Woman's remains found in hockey bag on Cape Breton river

Police in Nova Scotia are investigating after a woman'sremains were found in a hockey bag floating on a Cape Bretonriver Friday night.

Two people who liveon Hillside Road in Marion Bridge went outside tostart a backyard barbeque in the evening.Theyspotteda bag floating in the Mira River, pulled it ashore, and called police when they saw the body.

"Investigators are trying to determine at this point who this lady is," said Staff Sgt. Mike Kennedy, head of major crime for Cape Breton Regional Police."Because of what we've learned so far, we are treating this death as a homicide."

The people who found the body were "pretty shaken up," Kennedy said.

"They were having a hard time with this last night."

Police could not comment on the cause of death, nor the length oftime the body was in they hockey bag in the water.

Investigatorssearched the area Friday night and returned Saturday to scour the water in boats. The age and conditionof the body is not known.

'It's kind of nerve-wracking'

Marion Bridge is a quiet town 20 kilometres south of Sydney. Residents who spoke to CBC News said the community is shocked and baffled by the grim discovery.

"It's kind of nerve-wracking. You don't know. This is a nice, quiet, peaceful place. We come here on the weekends for peace and tranquility," saidTina Lamoine. "It's scary."

"The viciousness of it, it's terrible," saidTyler Irons.

An autopsy was being done Saturday afternoon in Halifax.