Saskatoon rally shows support for missing mom found in U.S. with son
Kathy Walker says the first thing she did once she heard her sister Dawn Walker and nephew were found alive and safe on Friday was take a shower.
"I hadn't combed my hair in days, that was the celebration," Kathy said.
On Sunday evening, people gathered at Kiwanis Memorial Park to show their support for Dawn Walker and her seven-year-old son.
The pair had been missing for nearly two weeks and were found safely by U.S. authorities on Friday in Oregon City, Oregon. According to Saskatoon Police Service (SPS), the pair illegally entered the U.S.
Kathy says the news that their loved ones were alive gave her "immense relief and joy."
"I can't describe how wonderful it felt to know they were still with us," she said while holding back tears.
Walker will be returned to Saskatoon to meet with investigators and U.S. authorities are working to return her son to a legal guardian.
A rally was held in support of Dawn Walker in Saskatoon on Aug. 7, 2022. (Miriam Valdes-Carletti/CTV News)
Walker could potentially face charges in the U.S. and Canada.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds for Walker's legal defence, more than $13,000 has been raised as of Sunday.
Kathy says she doesn't know all the details of why her sister felt the need to flee with her son but believes she would have had "really good reasons."
"I know that she had ongoing issues with the legal system and I think she felt that she didn't have any other option and I feel like there's a lot of other women in her shoes," she said.
Walker is currently in the U.S. and Kathy says there's a limited amount of phone calls, visits and people she can access and she hasn't been able to speak with her directly.
Kathy was told when her sister found out about the support she was receiving on the other side of the border "she broke down in tears."
Signs at the rally could be seen with the phrase #StandWithDawn.
"Even though this is the worst of times, it's also in a way the best of times because the way that our family and our community came together and other members of the public to really support our family and Dawn, it's really been uplifting," Kathy said.
Saskatoon police are expected to provide an update on Monday with details of the investigation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.