St. Catharines Hydro workers discovered a body Wednesday morning in water near the Heywood Generating Station in Port Dalhousie.
Niagara Regional Police say officers were called to the scene at approximately 8:20 a.m. The body was later pulled from the water with the assistance of the Marine Unit, as officers blocked nearby traffic.
The coroner's office is now working to determine the cause of death and the person's identity. Police have not yet confirmed whether the deceased is a man or woman.
"The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination and positive identification," says Stephanie Sabourin, a spokeswoman for the Niagara Regional Police.
The family of Katrina Blagdon, a St. Catharines woman who mysteriously vanished on New Year's Eve, has been informed of the discovery. In a Facebook post Wednesday afternoon, Blagdon's older sister, Kelly, asked for privacy while the family waits for more information.
"Trina's Army," she wrote, referring to the thousands of people who have rallied together over the past four months to help find the 37-year-old mother of two. "We have been made aware of a female body found in St. Catharines this morning. We ask that you please respect our privacy until such time as the identity has been confirmed."
She signed the post: "With love and gratitude, Katrina's Family."
A retired Canadian soldier who served a tour of duty in Afghanistan, Katrina Blagdon was last seen on New Year's Eve at Firehouse Subs when picking up dinner with her boyfriend. According to him, Blagdon was missing from her Vansickle Rd. house on the morning of January 1 when he woke up.
The last definitive clue came days later, when Katrina Blagdon's cellphone pinged off a Thorold south tower, together with another phone.
While police have not officially labelled the disappearance as suspicious, the family is convinced she met foul play due to the circumstances of her disappearance.
