Quebec provincial police are focusing on the Saint-Apollinaire area, located southwest of Quebec City, on Friday morning as the search for the father of two young girls found dead continues.
The Sûreté du Québec says Martin Carpentier, 44, is still alive. He may be desperate and searching for materials to survive.
New evidence has led police to deploy to the community in large numbers on Friday morning.
“We want to check all the chalets and outbuildings and we want to support owners in this operation,” police said in a statement on Friday.
On Thursday, police had asked residents in the Lotbinière, Que., area to check their chalets, camps and trailers for signs of the suspect, including traces of break-ins such as missing or moved equipment, laundry, food and living supplies.
They were advised to do so in pairs and to call 911 if they see any signs of the missing suspect.
The appeal to the public came after investigators found evidence of Carpentier in a trailer around the Saint-Apollinaire and Saint-Agapit area, where a search has been ongoing for the past nine days.
The search turned into a manhunt after the lifeless bodies of Norah and Romy Carpentier, 11 and 6, were found in the woods last Saturday. The pair were the subject of an Amber Alert after they went missing alongside their father last week.
Police have said the trio were involved in a car crash last Wednesday night on Highway 20 in the Saint-Apollinaire area. When officers arrived on scene, the car was abandoned.
— With files from Global News’ Brittany Henriques and the Canadian Press