Third person dies after highway crash that killed Manitoba musician

A RCMP vehicle is pictured on July 3, 2025. (CTV Atlantic / Callum Smith)

SWAN RIVER — A third person has died following a highway crash that killed the bassist for a well-known Winnipeg band.

Mounties responded to the crash Tuesday afternoon north of Swan River in western Manitoba.

They say a vehicle travelling south had crossed the centre line and hit a vehicle facing north that was parked on the edge of the road.

A 42-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman in the parked vehicle were transported to hospital, where they died.

RCMP say a 29-year-old man who was a passenger in the first vehicle has since died of his injuries, and the driver is in stable condition.

Indie pop band Royal Canoe confirmed on social media that bass player Brendan Berg and his partner, Olivia Michalczuk, were killed.

The band said in a post Wednesday that Berg’s death has left an “enormous and sudden hole in the lives of everyone who knew him.”

“Over the last 15 years of cross-country tours, late studio nights -- through the high highs and low lows, Brendan’s relentless positivity, big smile, and considerate nature were a stabilizing and inspiring force for us,” the band wrote.

“He was always the first to volunteer his time to pick up the trailer from the shop or load gear after tour. His generosity and selflessness were legendary.”

The band offered condolences to the families of Berg and Michalczuk.

“Olivia’s energy and enthusiasm brought out the best in Brendan, and her passing is equally as devastating to try to understand.”

RCMP continue to investigate what led to the crash.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2025.