SASKATOON — Mike Bird, one of Ashley Morin’s cousins, announced that this will be the final year that family and friends will be doing an awareness walk in her honour but that won’t stop them from seeking answers to what had happened to her.
“That doesn't mean we are giving up hope to bring her home. We are hoping that someone will come forward with information about her disappearance,” said Bird Friday during a brief ceremony in front of the Saskatoon Police Service office before they began their walk.
“We want her to come home. We want her mom and dad to be able to have some kind of peace if that's even possible. We miss her. We love her. She is loved.”
The Bird and Morin families, their other relatives, friends and supporters made their way from Saskatoon to North Battleford, a journey that will take them three days. The group is expected to arrive in North Battleford at around 7 or 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
He said their family, especially Ashley’s parents — his uncle Lyndon and his aunt Diane — has gone through a lot since his cousin went missing four years ago on July 10, 2018, in North Battleford. The RCMP’s investigation of Morin’s disappearance has now turned into a homicide.
“That's why we're here today is to help show that support for them. And for Ashley and to get that awareness out there for her and all missing and murdered indigenous women. Ashley did that for us.”
“We give each other love and strength and the power to walk together as family and friends. And Ashley did that for us. I'm so happy to see everybody here today,” said Bird, who later read a letter written by Ashley’s dad Lyndon that brought their relatives and friends to tears.
Lyndon wrote a letter to his daughter as his way of releasing the pain and grief their family is experiencing after four years of not having found the answers to Ashley’s disappearance and what had happened to her.
“It's been four years now since my youngest little girl went missing. It feels like yesterday because the pain does not go away. Time does not heal all the pain or erase the memories I have of my baby,” read parts of the letter.
“Four years ago my child went missing and it seems like we are having to wait for the proof to fall into the laps of the investigators. We all have our suspicions about who is responsible or who is involved. But we have to wait for solid proof.”
Lyndon again asked individuals to come forward if they know something about his daughter’s disappearance, information that might bring her back that could somehow ease their anger and the pain.
“I have such a space in my heart that I never wanted to have and now it lives in me. She is my baby, my love, my everything. She loved her sports and she loved attending family gatherings. I'm always going to be missing her.”
Lyndon, in the letter, added that he sometimes dreams of Ashley where he just wants to grab her and never let her go but he can not reach her. He has even asked Ashley to take him since crying has become one of their daily routines.
“There is no way to escape this pain, which empties every last tear of me. It leaves me feeling empty. I would compare it to being newly blinded. Not knowing where to go or which way to head. Being in darkness wishing and praying was all over this horrible nightmare.”
SPS Chief Troy Cooper, SPS missing person liaison officer and victim services co-ordinator Dorthea Swiftwolfe, Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. president Shirley Isbister and Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation Chief Larry Ahenakew also delivered messages of support to the family.
