Police in Quebec are investigating five "persons of interest" in the disappearance of a Trois-Rivières girl almost five months ago.

A poster for missing nine-year-old Cédrika Provencher has helped bring police more than 3,000 tips from the public.
(Canadian Press)

Cédrika Provencher disappeared July 31 from her neighbourhood about 140 kilometres northeast of Montreal after reportedly helping a man look for a lost dog.

At least one of the five "persons of interest" being questioned has a history of sexual deviance, provincial police spokeswoman Joyce Kemp told CBC News. 

All have knowledge of the region and could have been near or in the Trois-Rivières neighbourhood at the time Cédrika disappeared, she said.

Police have said a four-door red 2004 Acura TSX is still considered important in the case. The vehicle was identified by several witnesses in the moments leading up to Cédrika's disappearance.

Some 1,200 police officers have been involved in the investigation, with more than 800 cars checked and 2,600 people questioned. Six investigators are still on the case.

The news has given some hope to members of the girl's family, who have worked tirelessly selling T-shirts and coffee mugs to raise money for their continued search.

Cédrika's parents, Martin Provencher and Karine Fortier, had to celebrate her 10th birthday in August without her. 

Mother praises police

Cédrika's mother told Le Journal de Montréal that the holiday season is especially difficult for her, as she never thought she would go this long without news about her daughter.

Fortier told the newspaper that she continues to hope Cédrika will be found, and believes she is alive, but is also aware it could be the opposite.

But she praised the work of police officers involved in the investigation.

"I am entirely confident in the Sûreté du Québec [provincial police]," she told CBC's French language service.

The couple, now separated, have made several emotional pleas to the public to help find their daughter. Police have followed up on thousands of tips from across the country.

There is a $100,000 reward for information that helps police find the missing girl.

With files from the Canadian Press