MONTREAL — The frantic search for three-year-old Claire Bell stretched into a second night on Monday, as provincial and municipal police scoured two jurisdictions some 50 kilometres apart for any trace of the toddler who vanished under puzzling circumstances on Father’s Day morning.
A disappearance that defies geography
Claire is three feet tall, weighs roughly 35 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen at about 9:45 a.m. Sunday (June 15) outside her family’s home on Newman Boulevard in Montreal’s LaSalle borough, barefoot and wearing a white long-sleeve shirt trimmed in pink and grey pants. Sometime after 3 p.m., her mother drove to a hardware-and-garden store in Coteau-du-Lac, Que., a lakeside town along Highway 20, and told staff she had “lost her child.” Police were called immediately, triggering a search that now spans LaSalle, Coteau-du-Lac and parts of neighbouring Ontario.
Inside the crucial six-hour window
Investigators are trying to piece together what happened between 9:45 a.m. and 3 p.m., the window during which Claire left—or was removed from—LaSalle and wound up missing in the Montérégie region. Officers seized the mother’s grey 2007 Ford Escape (licence plate K50 FVE, “Baby on Board” decal) and are appealing to anyone who saw that SUV on Sunday to contact them. “There are details that are not yet precise,” Sgt. Jean-Raphaël Drolet of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) told reporters, adding that detectives have “many elements to corroborate.”
Intense ground-and-air search
The SQ, backed by Montreal police, has deployed helicopters, drones, tracking dogs and dozens of ground searchers. Teams fanned out overnight through wooded areas, riverbanks and backyards in both communities, while Ontario Provincial Police checked highway rest stops and gas stations on their side of the border.
No Amber Alert—why?
Many Quebecers woke up Monday asking why their phones had not exploded with an Amber Alert. Police say the file doesn’t meet provincial criteria: officers must believe (1) a child under 18 has been abducted, (2) the child faces imminent harm, and (3) releasing details about a suspect or vehicle is likely to help locate the child. While Claire’s description is clear, investigators say they lack evidence of abduction or a suspect at this stage.
A grim discovery: the family dog
Early Monday evening, searchers found the body of a reddish-brown, long-haired chihuahua—believed to be the family pet—in a ditch near the junction of Highways 20 and 30, roughly halfway between LaSalle and Coteau-du-Lac. For police, the location could narrow the search radius; for loved ones, it deepens the dread. The SQ is conducting a necropsy to confirm identity and cause of death.
Who is Claire Bell?
Neighbours describe Claire as a “chatty, fearless toddler” who speaks English and loves dogs. She often played in the front yard of the family’s duplex, which backs onto a green corridor leading to the Lachine Canal. Friends told Global News that Claire’s parents recently separated, though police have not commented on any custody issues.
Public urged to help—even outside Montreal
Because the SUV may have travelled a substantial distance before the mother raised the alarm, officers are urging motorists who used Highways 15, 20 or 30 between late morning and mid-afternoon Sunday to review dash-cam footage. Residents along the Ottawa River corridor are asked to check sheds, playhouses and boats where a small child might hide or seek shelter.
Family questioned, but no suspects named
Police confirm that Claire’s mother consented to hours-long interviews Monday. No arrests have been made, and investigators have not publicly identified any suspect. “At this time we’re focused on finding Claire safe,” Sgt. Drolet said. “We are not excluding any hypothesis.”
Social media mobilises
By midday Monday, the hashtag #FindClaireBell had generated more than 300,000 impressions on X (formerly Twitter). A Facebook group created by residents of LaSalle and Coteau-du-Lac collected volunteer offers ranging from printing posters to coordinating citizen search parties. Authorities appreciate the visibility but warn against speculative rumours and unverified tips.
Expert insight: every hour counts
Dr. Kristy Denault, a criminologist at Université de Montréal, says cases like Claire’s can hinge on the “golden 48 hours.” “If a child was simply lost or wandered off, survival chances remain good—especially in mild June weather,” she noted. “But if foul play is involved, evidence and memories evaporate quickly, making public vigilance critical.”
Community outpouring
Local businesses in Coteau-du-Lac have switched their marquees to “Bring Claire Home,” and the borough of LaSalle opened the Centre Elgar as a staging point for volunteers bringing food, flashlights and first-aid supplies. Parents queued to hand over spare baby clothes in case searchers need to keep Claire warm once found.
How to help
Anyone who sees Claire, spots the grey Ford Escape, or finds the toddler’s pink-trimmed shirt or grey pants should immediately call 911 or the SQ’s Criminal Information Centre at 1-800-659-4264. Tips can be given anonymously. Even small observations—an abandoned shoe, a child’s toy in an unexpected place—can be decisive.
What happens next?
Police plan to re-interview key witnesses Tuesday morning and will decide then whether to shrink search zones or expand them east toward Montréal-Est. A specialized dive team is on standby to probe drainage ditches near Highway 20 if needed. Authorities have also requested additional aerial infrared scans at dusk, when temperature contrasts can reveal a body on the ground.
A city holds its breath
Montreal has endured missing-child cases before, but the wide geographic gap and the recovered pet ratchet up collective anxiety. Lantern vigils are being organised for sunset Tuesday in both LaSalle Park and Coteau-du-Lac’s waterfront, symbolically linking the two communities now bound by worry.
The bottom line
Claire Bell’s disappearance has mobilised two police forces, three municipalities and an entire virtual village. Until she is found, every lawn to be searched, every security camera to be reviewed, every rumour to be vetted demands urgency. If you know anything—even if it seems insignificant—make the call. For a three-year-old who just turned old enough to tell knock-knock jokes, the difference between tragedy and reunion could be a single timely tip.