Family mourns ‘all around great guy’ killed while crossing Henderson Highway

A 32-year-old father who died in a collision in East Kildonan Sunday morning is being remembered by family for his playful spirit and willingness to help others.

Winnipeg police said the victim, who was identified by family as Gabe Beardy, was walking across Henderson Highway, at Neil Avenue, when he was hit by a northbound vehicle shortly before 5:20 a.m.

“He was all around a great guy. If somebody needed help, whether to change a tire or anything, 100 per cent he was going to help you,” Beardy’s uncle, Brad Beardy, said Wednesday. “He was always trying to provide for his family.”

Beardy, who is from Lake St. Martin First Nation in the Interlake, is survived by four young children, said his uncle, who is acting chief of the community about 250 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

Beardy’s family is planning to hold a vigil at the intersection Friday evening, while awaiting more information from the Winnipeg Police Service about what led up to the collision. The WPS traffic division is investigating.

In a news release, police said the driver of the vehicle that struck Beardy immediately called 911 and remained at the scene, where they spoke with officers.

Police did not release any information about the driver or further details about the collision.

The intersection has a pedestrian crosswalk that is equipped with signs and lights. Brad Beardy said his family wants to know if the crosswalk was activated and if its lights were flashing when his nephew crossed Henderson.

Brad Beardy and his nephew attended UFC Fight Night at Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg Saturday night. They parted ways after the event. He said he was shocked when he was told about the collision hours later.

“Sunday morning, when I heard the news, it didn’t really hit me until I got home,” Brad Beardy said. “When I pulled up to my yard, that’s where I broke down in tears.”

He said his nephew helped Lake St. Martin rebuild following a devastating and unprecedented flood in 2011 that destroyed homes.

Beardy worked odd jobs, from commercial fishing to home repairs, and helped family members with tasks around their properties. He enjoyed playing pool, solving puzzles in escape rooms and cheering on the Winnipeg Jets, his uncle said.

Brad Beardy said his nephew often accompanied him when he drove to Winnipeg for meetings. Every fall, the pair and others travelled to Whiteshell Provincial Park in eastern Manitoba to pick wild rice.

Beardy’s father, Isaac Sinclair, said he was in shock following his son’s death. They last communicated via text message Saturday night, when Beardy sent his father a picture from the UFC event.

“That was the last I ever heard from him,” he said.

Sinclair was thankful the driver who struck his son stopped at the scene and called 911.

Friday’s vigil will be attended by local road-safety activists who’ve offered support to family members organizing the event.

“It’s, of course, very upsetting to me,” Rodney Kennish, a father and activist who lives in the neighbourhood, said of the fatal collision. He shared concerns about pedestrian and cyclist safety on Henderson and nearby streets.

“My biggest fear when I’m out walking or cycling around my neighbourhood is I’m going to be killed,” he said.

Kennish and fellow activists have, for some time, advocated for Henderson’s 60 km/h speed limit to be reduced, among other changes they say will improve safety on city streets.

He pointed to studies concluding that lowering speed limits can reduce the number of serious injury and fatal collisions.

Winnipeg police have investigated nine collisions involving pedestrians, three of which were fatalities, in 2026, spokesman Const. Pat Saydak said.

A 50-year-old woman died after being hit by a tractor-trailer at Dufferin Avenue and Main Street on March 28. A 43-year-old man was fatally struck by a vehicle at Brady and Gousseau roads Feb. 13.

Nine pedestrians died in collisions in 2025, down from 16 the previous year.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca