Ashley Simpson Day of Action

On the 5th anniversary of Ashley Simpson's disappearance, I stand with my cousins

Sindal Simpson

,

Cindy Mcgean Simpson

,

Amanda Langlois

,

Amy Simpson

,

Tara Simpson

, her grandmother

Elsa Halden

, her aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

On this Day of Action for Ashley we demand justice, more transparency from law enforcement, and better and more dedicated efforts to find her remains, and her killer(s).

The federal government should allocate more funds for search and rescue in rural and remote communities and to the RCMP who are overburdened with their case loads (particularly in B.C. and Alberta) to ensure a rapid and thorough responses to calls about missing women, men and children. SAR often goes home in a day or two leaving grieving and distraught loved ones to pay for their own searches.

It's not enough to assume that the person "took off" on their own when family members know better.

No parent should have to bury a child. And in the unfortunate circumstance where their child is murdered, every parent should be afforded the right to have the remains of their child to bury and mourn.

And no parent should have to lose their livelihood. The federal government should revisit its EI regulations that provide temporary assistance to parents of missing children. Those funds are taken away if the parent leaves their home province to travel to another province to find their child. This is cruel and shortsighted.

When possible, we should financially support volunteer organizations like Wings of Mercy who go in after the SAR crews go home with drones and ATVs to find the missing in rural and remote regions. They are often the only hope for grieving loved ones.

Finally, each one of us should do our part to support and protect vulnerable women and girls. Take them in. Make a call. Do something for the many women and girls who are victims of domestic abuse and who are often helpless to help themselves.

No more stolen sisters. Say something. Do something. Please share. Write to your Member of Parliament. Make a difference.

The life you save could be your own daughter's.

And visit us tonight at 8 p.m. on our Facebook site for a virtual vigil for Ashley. That is where the family will be gathered tonight to celebrate her life, and mourn her passing.

#ashleysarmy #nevergiveup #salmonarm #mmiw #MMIWGActionNow