Missing Montreal toddler Claire Bell found alive in Ontario

The child has been the subject of a vast search reaching from LaSalle, Quebec to Casselman, Ontario.

Claire Bell, a Montreal toddler who has been missing since Sunday, has been found alive in Ontario, Quebec provincial police confirmed to CTV News.

The girl was spotted alone on the side of Highway 417 near St. Albert, Ont. on Wednesday at around 2 p.m. by an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) drone and then taken by officers to a nearby hospital where she received medical attention.

“She was speaking with the police officer, she was alive. We provided some first aid, water, and food,” said Éloïse Cossette, a spokesperson with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), in an update to the media. “The priority is just to make sure she is OK.”

Police say they received a lead about her location earlier in the day after announcing that the girl had been spotted near Casselman and St. Albert, in Ontario, the day she went missing.

There are still many unanswered questions about what happened to the three-year-old girl, but police say they are just relieved that she was found safe.

“All I can tell you right now is we’re happy that she’s alive. It’s the best scenario possible,” said Cossette.

The SQ said the investigation is still ongoing.

The girl’s father, Matthew Bell, reacted on Instagram thanking those who helped find his daughter.

“Thank you for everyone help. [sic] Please allow me and my family to take this time with our girl,” he posted.

The SQ and the OPP will hold a news conference Wednesday evening to provide more information about the investigation.

“What a relief and joy to learn that little Claire Bell has been found safe and sound,” wrote Premier François Legault in a post on X Wednesday afternoon.

The premier also thanked police officers from the SQ and OPP for their search efforts, as did Public Security Minister François Bonnardel in another social media post.

Girl’s mother appears in court

The girl’s discovery came minutes after her mother, Rachel-Ella Todd, appeared at the Valleyfield courthouse to face a charge of child abandonment. Todd, 34, was arrested and charged Monday evening.

Her case was adjourned to Friday in order to set a date for a bail hearing.

A video published on the mother’s TikTok account on the same day she reported her daughter missing shows her holding her daughter in her arms, visibly angry.

“You try that again and this is going to get ugly,” Todd says in the video as her daughter looks into the camera.

The caption on the video says, “Have you come up against a mother with nothing to lose????”

It’s not clear who her remarks were directed at.

Her daughter was last seen at 9:45 a.m. Sunday near her home on Newman Boulevard in Montreal’s LaSalle borough.

Later that afternoon, Todd walked into a store in Coteau-du-Lac, in Quebec’s Montérégie region, to say that she had lost her daughter.

Police question important witness

Earlier on Wednesday, police said they interviewed an important witness, a farmer, who spoke with Todd on the day she reported her daughter’s disappearance.

“This woman would have met the suspect Sunday between 9:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. during the day, so she is an important witness,” said Cossette.

• READ MORE: Mom of missing 3-year-old Montreal girl charged with child abandonment as search continues

Eric Sutton, a criminal defence attorney, points out that child abandonment is not a charge that is often seen.

“It’s a starting point,” he explains. “It allows the prosecution to take charge of this person [Todd].”

Depending on how the case unfolds, Sutton says he expects other charges could follow.

“If the child is found in bad shape and needs immediate medical care to survive, it would be criminal negligence causing bodily harm, which is a serious charge up to 10 years in jail,” Sutton states.

The lawyer points out that despite the disturbing nature of the case, Todd is not obliged to cooperate with police officers.

“It’s unfortunate, probably, from the public’s standpoint that this woman, who probably knows what happened, is not cooperating, but our legal system is made that way,” said Sutton. “No one actually has to divulge anything to the police, even if someone’s life is in danger.”

As the search for Bell entered its fourth day Wednesday, the SQ had deployed helicopters, drones and ground search crews in the hopes of finding the young girl.

• READ MORE: Police find dog believed to belong to missing 3-year-old Montreal girl as search continues

Dany Chaput, chairperson of the board of the search and rescue group Recherche Sauvetage Estrie, which was involved in the search, noted that the area scouted by police was vast.

Additionally, Noovo Info reports that Todd recently quit her job with Corner Collection, a group of hotels, restaurants and spas.

Although employees did not want to discuss the case, they confirmed that Todd, who had served as a director since 2019, quit on June 6.

No Amber Alert

An Amber Alert has not been issued in this case, as the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) says it does not meet the necessary criteria of suspected abduction.

An Amber Alert is only issued when all three of the following criteria are met:

• The police have reason to believe that the missing child (someone under 18 years of age) has been abducted;
• The police have reason to believe that the physical safety or the life of the child is in serious danger;
• The police have information that may help locate the child, the suspect and/or the suspect’s vehicle.