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Missing 411 Canada
Missing 411 Canada is the ninth book in the series and is the only book dedicated to one country. The stories inside are an accumulation of cases from past editions, plus 65 new incidents. We include a map with this book that focuses on one of the most significant geographical clusters we have discovered. The world will be surprised how many people have vanished in Canada under surprisingly similar conditions. You can follow our research at www.canammissing.com .
353 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2019
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About the author
David Paulides
20 books531 followersWriter, researcher, and investigative journalist.
Paulides is mostly known for his writing on disappearances in national parks and Big Foot / Sasquatch.
Paulides is mostly known for his writing on disappearances in national parks and Big Foot / Sasquatch.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 23, 2023
I just can't with the typos anymore! They get worse and worse every book. David Paulides' writing is so disorganized. His books need serious editing. Not only that, but some of the stories in this book clearly are not Missing 411 cases. I felt this way about some of the cases in his previous books as well. It's becoming more and more difficult to take his work seriously. He has clearly sold out and it's disappointing. I'm not say that I didn't enjoy this book as I have enjoyed reading all of the Missing 411 books so far, but I don't think I'll be buying anymore of them. David Paulides' newer works just don't feel as genuine. I would highly recommended reading the first 5 books of this series, but don't go any further.
November 10, 2024
I still remember when I first heard David Paulides talk on the radio show Coast to Coast over a decade ago about what is now called (credited in large part to Paulides’ work) the Missing 411 phenomenon of people going missing under unexplained circumstances in the wilderness around the world. Since then, I’ve enjoyed his additional guest appearances on Coast to Coast, his three Missing 411 movies and the books in his Missing 411 series (this is the ninth book I’ve read). I appreciate and applaud Mr. Paulides for bringing awareness of these cases to the public, many of which would likely to have been forgotten, and I think it’s important to the families and friends of these individuals.
With his work, there has definitely been an increase in the number of people that review and talk about these cases and that’s a great thing because this could potentially bring new information to solving these cases, spur debate about potential theories and honor the memory of these individuals. That being said, I think that this has caused me to lose some of the enjoyment that I get from these books.
First off, I really wish that some proof-reading is done. I was willing to ignore it in the first few books, but with book nine I think it would be a great thing to tidying up the work product a bit. Just some minor corrections to correct inconsistent statements, confusing (or wrong) verbiage and consistent formats with the entries.
Second, I’m not sure why some of these cases are being showcased in these books. I mean no disrespect to the Missing (and the Deceased) and their families, but the underlining premises (unless I’m mistaken) is that the focus is on those people that go missing in national parks (or their equivalent) and not cities and towns. Sure some of these parks border a city or town, but without any evidence pointing to the possibility of the person going into the park I don’t thing it follows the theme of the book(s). Several cases in this book and others seem to just do that.
Third, I (and I’m sure others) are intrigued by these stories because there is a hint of mystery to them, that what happened is potentially from something unnatural. I still think that there are several of these stories that fit this theme but after ingesting more content on some of these cases from other content creators I have found that there is more to the story then Mr. Paulides presents that makes the disappearance less mysterious. I’m not accusing Mr. Paulides of ignoring this information purposely, but I feel that perhaps his research is limited and this affected his presentation. I can understand his reliance, especially for older cases and those with official investigations locked behind FOIA requests, to rely on newspaper and internet articles but the press has been know to embellish or twist meanings with words, or flat out lie (unfortunately) to convey an opinion or sensationalize a story for an audience. I do not know the research mechanism that Mr. Paulides utilizes, but I think it’s unfortunate when an information source presents information/evidence contrary (or not mentioned) to Mr. Paulides’ presentation of the event.
Lastly, I feel that too much weight is given to the ability of canines and searchers for some of these cases. I am not trying to disparage these elements, but like any situation, person or canine, the success of utilizing this expertise is based on the competency, circumstances, and experience of those involved. Without getting into a lengthy resume, I want to say that I have decades of experience working on dog tracking teams, and navigating forests and outdoor areas in a variety of weather conditions, with the intent of looking for people. Some people and tracking canines, are very good at their job, some are not, especially when you have a large search presence of volunteers that lack training in searching forest and brush. It can be easy to miss a body only a few feet away, especially if you lack training and experience. Dogs can be great at tracking, but it also depends on the expertise of the dog. Some dogs are trained to only do tracking, some are trained to be a hybrid tracking/apprehension dog (military and police often favor these because of the dual role). And even in these areas of expertise, individual dogs display varying levels of competency. So, you take this fact and add a location that has been trampled through by numerous people for hours or days before the canine even arrives, then maybe throw in some bad weather conditions, it’s no surprise the canines can’t get a scent. Television, movies and books have made many believe that dogs can track anyone anywhere. Sure they can, but with considerations to the factors I’ve mentioned.
There are some other elements of critique that I could bring up, but for the sake of brevity I will refrain. Even with the criticisms I’ve mentioned, I still like reading these books (3-stars is still above average). I’m wondering if perhaps, Mr. Paulides might try to write a book featuring fewer cases, but ones more thoroughly researched and presented for a future book. I understand that this would probably limit the cases to those that are more modern and more publicized, and therefore neglect his presentation of older and lesser known cases.
With his work, there has definitely been an increase in the number of people that review and talk about these cases and that’s a great thing because this could potentially bring new information to solving these cases, spur debate about potential theories and honor the memory of these individuals. That being said, I think that this has caused me to lose some of the enjoyment that I get from these books.
First off, I really wish that some proof-reading is done. I was willing to ignore it in the first few books, but with book nine I think it would be a great thing to tidying up the work product a bit. Just some minor corrections to correct inconsistent statements, confusing (or wrong) verbiage and consistent formats with the entries.
Second, I’m not sure why some of these cases are being showcased in these books. I mean no disrespect to the Missing (and the Deceased) and their families, but the underlining premises (unless I’m mistaken) is that the focus is on those people that go missing in national parks (or their equivalent) and not cities and towns. Sure some of these parks border a city or town, but without any evidence pointing to the possibility of the person going into the park I don’t thing it follows the theme of the book(s). Several cases in this book and others seem to just do that.
Third, I (and I’m sure others) are intrigued by these stories because there is a hint of mystery to them, that what happened is potentially from something unnatural. I still think that there are several of these stories that fit this theme but after ingesting more content on some of these cases from other content creators I have found that there is more to the story then Mr. Paulides presents that makes the disappearance less mysterious. I’m not accusing Mr. Paulides of ignoring this information purposely, but I feel that perhaps his research is limited and this affected his presentation. I can understand his reliance, especially for older cases and those with official investigations locked behind FOIA requests, to rely on newspaper and internet articles but the press has been know to embellish or twist meanings with words, or flat out lie (unfortunately) to convey an opinion or sensationalize a story for an audience. I do not know the research mechanism that Mr. Paulides utilizes, but I think it’s unfortunate when an information source presents information/evidence contrary (or not mentioned) to Mr. Paulides’ presentation of the event.
Lastly, I feel that too much weight is given to the ability of canines and searchers for some of these cases. I am not trying to disparage these elements, but like any situation, person or canine, the success of utilizing this expertise is based on the competency, circumstances, and experience of those involved. Without getting into a lengthy resume, I want to say that I have decades of experience working on dog tracking teams, and navigating forests and outdoor areas in a variety of weather conditions, with the intent of looking for people. Some people and tracking canines, are very good at their job, some are not, especially when you have a large search presence of volunteers that lack training in searching forest and brush. It can be easy to miss a body only a few feet away, especially if you lack training and experience. Dogs can be great at tracking, but it also depends on the expertise of the dog. Some dogs are trained to only do tracking, some are trained to be a hybrid tracking/apprehension dog (military and police often favor these because of the dual role). And even in these areas of expertise, individual dogs display varying levels of competency. So, you take this fact and add a location that has been trampled through by numerous people for hours or days before the canine even arrives, then maybe throw in some bad weather conditions, it’s no surprise the canines can’t get a scent. Television, movies and books have made many believe that dogs can track anyone anywhere. Sure they can, but with considerations to the factors I’ve mentioned.
There are some other elements of critique that I could bring up, but for the sake of brevity I will refrain. Even with the criticisms I’ve mentioned, I still like reading these books (3-stars is still above average). I’m wondering if perhaps, Mr. Paulides might try to write a book featuring fewer cases, but ones more thoroughly researched and presented for a future book. I understand that this would probably limit the cases to those that are more modern and more publicized, and therefore neglect his presentation of older and lesser known cases.
March 25, 2023
I respect what the author intended to do with this book. Presumably, Paulides wants to bring attention to missing people and find trends so that we can all learn from these mostly tragic disappearances. I appreciated the attention on Canada, including places I know, close to the Lower Mainland in BC, and other places I am familiar with across the country.
The case in Coquitlam in 1974 on Burke Mountain struck me profoundly - that a woman could be hiking with her husband right behind her (not alone like the vast majority of cases in the book), take a quick turn and disappear in a tragic fall. The stories about babies and toddlers (who seem to disappear so quickly), but also other children, young adults and middle aged, and seniors all hit me in different ways. As another reviewer has noted, this book could have used editing. I found myself wanting to edit the typos, the mistakes, the repetition and the lack of clarity etc. as I was reading. Perhaps there was an urgency to getting it published.
Word choices can also be problematic. The word coincidence is used a lot, in a way that implies irony; that is, Paulides infers that the circumstances of the missing are not coincidental at all and that supernatural forces are at work. I tend to think instead there are explanations that are just not known to the searchers, including police, SAR people, etc. He mentions that BC is the province where more people have gone missing, which may be true per capita, but one also has to take in consideration the sheer number of people that go to hike and spend time outdoors in places like Vancouver's north shore mountains. The brutal unforgiving landscape belies the accesibility and climate-friendliness of the region as a whole. Some of these points may also be true to other geographic clusters of missing people, like the Great Lakes area of Ontario.
At times Paulides will editorialize and note being particularly saddened by a particular case. This is understandable but feels odd when some are glossed over much more quickly. He notes "...there is always one person that vanished that really shouldn't have. My nomination for the person in this book that should still be here is Daniel Trask." I understand that some cases will pull at each of us more than others but it feels a bit sloppy. All of the people featured should have been able to live their lives. Paulides does make valuable points about what animal attacks look like, and animal versus human tracks.
In sum, this book read like a case notebook although I appreciated the noting of the newspapers and other sources.
The case in Coquitlam in 1974 on Burke Mountain struck me profoundly - that a woman could be hiking with her husband right behind her (not alone like the vast majority of cases in the book), take a quick turn and disappear in a tragic fall. The stories about babies and toddlers (who seem to disappear so quickly), but also other children, young adults and middle aged, and seniors all hit me in different ways. As another reviewer has noted, this book could have used editing. I found myself wanting to edit the typos, the mistakes, the repetition and the lack of clarity etc. as I was reading. Perhaps there was an urgency to getting it published.
Word choices can also be problematic. The word coincidence is used a lot, in a way that implies irony; that is, Paulides infers that the circumstances of the missing are not coincidental at all and that supernatural forces are at work. I tend to think instead there are explanations that are just not known to the searchers, including police, SAR people, etc. He mentions that BC is the province where more people have gone missing, which may be true per capita, but one also has to take in consideration the sheer number of people that go to hike and spend time outdoors in places like Vancouver's north shore mountains. The brutal unforgiving landscape belies the accesibility and climate-friendliness of the region as a whole. Some of these points may also be true to other geographic clusters of missing people, like the Great Lakes area of Ontario.
At times Paulides will editorialize and note being particularly saddened by a particular case. This is understandable but feels odd when some are glossed over much more quickly. He notes "...there is always one person that vanished that really shouldn't have. My nomination for the person in this book that should still be here is Daniel Trask." I understand that some cases will pull at each of us more than others but it feels a bit sloppy. All of the people featured should have been able to live their lives. Paulides does make valuable points about what animal attacks look like, and animal versus human tracks.
In sum, this book read like a case notebook although I appreciated the noting of the newspapers and other sources.
February 8, 2021
Caveat - if you want get past a few typos and grammatically incorrect sentences then this book is not for you. I discovered Paulides on YouTube and became fascinated enough to buy this book. He is passionate about the missing and has a thesis about chataeristics of certain unusual cases. Some of these cases presented truly are inexplicable - the numbers and circumstances really are intriguing to me.
September 14, 2020
my issue is, where did he go naked
As with the other Missing 411 book I read, some of these stories make sense while others are definitely a little more questionable.
As with the other Missing 411 book I read, some of these stories make sense while others are definitely a little more questionable.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews