The owner of a long-lost ring found on P.E.I. has come forward — and she's never been to the Island

The case of a missing gold ring found on Cavendish Beach years ago has been solved — and the story now stretches from one coast to the other.

Christa Stacey found the gold Haida wrap ring on the boardwalk in May 2018 when she was visiting from Newfoundland and had been trying to discover its owner through social media ever since — as CBC P.E.I. reported on Friday.

The story was shared on social media, and Melissa Greene's sister texted her a link. Greene, who lives in Maple Ridge, B.C., had never been to P.E.I. and hadn't seen her ring in 11 years.

She read the article and cried.

"I grew up with a lot of struggles, and in my struggle made a lot of poor decisions and a lot of mistakes. And in that I lost everything. I lost everything, more than one time, including the ring. Including myself."

She said she never expected to get anything from her old life back, let alone the ring.

Her dad Tom  — an artist in Skidegate on Haida Gwaii — made the intricately etched ring for her when she was 19. 

It says "Missy" and "dad xoxo".

When he heard it had been found, he cried too.

"He's the only one that still calls me Missy," she said.

Greene said she and her father didn't always have a great relationship but have grown closer over the last few years. The ring "means more to me now than it ever did before," she said.

Greene said after she read the story — repeatedly — she reached out to Stacey over Facebook. Greene verified the ring was hers by sharing photos of her dad's other work, and Stacey said she would send it to her Monday.

Greene said if not for COVID, she'd go get it herself.

"I'm planning on going to that boardwalk," she said. "My ring has travelled farther than I have across Canada." 

She's not sure how she'll feel when she puts it back on her finger.

"I think it's going to be pretty overwhelming," she said. "It's already pretty overwhelming."

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