Nearly a week after the search began for murder suspects Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, and Kam McLeod, 19, in the rugged terrain surrounding the tiny northern Manitoba town of Gillam, RCMP are dedicating more resources to the manhunt.

Schmegelsky and McLeod have been charged with second-degree murder in the death of 64-year-old Leonard Dyck of B.C. and are suspected in the double homicide of Australian Lucas Fowler and American Chynna Deese.

The two Port Alberni, B.C., residents are wanted in connection with all three homicides, which took place earlier this month in northern British Columbia.

Over the past week, police have been aided by tracking dogs and drones in their search for the two young men, who were last spotted in northern Manitoba earlier this week. The Canadian military recently joined the search, and police are urging the public to stay alert and report any sightings or suspicious behaviour to their local branches.

Canadian Forces aircraft arrived in Gillam to assist with the search on Saturday. In a statement, the military said a CC-130H Hercules aircraft from 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron in Winnipeg would be joining the efforts. The Bear Clan Patrol, an Indigenous-led foot patrol group, also has volunteers on the ground in Fox Lake Cree Nation and York Landing First Nation, according to the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.

Travis Bighetty, a member of the Bear Clan, said the group’s goal is to help with communication and foster a sense of security.

“Just trying to go into the communities to try to provide that sense of safety,” Bighetty told The Roy Green Show.

A burned-out Toyota RAV4 the teens were travelling in was found near Gillam last week, and police have said there have been no reports of stolen vehicles since then.

However, the RCMP are still asking anyone who may have unwittingly helped the two in their travels to come forward.

“It is possible that someone may not have been aware of who they were providing assistance to and may now be hesitant to come forward,” Cpl. Julie Courchaine said at an RCMP update in Winnipeg on Friday.

As a result of the prolonged searches, the town of Gillam has been on high alert, Karen Donnellan-Fisher, the general manager of the local Co-op, told Global News.

“We have a couple of locations where employees will generally work by themselves because it’s quieter locations, and now we’ve upped that where nobody is being left alone at any time,” she said.

Gillam resident Christine Massan locked her doors for the first time in nearly two decades this past week, when her normally quiet town was thrust into the national spotlight.

“I locked my doors for the first time in 19 years on Tuesday night,” she said. “Brought my keys in from my vehicle and locked the doors.”

Gillam home to just 1,200 people, is the last known location of Schmegelsky and McLeod. The town is about 1,000 kilometres north of Winnipeg and an almost 10-hour train ride south of Churchill, Man., on Hudson Bay. According to the 2016 census, there are 436 homes in the town.

Sherman Kong, a survival expert and the Founder of Maple Leaf Survival in Winnipeg, explained that the terrain near Gillam is difficult to navigate even with a map and compass. Therefore, the pair may be employing a military-style survival tactic to avoid detection and stay alive.

“The fundamental survival skills might be the same, but on one hand, where the typical person lost is trying to survive and wait for help to come, make themselves visible and seen so that rescue can ensue, in this case, they might be trying to avoid rescue or detection completely,” he said.

According to a press release issued by the RCMP on Saturday, there had been no new sightings of the two suspects after searching 100 empty homes and large abandoned buildings.

If spotted, Canadians have been urged to call 911 or their local police branch immediately.

—With files from the Canadian Press, Hannah Jackson and Kerri Breen

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