The RCMP say human remains have been discovered on a rural property 50 kilometres north of Kelowna in B.C.’s Interior. Officers unearthed the remains after carrying out a search warrant on a remote property along Salmon River Road, in the North Okanagan area, RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said in a release.

RCMP officers and mobile command units met in the community of Silver Creek before moving out to the nearby rural property on Oct. 19.

Police have not revealed details about the body but are calling the discovery “suspicious.” The province’s Coroners Service is also investigating. 

“We do anticipate being there for an extended period of time on the property, searching,” Moskaluk told CTV News Channel Monday.  He said a “large amount” of police resources is involved in the investigation.

Tracy Hughes, the editor at the Salmon Arm Observer newspaper, said the property was taped off, with roughly 30 to 40 RCMP officers searching, marking the ground, and investigating RVs parked on the property.

“There’s a residence on the property, a number of sheds, and sort of a barnyard where farm animals are being kept,” she told CTV News Channel Monday.

There are four women from the area who are currently missing.

“I have spoken with the families of some of these missing women . . .they were informed of the search by the RCMP, and told by the RCMP that the search was not directly related to their daughters’ cases,” Hughes said.

“That being said, they have also been told that the RCMP are well aware of these missing women, and any evidence they may find related to these cases at this site of course would be communicated to them.”

Hughes added that people in the area are “very upset” and “shocked” by the discovery.

“It’s a very extensive site that they’re searching. To have a police presence of this kind in our community is very rare.”