In the summer of 2007, a 39-year-old Indigenous woman named Shirley Ann Waquan vanished from the downtown area of Fort McMurray, Alberta. A member of the Mikisew Cree First Nation, Shirley was last seen on July 1, 2007. At the time of her disappearance, she was described as having brown, shoulder-length hair, brown eyes, a scar on her cheek, and a tattoo of the name "SHIRL" on her right wrist. She was also known to be missing several teeth and had scars on both of her hips.
Four days after she was last seen, on July 5, 2007, she was reported missing. Shirley was known to sometimes use the aliases Dawn Robin Waquan or Shirley Anne Waquan.
Shirley’s life journey had led her down a difficult path in the time leading up to her disappearance. Originally from Fort Chipewyan, she had traveled to Fort McMurray for a medical appointment but never returned to her home community. She began struggling with addiction and homelessness, and at the time she went missing, she was known to be living in a wooded encampment in the city. These challenges had a profound impact on her family. Shirley had two children, a son named Shain and a daughter, Jennifer. Due to her struggles, Jennifer was placed in foster care. It was Shirley's son, Shain, who reported her missing after he was released from a period of incarceration, a delay that unfortunately complicated the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's ability to establish a clear timeline of her last known movements. Tragically, Shain Waquan passed away in August 2022, without ever learning what happened to his mother.
The investigation into Shirley Ann Waquan's disappearance was initiated by the Wood Buffalo RCMP and remains active. Shortly after she was reported missing, an extensive search of the ground and water was conducted by the RCMP with assistance from Alberta Fish & Wildlife, but no trace of Shirley was found. Her case has received little public attention over the years, and very little information about the circumstances of her disappearance has been released. Besides her ties to Fort McMurray, she was also known to frequent the Edmonton area. Despite the passage of time, her family has continued to seek answers, distributing posters and speaking with people in the downtown community in the hopes of uncovering new information. The case of Shirley Ann Waquan is an overview of a life marked by personal hardship that ended in a mysterious disappearance, leaving her children and community with unanswered questions.Last Seen: Jul 1, 2007
