The family of a missing Manitoulin Island woman is casting a wide net and pleading to anyone who has any information about the disappearance to share it with police.
Juanita ‘Winnie’ Migwans, age 30, was last seen Oct. 2, 2024 in the M’Chigeeng First Nation area of Manitoulin Island.
Migwan’s aunt Mary Ashcroft said in a video posted to Facebook on Tuesday that police have been knocking on doors seeking leads but have had doors slammed in their face.
“You may not like them [police], but if they can at least come to your door and you can answer any questions or say you know nothing, whatever it is, then they can check off their list that they have spoken to you,” said Ashcroft. “Remember her face. She could have been taken against her will.”
After almost a month of looking, Ashcroft acknowledges that her niece may no longer be on Manitoulin Island or may even be deceased. Migwans could be in the Greater Toronto Area or in another part of southern Ontario, in northern Ontario or Manitoba, among other possibilities.
The family is asking people to watch out for the missing woman in gas station bathrooms and to search in outbuildings on their property. Ashcroft said it’s uncharacteristic for Migwans to be out of contact with family and friends for so long and suggests wherever the woman is, it is probably against her will.
“The biggest thing is finding leads to find Winnie,” said Ashcroft. “Wherever she is and whatever condition she is in, her family needs to bring her home.”
