In the summer of 2017, an unsettling quiet fell over the family of 84-year-old Walter Allan, a resident of Tobermory, Ontario. An avid and well-known collector of paper money and coins, Walter had set out from his home on July 18th, with the intention of attending the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association's annual conference in Boucherville, Quebec. He had told his family he would be back on July 23rd, but as the days turned into weeks, a deep concern began to grow.
The last confirmed sighting of Walter was on July 21st at a gas station in Sainte-Brigide-d'Iberville, Quebec, a location roughly 60 kilometers away from his intended destination. Despite his plans, organizers of the numismatic conference confirmed that he never arrived. Walter, a retired pharmacist who lived a private and independent life, was described as being five feet eight inches tall, with a thin build, white hair, and a full white beard.
The search for Walter intensified as his family and authorities grew increasingly worried for his well-being. A significant concern was that Walter was living with Parkinson's disease and had been suspended from driving. His family noted that while he was very independent, and it wouldn't be out of character for him to make stops for a few days during his travels, this extended silence was highly unusual. The situation took a more perplexing turn when his vehicle, a red 2007 Ford Focus station wagon, was discovered abandoned in a rural area of Saint-Barthélemy, about 100 kilometers northeast of Montreal. The discovery of his car without any sign of Walter only deepened the mystery surrounding his disappearance.
The investigation into Walter Allan's disappearance involved both the Ontario Provincial Police and the Sûreté du Québec, who appealed to the public for any information that might lead to his whereabouts. His case drew attention from the numismatic community, where he was a prominent and respected figure for decades. The search for him was a difficult one, spanning a vast area with few leads to follow after the discovery of his car. The overview of the case is that an elderly man with a known medical condition set out on a trip for a cherished hobby, only to vanish along the way. Despite the efforts of law enforcement and the pleas from his family, the circumstances of what happened to Walter D. Allan after he was last seen at that Quebec gas station remain unknown, leaving a painful void for those who knew him.Last Seen: Jul 21, 2017
