age at Time of Disappearance: 4 years old.
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 3'0" - 92 cm; 42 lbs. - 19 Kg.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Blond hair; blue eyes.
Clothing: White T-Shirt, with green band around neck and monkeys climbing on front of shirt. Rust brown corduroy pants. Navy blue socks and brown desert boots.
Dentals: Braces on lower left side of teeth, one top front tooth discolored.
If you have tips or information, please contact the Regional Investigative Services at 905-825-4747, ext. 8760. You can also call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Visit www.haltonpolice.ca for more details.
