Rose's Cantina

In November, I will graduate from Carleton University as part of the Class of 2019. As always, I'm a bit late. Forty years late. Oh well, I was busy back in the late 70s forging a new career for myself. I didn't have time to finish that journalism degree. To the taxpayers of Ontario, who bankrolled my education, I offer my sincere apologies. I was just so excited to get out into the world, I had neglected to complete my "thesis". And I meant to finish it, I really did. But life got in the way. Career. Motherhood. Singlemotherhood. Yadda, yadda. Never got around to it. Kids, take this as a lesson. You can't go back. After I lost my job due to my lack of educational credentials this past spring, I realized that I needed that degree. I couldn't qualify for all the jobs I was qualified for. That piece of paper was a deal breaker, the difference between me being a bona fide public servant, and a Walmart greeter. Truth is, I don't have my Grade 12 d

It's been three long years since Ashley disappeared into thin air, three Mother's Days for her mom Cindy, three Father's Days for her father John.  There has been little progress in her case, no body, no arrests, only disturbing rumours. But I have to say, I'm cheered by all of the volunteers who continue to hunt for Ashley in the air with drones, on the ground with ATVs. As anyone connected with Ashley's case knows, there is plenty of bad in the world, but there's also plenty of good. This week, John and Cindy cheered another great development.  One of our family members has given $10,000 to post as a reward for information leading to her whereabouts, or information that leads to the arrest of any person(s) who might have done Ashley harm. That's going to make a few people nervous, I'm guessing, and maybe a few people scared. The perps might have thought they got away with murder, but people talk, don't they? Other people k

As a family member of Ashley Simpson , I welcomed the release this week of the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by the federal government.  https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/ I hope that it helps.  Clearly, it's taken too long to do a 'deep dive' into why so many women and girls have been savaged, raped and murdered at home, and when they go out into the world. My main hope is that the police in these rural communities get more resources, and better training, because until this happens, more women and girls will be slaughtered and never found. I feel so deeply for the Indigenous community, and for their stolen sisters. It was, in fact, the First Nations community women who embraced Ashley as one of their own. That is their way, they show their wisdom, doggedness and commitment to righting the wrongs of the past. They are so strong and their spirit should make the rest of us ashamed for not caring enough, or not educating ourselve