PART 3: Sam’s Legacy Endures

Fleur De Lys is a quiet fishing community on the Baie Verte Peninsula in Newfoundland. In February, 2000, it was the focus of the entire province, country, and beyond. On February 6, 2000, 13-year-old Samantha Walsh went missing. People near and far searched, prayed and hoped. After 17 days, Samantha’s body was found, murdered at the hands of Michael Lewis. The shock felt then still lingers in the close-knit community. Join me as I reflect on my brief time in Fleur De Lys, and the legacy of Samantha Walsh.  This is PART THREE of a three-part series.

I awaken on my final day in Fleur De Lys to familiarity from the day before – the aroma of coffee fills the air, and, once again, Millie Walsh is busy preparing for a bustling day at Samantha’s Saltwater Joys Museum and Café – Sam’s Place. There is no sleep in Millie’s eyes; she has been up for hours. Our conversation flows seamlessly from the night before, all the while she is busy making chicken salad sandwiches to be served at Sam’s Place today.  There is no limit to the efforts put forward to make Sam’s Place welcoming and memorable.

Suddenly, there is a visitor – Millie’s sister Dottie arrives for her early morning coffee as is the ritual each day. There is no need for time to become comfortable; it is instantaneous. It is so obvious Dottie is someone Millie relies on tremendously. Dottie readily shares her recollections of Samantha’s disappearance. She was at George and Millie’s house from the moment Sam was considered missing until long after her funeral.  As Dottie emphasizes, “where else would I be?” Dottie said, “I knew that first night that something had happened to Sam.”  The bond between Dottie and Millie is unmistakable, from supporting each other through the greatest storms in life to picking gallon upon gallon of berries while traipsing over endless miles of ground. Many of these berries end up as jams and desserts available at the café. Love, hope, care and commitment are in abundant supply.

After a wonderful chat, Dottie is off to continue her day. As Millie prepares to head to Sam’s Place, I see her glancing out the kitchen window.  Below is a small area where the sea meets the land. It was in this area that RCMP divers went under the ice on the off-chance Samantha had somehow fallen in on her ill-fated walk home. I asked Millie, “When the divers were searching the area, where were you?” Without hesitation, she lamented, “I stood right here looking out the window the entire time”. Even in despair, the hope lingered.

Photo courtesy of Millie Walsh

After a while, I head to Sam’s Place to chat and have lunch prior to heading home. Upon entering, there is an instantaneous atmosphere that says “Welcome”. The chat is uplifting, the coffee plentiful. I spot Dottie sitting with a group. These are all people who are connected to Millie, who call Fleur de Lys home, who know Sam’s story all too well. They are welcoming, kind, and they readily share stories and recollections that ring vivid of February 6, 2000, and the 17 days that followed. Their willingness to revisit such sadness and despair in order to share with me what they lived through, speaks to the kind people that call Fleur De Lys home. This is the first time I have met them, but it will not be the last.

As we chat, visitors come into Sam’s Place. Each person gets time with Millie. She knows they have come because they care. She welcomes one and all, pointing out various things to ensure their visit is complete. Millie knows the value of taking time to reflect. Sam’s Place is more than a labour of love for Millie, it is her way of ensuring Sam did not die in vain, that a measure of hope in humanity can exist, that Sam’s legacy lives on.

Photo courtesy of Sean Kenney

Before I set out for home, I must have lunch. After all, I practically helped make the sandwiches.  Ok, I drank coffee while Millie made the food, but still, you get it. Beef and barley soup and chicken salad sandwiches never tasted so good. The desserts are amazing; there is no shortage of variety. As I prepare to leave, I thank Millie. She has given me exactly what I came to Fleur De Lys to do – the chance to FEEL. I had read the clippings, seen the news stories on tv, but being here brings a sense of connection I could not have felt otherwise. I know Millie and I will share many more conversations. For her, I have the utmost respect.

As I head out of Fleur De Lys, just after passing Millie’s house, I tuned right onto Barrett’s Road. I sat staring at the trail where Micheal Lewis drove his ATV with Sam aboard on that frigid night in February, 2000. For a moment, it is dark and an ATV flies past. As the taillights disappear into the night, a bright candle fades… and we are forever changed. ********************************

My drive home, and the time since, has been filled with lingering thoughts of sadness, anger, and a deep sense to continue Sam’s story. One thing is certain, a visit to Fleur De Lys changes a person. This beautiful fishing community, with people hardened by life and the elements, welcomes all comers.  This place has known loss. A life on the sea guarantees that. But a loss like that of Samantha Walsh “doesn’t happen around here”. But it did happen!!! It ripped the heart out of this place. During the 17 days when the province held its breath awaiting news, Millie Walsh begged Micheal Lewis in her home to “please tell us if you know anything, Micheal”. He said nothing.

Photo courtesy of Millie Walsh

After Samantha’s body was found, Millie and George, their families, the community, and indeed the entire province, fell to their collective knees. The hurt was devastating, the pain unbearable. While hope lingered the entire time Samantha was missing, Millie says, “Sam was most likely murdered an hour after she disappeared, and Micheal Lewis acted like he didn’t know a thing”. Even after Samantha was found, after her body was brought home, this was by no means the end. Millie and George sat through every day in court during Micheal Lewis’ trial. After Lewis was sentenced, every year there was a parole hearing, George and Millie attended and spoke of the impact. While they could not bring Sam back, they could do all they could to gain justice for Sam. But, in Millie’s words, “there is no justice for Sam”. In 2012, George Walsh died. Millie’s world was once again flipped upside down. The following year, Millie Walsh attended Micheal Lewis’s parole hearing with her sister in Nova Scotia. After serving just 13 years, one year for each year Samantha Walsh lived, Micheal Lewis was free. Justice? I think not! There is no justice for Sam!

Photo courtesy of Millie Walsh

Samantha’s Walsh’s story did not begin on February 6, 2000, that is just when the world took notice. Sam was more than her sudden tragic end. She had her father’s ingenuity and her mother’s tenacity. She was a girl of Fleur De Lys, filled with a love of life and an energy that was contagious.

This concludes the three-part series, Sam’s Place: Remembering Samantha Walsh. I am eternally grateful for the kindness shown to me by Millie Walsh, and the community of Fleur De Lys.Your comments are always welcomed. ~GS

“I was born down by the water and it’s here I’m gonna stay“. (Press play below to hear Samantha Walsh’s unforgettable rendition of “Saltwater Joys”)

Photo courtesy of Millie Walsh