Organizers plan Saturday search for missing Manitoulin Island woman

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$50,000 reward offered for information in Manitoulin woman's disappearance

Family pleas for information on missing Manitoulin woman

Family of missing woman appeals for new leads

A search will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday at the M’Chigeeng fire hall on Manitoulin Island to look for Juanita Migwans, who has been missing since last fall.

The volunteer group will search for Juanita ‘Winnie’ Migwans, organizers said in a social media post.

The post said Wiki Surveillance, a local Indigenous-owned company, is bringing drones to help volunteers search the area.

The Central Manitoulin Fire Department is also sending volunteers.

Migwans was 30 when she was last seen Oct. 2, 2024, with most reports saying she was seen walking near Oakhill Drive and Highway 551.

She was last seen wearing a light-coloured jacket and dark pants. She had a thin build, was 5-foot-6 and weighed 100 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes.

The investigation into her disappearance is being conducted by the United Chief and Councils of Manitoulin Anishnaabe Police and the Manitoulin detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police.

Police have conducted numerous ground and aerial searches, and they’ve gone door-to-door in the community.

Her family “fears she may have been abducted by drug dealers, given her use of illicit substances and the region’s growing drug trade,” the social media post said.

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A total of $100,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for her disappearance.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the dedicated tip line at 1-833-941-9010. Tips can also be given at the OPP’s general phone number at 1-888-310-1120 or the UCCM at 1-705-388-7135.

To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.