Arrest warrant issued for man accused in fatal Canada Day crash that killed Winnipeg band member, partner

Mounties are searching for a man accused of causing a highway crash that killed three people near Swan River last Canada Day, including a popular Winnipeg musician and his partner.

On Wednesday, Manitoba RCMP announced an arrest warrant has been issued for Matthew Govereau, a 37-year-old Winnipeg man. He has been charged in the head-on collision that killed Royal Canoe bassist Brendan Berg, 42, and Olivia Michalczuk, 31, on July 1.

“Contact your lawyer and get your advice, and then show up at a police station or detachment,” RCMP spokesman Sgt. Paul Manaigre said, speaking directly to Govereau, who police have been unable to locate since Crown prosecutors approved charges on Jan. 20.

Investigators allege Govereau was behind the wheel on Highway 10, near Road 224 North, when he veered over the centre line and struck the couple, who were parked on the shoulder.

Berg and Michalczuk were taken to the hospital, where they died. A 29-year-old man, who was a passenger in Govereau’s vehicle, also died after being taken to the hospital.

Govereau was transported to hospital with injuries and later released, Manaigre said.

Police announced they were anticipating criminal charges against the sole survivor within days of the crash, but it took months to secure an arrest because the investigation was ongoing, Manaigre said.

“When someone dies, you don’t want to have a case thrown out on a technicality.”

“When someone dies, you don’t want to have a case thrown out on a technicality. I’ve seen stuff like that happen and it’s brutal. It looks bad on everybody,” he said.

Speaking generally, Manaigre said officers conducting fatal crash investigations often obtain search warrants for the vehicles and production orders related to cell phone records. Meanwhile, forensic traffic investigators must complete a collision report and blood samples are processed in a lab.

“You’re looking at months just for that kind of stuff, and then once you put it all together, then you submit it to the Crown for review, and honestly, it could be anywhere from a couple months to a year or more before they get back to you,” he said.

Manaigre could not confirm when police last had contact with Govereau. His last known address is in Birch River, but he is known to regularly travel throughout the province, including to Winnipeg.

Govereau is facing 18 charges related to the collision and weapons and drugs recovered from the vehicle after the crash, RCMP said.

Those include multiple counts each for impaired driving causing death, dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death and careless driving.

Govereau is also charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, possessing a prohibited weapon, weapon possession contrary to order, possession of property obtained by crime, possession of drugs for purposes of trafficking and possession of a controlled substance.

Manaigre acknowledged police may have been able to arrest Govereau earlier because of the items seized from the vehicle, but said investigators chose to prioritize charges related to the fatal collision.

“You want to give the Crown the best chance they have,” he said.

Govereau is described as 5-foot-11 and weighs roughly 280 pounds, RCMP said, advising anyone who believes they’ve spotted him to phone police and not approach.

Govereau’s criminal record in Manitoba dates back to 2017, and includes convictions for drug possession, trafficking, possessing weapons and breaching court orders. He was also convicted of breaching the provincial Public Health Act amid COVID-19-related restrictions.

He pleaded guilty in October 2022 to a robbery committed in Swan River in September 2020. He was given time served and period of probation, which included an order he go for an assessment at a drug treatment centre.

Court heard his offending was tied to drug abuse.

“Your biggest hurdle is yourself and your addictions,” provincial court Judge Christina Cheater told Govereau at the time.

Berg and Michalczuk were memorialized in a joint obituary published in the Free Press last July.

“His positive nature, kind and gentle ways combined uniquely with his sense of humour, insightful and logical mind,” the obituary said of Berg.

Michalczuk was described as a “kind and warm soul who loved fiercely.”

“She was always looking to help those in need, and encouraged you to go beyond your limits and was your biggest cheerleader on the sidelines. She had very strong values and lived by those values.”

Berg joined Royal Canoe in 2010 and was well known in Winnipeg’s music scene. During his tenure, the indie-pop group received a Juno Award nomination in 2014. The same year, the group won best independent album at the Western Canadian Music Awards.

“She was always looking to help those in need.”

Michalczuk was an avid concert-goer and journalist. She wrote for The Manitoban and founded Paper Cut Winnipeg, a blog and podcast about the local music scene

Outside of music, she worked in community development with Exchange District BIZ, Spence Neighbourhood Association and, most recently, with the Manitoba government as a community planner, according to LinkedIn.

Royal Canoe declined to comment on the case Wednesday.

One of Berg’s relatives also declined to comment, saying his family does not want to say anything that could influence court proceedings.

Messages to Michalczuk’s family were not immediately returned.

The search for Govereau marks the second time in recent years in which Manitoba RCMP have been forced to issue a warrant to locate a suspect involved in a fatal collision.

Navjeet Singh left the country and was wanted by police for nine months before he was arrested at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport last August.

He is accused of causing a crash that killed 35-year-old Sara Unger and her eight-year-old daughter, Alexa, near Altona in November 2024.

Anyone with information on Govereau’s whereabouts is asked to contact Swan River RCMP at 204-734-4686 or 204-734-3454, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or leave a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

— With files from Erik Pindera

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca