Brendan Berg, bassist of indie rock band Royal Canoe, killed in car crash
Brendan Berg, the bassist of Winnipeg-based indie group Royal Canoe, was killed alongside his partner after a head-on vehicle collision on July 1st.
The incident happened at around 3:30pm in Bowsman, Manitoba. Investigators have stated that a vehicle was driving in the south lane and veered over the centre line to crash into Berg’s parked vehicle sitting on the edge of the highway. The vehicle rolled into a ditch, killing Berg and his partner, Olivia Michalczuk. At the time, the two passengers in the other vehicle were taken to the area hospital with “critical injuries.”
In a news release on Thursday, it was revealed that the passenger has since also died from his injuries. However, the driver of that vehicle is still in stable condition in the hospital.
The band announced his passing in a statement on social media, beginning, “Today, on what would have been his 43rd Birthday, we say goodbye to our dear friend, bandmate and brother Brendan Berg, who passed away in a car accident last night along with his partner Olivia Michalczuk.” His partner was 31.
The band continued with a moving tribute, remembering Berg’s loving and lovable character over “the last 15 years of cross-country tours, latest studio nights”, and “the high highs and the low lows.” They wrote, “his generosity and selflessness were legendary.”
They reminisced, “When Brendan first jammed with Royal Canoe all those years back, we had been looking for someone who could play virtuosic bass AND play synth AND sing. It was a tough ask—but in walks this guy who could flawlessly do all three. And he was tall and incredibly handsome? What business did he have being all of this at once?!”
The band signed off, “We’re gonna miss you so much Brendan. Thanks for being our brother and friend. Thanks for holding down the low-end of our lives.”
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