It's been two months today since Paul-Michael Foster disappeared.

Friends of the missing man are organizing a massive search March 20 throughout Hamilton and Halton in hopes of finding his missing pickup truck -- and leads to him.

Hamilton police are also asking anyone who has any information to pass it along to detectives.

Andrea O'Neill, a friend of Foster's who is organizing the 12-hour search using a Facebook page devoted to her friend's disappearance, says about 250 people have registered to meet at Dundurn Castle on York Boulevard Saturday, March 20, at 11 a.m.

"We will be handing out maps of specific areas to be covered in the listed (Hamilton and Halton) towns and villages," O'Neill said. "We are going to have volunteers at their computer on call so searchers can call them for directions if they get lost."

Foster, 28, was last seen Sunday, Jan. 10, when he visited his parents in Burlington and then left, planning to go to a movie with a high school friend later that night. The family learned later his dinner and movie plans didn't happen.

The next day, a neighbour contacted his parents to tell them Foster's dog, Fozzie, had been barking a long time. He told them he'd heard Paul-Michael's truck leave the apartment at 6 p.m. the night before but didn't see who was driving.

The family says it's out of character for Foster to leave his beloved black Labrador alone in his downtown Hamilton apartment and not check in with his parents.

Foster is an apprentice plumber at Taylor's Plumbing in Waterdown. When Taylor called his parents Jan. 12 to say Foster had not appeared for work, the family called Hamilton police.

Foster's black 1999 Chevrolet S10 Extreme pickup, licence plate 343 1RJ, has not been located. The truck has dark-tinted windows, is missing the front bumper and does not have a front licence plate.

The truck's rear box is empty and has no bed liner. In the cab, there should be a black air freshener with a white skull dangling from the rear-view mirror.

Foster is 5-foot-10, about 195 pounds. He has short blond spiky hair, blue eyes and distinctive tattoos of a dragon on his shoulder and FOSTER on his back. He also has a ring tattoo on his ring finger.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Hamilton police at 905-526-4725 or Halton police at 1-905-825-4747.

jburman@thespec.com

905-526-2469