Hilary Bonnell's First Nation community wants to create more youth programs to help keep local young people safe. (RCMP)

Members of the Eskinuopitijk First Nation band council are expressing hope for change after the death of a teenager from their community in northeastern New Brunswick.

Now that they know the fate of 16-year-old Hilary Bonnell, who went missing more than two months ago, Coun. Curtis Bartibogue said he hopes they can focus on the future.

"We got to start looking at towards preventing it from ever happening again, look at the security of our community and hopefully, I could see the RCMP, after this has all blown over, to continue working with our community," he said.

Hilary's body was discovered earlier this week in a remote, wooded area near the First Nation community, commonly known as Burnt Church.

Bartibogue said his community worked closely with the RCMP throughout the two-month search for Hilary, who was his cousin.

'We have to really look back at all this and we have to learn from it.'—Coun. Curtis Bartibogue

He said he hopes police will continue to work with the band to monitor the community and would like to see more youth programs to help keep area youth safe.

"We have to really look back at all this and we have to learn from it," Bartibogue said.

"I really think that we need to pull together and start maybe having social events for our youth, maybe bringing in youth programs. We don't have a youth centre, we don't have anything for recreation.

"I think that the leadership should really pull together and maybe making that their number 1 priority for this community."

Hilary was last seen on Sept. 5 walking along Highway 11 in Eskinuopitijk about 7:30 a.m. She disappeared after attending a party with friends the night before.

Police are holding a suspect in connection with her death. They are waiting for autopsy results and further information about the circumstances surrounding Hilary's death before deciding what charges to lay, RCMP Insp. Roch Fortin has said.

An autopsy was to be performed in Saint John on Saturday.