CANADA Canada - Simon Wilson, 9, Toronto, January 1975

[Laura Brown]

A friend of mine from school has asked me to find Simon Wilson. Simon disappeared when we were in grade 4, early in 1975. He was never found as far as I know. I think I know the answer but refuse to speak or write the words. We went to Parkfield Public School in the Martingrove/Westway area of Etobicoke (the west end of Toronto).

I posted on an Etobicoke group on Facebook about it. A few people commented including a lady named Cathy who was in my grade 6 class (1976/1977). She mentioned that apparently when we were in this class together, a girl in our class was killed by her mum's boyfriend. He hit her on the head with an ashtray. She died. In each case both children lived at the end of my street, in those 3 apartments at the end of Willowridge (10/22/44). Now the little girl that died, we struggled with a name. I believe after some discussion that it's Jacqueline Wilson (no relation)
Since I spend a lot of time on genealogy, I know/feel the answer is out there.
The disappearance of Simon Wilson left me traumatised. I was always being told I was too sensitive.
Kind regards & many thanks for any help you might be able to give. My schoolfriends & I have always wondered what happened to Simon. We'd like to know what happened in both cases. I am also interested in other cases of missing children in the Toronto area from 1974 - 1977?
Thanks everyone for any help,

Laura Brown

 

[dotr]

A friend of mine from school has asked me to find Simon Wilson. Simon disappeared when we were in grade 4, early in 1975. He was never found as far as I know. I think I know the answer but refuse to speak or write the words. We went to Parkfield Public School in the Martingrove/Westway area of Etobicoke (the west end of Toronto).

I posted on an Etobicoke group on Facebook about it. A few people commented including a lady named Cathy who was in my grade 6 class (1976/1977). She mentioned that apparently when we were in this class together, a girl in our class was killed by her mum's boyfriend. He hit her on the head with an ashtray. She died. In each case both children lived at the end of my street, in those 3 apartments at the end of Willowridge (10/22/44). Now the little girl that died, we struggled with a name. I believe after some discussion that it's Jacqueline Wilson (no relation)
Since I spend a lot of time on genealogy, I know/feel the answer is out there.
The disappearance of Simon Wilson left me traumatised. I was always being told I was too sensitive.
Kind regards & many thanks for any help you might be able to give. My schoolfriends & I have always wondered what happened to Simon. We'd like to know what happened in both cases. I am also interested in other cases of missing children in the Toronto area from 1974 - 1977?
Thanks everyone for any help,

Laura Brown

Just came to start a thread for Simon and found your post, welcome to Ws@Laura Brown!

 

[dotr]

rbbm, Lengthy article.
Jan 5 2023 By Craig Wallace

Opinion | Do you know what happened to Simon Wilson in 1975?

Our classmate disappeared without a trace in Etobicoke in January 1975 and we are determined to find out what happened to him.

www.thestar.com

''Our classmate disappeared without a trace in Etobicoke in January 1975 and we are determined to find out what happened to him.''​

''In January 1975, I was a nine-year-old student in Grade 4 at Parkfield Public School in Etobicoke. On Thursday, Jan. 30 the childhood innocence of those at Parkfield was lost. That morning while eating breakfast my mom had the radio on, where we heard that my classmate, Simon Wilson, had vanished on his way to school the previous day. My mom’s face became grimmer then I had ever seen.''

''The immediate area around Simon’s apartment had storm sewers that were not well secured where children were known to play. The Toronto Star had pictures of police with tracking dogs and city works personnel searching those sewer tunnels. A darkness descended on our neighbourhood and school. For the first time in our young lives the fact that the world is very dangerous became clear.

On Feb. 5, 1975 the active search was called off. No trace of Simon had been found. There were rumours. The main one seemed to be that a relative had kidnapped him and taken him out of Canada.''

''My friend Laura Brown, a genealogy researcher, took the data we found and did a “deep dive.” She discovered Simon’s father and other relatives and reached out to them. We received some stunning news; one relative claimed she had been told he had died in an “avalanche.” An avalanche where? Unlikely in Toronto. This was still a mystery.

Brown then reached out to the Toronto Police Services and spoke with a detective in missing persons. The detective told Brown that Simon’s file had been reviewed earlier that month. The detective was interested in what Brown had to tell her. We learned the police never close a missing persons case until they know what happened''.

 

[dotr]

1975

Satisfied that Simon Wilson, the 9-year-old boy who's been missing since Jan

digitalarchive.tpl.ca

Date2/12/1975
Dutton, Don (photographer)
Toronto Star (Firm) (publisher)

''Original Toronto Star caption: Satisfied that Simon Wilson, the 9-year-old boy who's been missing since Jan. 29, is not in a maze of storm-sewer tunnels in Etobicoke, borough deputy engineer Gerald Taylor (right) watches workmen seal up the main entrance to the tunnels with a grating. Taylor organized the search for Simon, placing men at the entrance to tunnels to make sure the boy had not hidden during the search and then doubled back. Boys living in the area have been playing in tunnels.''

 

[kwash]

I am from Toronto and just a bit younger than Simon and his friends. The avalanche mention by the aunt could have been referring to children who die when a snow fort/pile collapses on them, crushing/suffocating them. While not a regular occurrence, this has been know to happen especially after large snowfalls.

 

[twinklesweet]

I don't understand why they think he would have been playing in the sewers on his way to school? It just seems more likely he was abducted.

 

[Laura Brown]

I don't understand why they think he would have been playing in the sewers on his way to school? It just seems more likely he was abducted.

His father seems to think he played in the sewers/tunnels. That was the main focus of the search. To likely deflect away from the truth x

 

[Laura Brown]

There has been discussion lately that Simon's disappearance may be related to the deaths written about in The Forest City Killers about deaths in the London Ontario area. Simon has never ever been found. I know the answers are out there. Somewhere.