During the second week of May 2005, Reggie lost his driving privileges because of unpaid fines accumulated over the preceding years. According to our family’s records, the outstanding fines had grown to more than $8,000.

By then, Reggie had spent several years working in Ontario. From 2003 to 2004 he worked in advertising sales for Phone Directories Company, and later joined Metroland, the community newspaper division of the Toronto Star. He spent about a year and a half with Metroland, working in directory advertising and specialty publications, before leaving on good terms early in 2005.

The loss of his driving privileges appears to have accelerated his decision to come home. He called our mother and, less than 24 hours later, was on his way back to Prince Edward Island. Reggie was extremely nervous about being stopped during the drive because he no longer had a licence, but he made it.

He arrived home on May 17. In a job application written just two weeks later, Reggie said that he had returned to PEI to spend time with his children and hoped to find work that would allow him to remain in the Maritimes.

After several years in Ontario, Reggie was home again.

My father later recalled Reggie’s Return

Reggie arrived home on May 17, 2005, a few days before [his daughter]’s birthday.  She was the love of his life, and he was very proud of her, when I would mention her name, he would just beam with pride. 

He had a car full of his possessions, and we put them down in the basement in his room. 

His bedroom in the basement was a major mistake from day one, as we lost sight of his actions.

I think he was very happy to be back in Souris, probably mainly because of [his daughter] and [his mother]. 

He did not have very many friends.  I also noticed that he was very quiet.  He had dark circles around his eyes and seemed to have put on weight as he was puffed up.