Rose's Cantina

Embed from Getty Images A year ago, Ashley Simpson was looking forward to returning to her home in Niagara to attend her sister's baby shower. She'd been facing some challenges; she'd left her job in Northern, B.C. and moved to Salmon Arm, the hometown of her boyfriend Derek who wanted to be close to his kids. She was waiting for Derek to give her some scratch, enough to get home where her big and loving family were missing her. Her parents, John and Cindy, were concerned about her, so she made sure she sent them posts and photos. John joked that the girl with the gypsy tattoo was "the selfie queen". She was always posting and talking to her parents, her sisters, and her close friends. John is a working stiff, a guy who cooks for the ships and boats that travel along the Welland Canal. Last spring, he was looking forward to his summer job at the Longhouse in Huntsville where he could relax a bit, and fish the lake for dinner. Ashley always came ...

Embed from Getty Images Last week, Whitney Dumas joined an exclusive club that no one ever wants to join. It's been said that there is nothing worse than a parent outliving a child. There is one thing worse. Little Nathan, who was about to celebrate his eighth birthday, lost his life at the hands of his stepfather, the guy who took him to Disney, who bought him food, who took him to school. His future was ended by a person he trusted to protect him. And now Whitney must raise her other two small children without their brother, and without their father. What an ungodly mess. Today, Whitney and her family said goodbye to Nathan. Look at this face. Who could hurt this little boy? Most of us cannot know what this feels like, to lose a child, especially in this manner. Over the past week, people across Canada have been touched by this story. Grant LaFleche, who works at the  St. Catharines Standard , told me today that his story ra...

As winter turns to spring, and the frozen ground begins to thaw, all thoughts turn to you, Ashley. It's been nearly a year now since you disappeared. You seemed so happy on that day. Margaret Falls holds many secrets. She has begun to whisper your name.

I just received this selfie taken by Michael Sarrazin who accompanied Ashley Simpson to Margaret Falls. It was taken on April 27th , the day she disappeared, and was given to the RCMP by Mike. According to the last people who saw Ashley, she disappeared shortly after returning from this trip. Thanks Mike. Thanks also to True Crimes and Mysteries , and Rebecca Duke who has done a followup interview with Mike. And a final note, if you want to learn more about Ashley's case, and the timeline, you can visit this site.  Thanks to Shane for all his good work.

Embed from Getty Images I wanted to dedicate International Women's Day to the tough broads who raised me including my mother Vera who raised three kids on her own after my Dad killed himself in his car eighteen months after my birth. . I also want to give a shout out to my Granny Ina who lost her first husband in the Great War, and had to raise her mentally disabled son Vern on her own before finding my Grandpa and having two more kids. Widows, I come from a family of widows, don't you see, Steel Magnolias who stared down adversity and sacrificed for their families. As I faced my own uncertainty 25 years ago after being left with my own three kids, I took my inspiration from the best. I learned that no matter how bleak things look, there is always room for fun, friends and family. And a career if you have time to do it. I learned too late the hard lesson that a woman can only count on herself. The only advice I have given to my capable daughter, Marissa,...

This is the second in a series of guest blogs. Whitney Dumas is one of Ashley's best friends. I met Amanda Simpson (Ashley's youngest sister) in Grade 2 or 3 when I transferred to St. Nicholas Elementary School in the middle of the school year. Amanda was one of the first people to come up to me. She told me she was new, too. We were instant friends and were surprised to find out we lived close to each other. Amanda and Ashley's parents invited me into their family with open arms and I spent just about every day with them. My parents own their own business, Subs Plus. Like any owners of an independent business, they were always working. So I spent a lot of time over at the Simpson house. Ashley and Amanda had one of the most amazing bonds I have ever seen. No matter how mad they were at each other, at the end of the day, they always had each other's backs. Ashley would help us with all our problems. She was our go-to-person for everything. She was extr...