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Wreckage seems to solve 23-year-old mystery near Kap

For years, residents of Kapuskasing and Hearst wondered about the fate of Paul and Suzanne Joanis. On April 28, 1992, the couple was travelling in their single-engine aircraft from Buttonville Airport in Toronto to Hearst, Ont.
Sudbury.com Staff
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An OPP RIDE check stop caught a suspended driver on Feb. 5 on Highway 144 in Sudbury. The driver was charged for driving while under suspension. File photo.
For years, residents of Kapuskasing and Hearst wondered about the fate of Paul and Suzanne Joanis.

On April 28, 1992, the couple was travelling in their single-engine aircraft from Buttonville Airport in Toronto to Hearst, Ont., when contact was lost with their plane approximately 30 nautical miles south of Kapuskasing. 

Despite an extensive search by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), the OPP and local volunteers, no trace of the plane was ever found.
Until Aug. 27, it seems.

Yesterday, the James Bay Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a report of found aircraft wreckage in a remote area near Kapuskasing.

Members of the OPP Emergency Response Team (ERT) and Aviation Services went to the area, located southwest of Kapuskasing, where they verified the presence of a single-engine aircraft. 

Initial investigation has confirmed the wreckage to be that of a plane reported missing in April of 1992.

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada and Regional Coroner’s office have been notified and will be assisting in the investigation.