Head-on crash kills Royal Canoe bassist, partner in Manitoba

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SWAN RIVER — The bassist for a Winnipeg band and his partner are dead after a Canada Day crash on a Manitoba highway.

Indie pop band Royal Canoe says bass player Brendan Berg died in the crash a day before his 43rd birthday, along with Olivia Michalczuk.

RCMP say they responded to a head-on crash on Tuesday afternoon north of Swan River, in western Manitoba.

They say a southbound vehicle veered over the centre line and hit another vehicle that’s believed to have been parked, causing it to roll over.

Police say two men in the southbound vehicle suffered critical injuries, while a 42-year-old man and a 31-year-old female passenger in the other vehicle died in hospital.

Royal Canoe said on social media 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.”

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