James Bruce Hill-Tout, known to his family as Bruce, was 43 and living in Calgary when he was last heard from before a planned family dinner on October 3, 1996. In the weeks before he vanished he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and became increasingly paranoid, placing frantic calls to family from his Calgary apartment. He never arrived at the October 3 gathering and the family’s search began immediately.

Bruce is five feet eleven inches, about 150 pounds, with brown hair, a beard and mustache, and hazel eyes; the family has circulated photos showing him with and without a beard and checked shelters and the streets in hopes of recognition. His sister, filmmaker Wendy Hill-Tout, made a documentary titled Insanity that uses the family’s experience to examine mental illness and the gaps they encountered while trying to help him. The family has said they have not given up on finding answers.

If anyone knew Bruce, saw him in Calgary around late 1996, or has information that could help locate him, please share what you know.