(Watch for a full video version on February 24, 2026.)
On February 17, 2018, at a residence on Burfield Drive in Sun Peaks, British Columbia, Canada. 20-year-old Ryan Shtuka, a worker at Sun Peaks, vanished without a trace.
Ryan's mother, Heather, joins host Tim Conrad, APR, MCPRS, to reflect on what she learned when someone you love goes missing and how to keep the search alive.
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The Wildfires, Floods and Chaos Communications Podcast is a production of Butterfly Effect Communications Inc. Copyright 2025 and 2026.
00:00 A Mother’s Wound
00:38 Land Acknowledgement & The Disappearance
01:40 Meeting Heather & Introducing Ryan Shtuka
03:35 The Text That Changed Everything
07:05 Communication Under Crisis
10:22 Building a Search Operation
13:10 Public Communication & Community Support
16:21 Walking the Route
23:06 Misinformation & Cruelty
31:01 “Someone Knows Something.”
33:23 Mental Health, Silver Linings & Community
40:28 Impact on the Family
45:04 Advice for Families of Missing Loved Ones
49:22 The Free Bird Project & Resources
52:14 Advice for Crisis Communicators
55:19 Continuing the Search & How People Can Help
58:30 Closing Reflections & The Shtukasaurus
