Missing Shambhala Festival Attendee Tried to Call Twin Sister Before Disappearing, Family Says

Lucas Tremblay

7/30/20262 min read

An Ontario woman who disappeared while attending the Shambhala Music Festival in British Columbia attempted to contact her twin sister shortly before she went missing, according to her family.

RCMP are searching for 28-year-old Kayla Boisvert of Trenton, Ont., who was attending the four-day electronic music festival near Salmo in B.C.’s West Kootenay region.

Police said Boisvert was last seen at the festival at approximately 2:15 a.m. PT on July 27.

Information about her disappearance was widely shared across social media, with police and family members urging anyone who may have seen her or knows where she is to come forward.

Calls Went Straight to Voicemail

Boisvert’s twin sister, Dianna Boisvert, said she received two calls from Kayla shortly after she was last seen.

“I was sleeping and called her back instantly when I realized that she called,” Dianna said in a statement to Peazzi.

She said her calls went directly to voicemail.

“That was unnerving,” she said.

Dianna spent the following day searching through social media posts and contacting people who knew Kayla and were attending the festival.

She knew her sister was camping in an area where cellular connectivity could be unreliable, but said it was highly unusual for Kayla to stop communicating entirely.

Friends and relatives describe Boisvert as a paramedic and experienced festival attendee who regularly stayed in contact with others during events.

Festival Working With RCMP

Shambhala describes itself as Canada’s largest outdoor electronic music festival.

The sold-out event is held on farmland along the Salmo River, approximately 400 kilometres east of Vancouver.

Festival organizers said more than 21,000 artists, staff members and ticketholders were involved in this year’s event.

In a statement, Shambhala said it is working closely with the RCMP and other public safety agencies to support the search for Boisvert.

Friends Say Disappearance Is Abnormal

Ming Liu, who attended the festival and knows Boisvert through other music events, said he encountered her several times during the weekend.

He said she appeared to be in good spirits.

Liu described Boisvert as cautious, well-prepared and highly experienced at attending festivals. He said she carried two first aid kits throughout the weekend.

“Even if her phone died, even if she lost her phone, even if she got lost, she would know how to seek help,” he said. “It’s abnormal.”

Dianna described her sister as an accomplished deadlifter, paramedic and academic who studied at McMaster University.

She urged anyone with information that could assist the investigation to contact police.

“We want our sister, daughter, friend home safe,” she said.

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