A girl matching the description of missing nine-year-old Cédrika Provencher was seen in a Gaspé-area restaurant about five days after she disappeared from Trois-Rivières, police say.

Provincial police said Thursday witnesses told them the girl was with a man in Chandler, Que., on the Gaspé Peninsula.

A poster for missing nine-year-old girl Cédrika Provencher has produced thousands of tips from the public.
(CP)

The witnesses told police she was wearing oversized clothing and appeared timid.

They also said the relationship between the girl and the man seemed frosty, and the man appeared to be acting strangely.

However, police received the information about three hours after the two were seen. They set up roadblocks in the area, but didn't find anything.

This tip appeared to police to be more precise and credible than other information they have been receiving.

Investigators have been chasing down thousands of leads since Cédrika disappeared July 31.

Among those leads was the information that Cédrika had told people she was helping someone find a lost dog just before she disappeared.

Since then, four children have come forward with a description of a man they said was asking them to help him find a lost dog. Investigators are working to produce an artist's sketch of the man.

There is an $80,000 reward for information that helps police find the missing girl. The reward money was donated by residents of several communities in the area and collected by Sun Youth, a Montreal organization that provides aid for the underprivileged.

Police suspended their ground search for Cédrika Aug. 12, but continue to check out tips they receive from the public.

With files from the Canadian Press