In the winter of 1957, a quiet mystery began to unfold in the community of Surrey, British Columbia, with the disappearance of 30-year-old Humphrey Albert Wilkinson. A man known to some as Al or Albert, he was last seen on January 23, 1957. At the time, he was a carpenter for the Martin Paper Co. in the nearby city of New Westminster and also worked as a part-time commercial fisherman. Those who knew him described him as a man with a creative side, an avid cartoonist who also had a taste for expensive clothing. He resided by himself in North Surrey, his only companion a dog. The days leading up to his disappearance were reportedly troubled; it was said that he had been drinking heavily in the year prior.
A complex personal situation also seemed to be unfolding, as he had introduced a woman to his family, claiming she was his wife, though it was understood she was married to another man whom Albert was trying to convince her to leave.
The last confirmed sighting of Albert was at his workplace on that January day; he never returned to collect his final paycheck. When authorities were alerted to his disappearance on January 29, they found his home in a perplexing state. His wallet and personal identification had been left behind, suggesting he hadn't planned a long journey. However, curiously, his rifle and his beloved dog were gone. A potential but unconfirmed sighting occurred on January 29, when a Woolworths employee in New Westminster believed she saw a man she knew as 'Al' and was convinced it was him after seeing his photograph. This lead, like others, unfortunately, did not bring any definitive answers. Investigators explored the possibility that Albert, who had expressed a strong desire to see the world, might have enlisted in the Canadian army or simply sought work outside the Greater Vancouver area. Despite extensive inquiries, no evidence was ever found to support these theories.
Over the decades, the trail grew cold, leaving Humphrey Albert Wilkinson's fate an open question and his case the oldest unsolved missing person file for the Surrey RCMP. His family, heartbroken by his sudden vanishing, invested considerable sums of their own money to place advertisements in various newspapers, desperately hoping for any information that might lead to his whereabouts. These efforts yielded some tips, but none provided the breakthrough they longed for. His parents passed away without ever knowing what became of their son, but his sister has continued to hope for answers. The case serves as a poignant reminder of a life interrupted, a man who one day simply ceased to be present in the lives of those who knew him. The strange collection of details—the abandoned wallet, the missing rifle and dog, the complicated romantic entanglement, and the unfulfilled desire to travel—creates a perplexing overview of a man whose story remains unfinished more than half a century later.Last Seen: Jan 23, 1957
