The trial date has been set for Douglas Garland, the man accused of murdering five-year-old Nathan O'Brien and his grandparents Alvin and Kathy Liknes.

The date for the five-week jury trial has been set for Jan. 16, 2017, with jury selection taking place the week before.

Garland's lawyer Kim Ross says the more than a year wait is not unusual for a trial of this complexity.

Because of the amount of media attention in the case, jury selection for the trial may involve a process called "challenge for cause" where potential jurors are asked questions designed to expose any bias.

"It's a longer process permitted under the Criminal Code to question jurors," said Crown prosecutor Shane Parker.

"In the U.S. they have a voir dire system where they question jurors on a regular basis. In Canada, it's quite the exception. Normally our jurors are really picked blind, we really know very little about them and they're not asked any questions by counsel."

O'Brien and his grandparents disappeared last summer, but their bodies have never been found.

Garland was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths.

He was arrested in July of last year and remains in custody.

Parker expects 50 to 60 witnesses will be called to testify during the trial.

He says some details of the crime have been withheld from witnesses to prevent them from "being contaminated." He said that has caused some hardship for family members of the victims who are expected to testify.

"It's extraordinarily hard on the families, and of course we have witnesses who are getting up there in age as well so it is a concern that we're now looking at 2017 for trial," he said.