Ashley Simpson: Vigil for Justice

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.

Last April, we gathered around our bonfires and computers to pray that Ashley Simpson would be found and finally returned to her loving family. It was the fifth anniversary of her disappearance. 

A few months later, her remains were found, and her boyfriend was sent to jail. He is now awaiting trial.

On Saturday, April 30, 2022, the Simpson family is asking you to come back together to give thanks, and to once again pray. This time, we pray for justice for Ashley as well as for closure for the families of the many murdered and missing in this country. 

There are still women missing in the Okanagan including Nicole Bell, Caitlin Potts and Deanna Wertz who all disappeared around the same time as Ashley. Their families continue to struggle, and need our continued support. We will also pray for family of Pamela Jones an elderly retired school teacher who was bludgeoned to death in her carport in Salmon Arm eleven years ago. Her killer has never been found, and her son Lance continues to struggle with the fact that there still are no suspects in the case. 

This year, we will also be holding vigil for Katrina Blagdon, a veteran, who went missing on December 31, 2021 from her St. Catharines home, and still has not been found. Her family travelled across the country to spend the last three months scouring the Niagara area looking for her. 

Katrina Blagdon

Finally, we ask you to think about Jaclyn Smith, another Canadian veteran, who disappeared from her home in Costa Rica in 2021 after a fight with her partner. She is still missing. 

If you are not familiar with these cases, please take a minute to learn about them.

If you do not pray, please light a candle, write a poem, post a piece of music on Ashley's Facebook page or on Katrina's page in their honour. You can also make a donation to Wings of Mercy a volunteer group that uses drones to find the missing in rural and remote communities. Or you can contribute to the fundraiser for Katrina.

Together, we can raise awareness about the plight of families who lose their loved ones in tragic circumstances. 

Our vigil will begin at 8 p.m. Hope to see you there!