Sheriff who died in train collision ‘loved everybody’

Brett Matheson-Maytwayashing was a loving father, hard-working sheriff and proud First Nations man who helped lead traditional ceremonies for a decade, before he died in a collision with a train near Portage la Prairie.

Matheson-Maytwayashing, 27, died in the Tuesday morning crash, which occurred on a rural road west of Portage while he and another member of the sheriff’s service were on their way to attend court in Amaranth, his mother, Alisa Matheson-Maytwayashing, told the Free Press.

It was Matheson-Maytwayashing’s first day back at work after taking time off to participate in a sun dance ceremony in northern Saskatchewan last week, his mother said.

“Brett didn’t judge anybody, he would give people chances,” she said, her voice breaking. “He didn’t care what colour you were, he didn’t care your nationality — Brett just loved everybody.”

Matheson-Maytwayashing was a member of Lake Manitoba First Nation, an Ojibwa community located about 200 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. He was raised in Portage la Prairie from the time he was a baby, his mother said.

He joined the sheriff’s office in August 2024, as the provincial government was preparing to shutter the Manitoba Development Centre in Portage, where he had worked since 2020.

An internal memo, circulated by the sheriff’s office Wednesday, honoured Matheson-Maytwayashing as “a dedicated officer who brought humour, friendliness and a positive presence to all that he encountered.”

He was also trained as a health-care aid and worked in bylaw enforcement for the Commissionaires. It was not uncommon for him to hold multiple jobs at various times in his life, his mother said.

Derek Matheson, his father, said the pair worked side-by-side to host sun dance ceremonies in Lake Manitoba and elsewhere for the past 10 years. In addition to dancing, he was a trusted carrier for ceremonial water, pipes, sweat lodges and shake tents.

“That’s who he was… he followed all the teachings. He followed that humility,” his father said. “It was so loving to just be around him. He was gifted to change the environment to a more positive one.”

His mother said Matheson-Maytwayashing strove to be a positive role model and encouraged youth to abstain from drugs and alcohol, as he had done his entire life.

He had two children, aged eight and four. His partner, Jennifer Rangel, said she is pregnant with another child — a baby girl — who is expected to arrive in September.

“Brett was an amazing man. He was loving, caring and would always go out of his way to help someone else. He was a loving, caring father and was very excited for our family’s new addition,” Rangel said in a statement.

“We will forever miss him and love him. He will always be with us, watching over us as our guardian.”

Manitoba RCMP is leading an investigation into the fatal crash. Investigators believe Matheson-Maytwayashing was driving a sheriff’s van southbound on Road 40 West in the Rural Municipality of Portage when it collided with the train and rolled, landing in the ditch.

The other passenger suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Matheson-Maytwayashing’s mother said investigators spoke with the passenger and determined her son was not distracted by his phone at the time of the crash.

It is unclear whether the railway crossing was controlled by flashing lights.

RCMP spokesperson Kevin Engstrom said CN Police and Manitoba Workplace Health and Safety are assisting with the investigation. Officials from all three organizations were at the crash scene.

“A traffic reconstructionist from RCMP Traffic Services worked at the scene on Tuesday to help determine how the collision occurred while other officers conducted interviews, protected the scene and — once all evidence was gathered — arranged transport of the van from the scene,” Engstrom said.

CN Rail declined to comment on the investigation, deferring a request to RCMP.

A provincial spokesperson said Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health investigation reports may be obtained through a freedom of information request.

Matheson-Maytwayashing’s older sister, Brianna Bezan, said she wants to know how the crash occurred.

“I don’t have these details and I hope maybe one day soon somebody has those, so we can know exactly what happened,” she said.

Matheson-Maytwayashing was a natural leader, despite being the youngest of three siblings, Bezan said.

She described him as a “social butterfly” who “made many friends everywhere he went.”

He enjoyed learning greetings and phrases in different languages, so he could surprise people of that culture when he encountered them and make them feel welcome, she added.

“Brett had this incredible ability to bring light into every room he walked into. His laugh was contagious, his smile made people feel at ease, and he had a way of making complete strangers feel like friends within minutes,” said Ainsley Campbell, who was friends with Matheson-Maytwayashing for 15 years.

“The hardest part about losing Brett is knowing the world has lost someone who still had so much more kindness, laughter, and wisdom to give.”

Bezan said she admired the pride her brother took in his First Nations identity, and his efforts to instill the same in his children.

Matheson-Maytwayashing’s father said he looked up to Indigenous role models in his community, including Premier Wab Kinew.

The family is related to Kinew’s wife, Dr. Lisa Monkman. Bezan reached out to Monkman Tuesday to inform her of the crash, she said.

Kinew issued a statement on the accident later that day. He did not name Matheson-Maytwayashing — who had not yet been publicly identified — but credited him for his “service and sacrifice” as a sheriff.

Kinew’s comments brought Matheson-Maytwayashing’s mother to tears.

“Wab Kinew, to him, was his hero. When he knew Wab Kinew was giving a speech, he went there just to be with him and see him,” his father added.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca