After 11 months of worry and prayers, the family of an Edmonton man has learned that remains found in a rural area near Innisfail, Alta., are those of their missing son.

RCMP said this week that bones found earlier in April belong to Dwayne Demkiw, who disappeared in May, 2015.

The 42-year-old was last seen at his workplace in Edmonton, and his car was found later the same day in Calgary, a three-hour drive away. Demkiw’s cellphone was still inside the car.

His remains were found in a rural area located about halfway between Edmonton and Calgary. Police believe he was the victim of foul play.

For 11 months, Demkiw’s family in Saskatoon wondered what had happened to their son. They set up a “tree of home” on their front lawn with a poster describing their son’s disappearance.

“Or biggest hope was for him to phone or to walk up the driveway and come home. We never lost hope of that,” Demkiw’s father, Eugene, told CTV Saskatoon.

The news this week of his remains being found came as a blow.

"It just took a lot out of us. We've had lots of support from family and friends and church,” Eugene Demkiw said.

The Edmonton Police Service homicide unit took over the investigation into Demkiw’s disappearance in early July, 2015, and are now leading the investigation into the discovery of his remains.

Eugene said his son worked as a truck driver and a scuba instructor, and was a gentle man who was liked by everyone.

“We brought him up in a good situation here in North Battleford and Saskatoon, and he just became friends with anyone he was in contact with. In fact, all of his friends in Edmonton are just like family to him, and it’s a great loss to them as well as to us.”

Eugene is baffled about what could have happened to his son.

“That’s the $1 million question, the question of our lives, because he never had any problems with anything. He was an all-around good guy, never been in trouble a day in his life,” he said.

The Demkiw family’s tree of hope has now become a memorial, with candles and a statue of an angel from his late grandmother standing guard.

With a report from CTV Saskatoon’s Julie Mireau