Since 1980, the Ontario Provincial Police has been trying to identify human remains discovered in Algonquin Park.

For the first time, there is a face to this mystery. At a news conference on Wednesday, the OPP unveiled a three-dimensional clay facial reconstruction of what is believed to be a young male. 

A forensic anthropologist has determined the young man was aged anywhere between 19 to 29 and likely died sometime in the 1970's.

"The methods I use are based in science, but if we're looking at an unidentified or unknown body, we're always going to have a margin of error,” explained Dr. Kathy Gruspier, of the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service.

Using new facial reconstruction technology, OPP are hoping someone will recognize the face.

An OPP forensic artist said it took between 40 to 60 hours to create the clay model.

"It's a process involving information from crime scene, from police reports, from pathology reports, from anthropology reports and counselling and it's all kind of all put together as a package,” said Constable Duncan Way, of the OPP.

“All we're hoping for is a likeness.”

Police said remains were first discovered by a hiker in 1980 near trail marker number five.

After a search, a number of personal belongings - including a wallet with no ID, clothing and camping gear - were also discovered inside a fallen tree. Nothing came of it.

Fast forward 15 years to 1995, when more remains were found in the area.

"We hope with the facial reconstruction and the various angles and options for his appearance that someone will recognize him,” said Detective Inspector Rob Matthews, of the OPP.

“Then we will be able to bring resolution to a family deserving to know what happened to their loved one.”

Anyone with new information on the case can call dedicated missing persons hotline toll-free at 1-877-934-6363 (1-877-9-FINDME) in Canada only or 1-705-330-4144 from outside Canada. You can also submit information by e-mail at opp.isb.resolve@opp.ca