Premier tells grieving parents site of fatal collision under review

Premier Wab Kinew promised to pursue safety improvements at an Interlake intersection when he spoke to parents of some of the four teens who died in a crash at the site on the Labour Day weekend.

The collision at Highway 8 and Provincial Road 229, just west of Winnipeg Beach, prompted a review by Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure, which is standard after a fatal crash, while some of the victims’ families and community leaders publicly called for changes.

“When you see the loss of these beautiful young lives, any parent, any Manitoban feels a sense of loss. On behalf of the whole province, I send my condolences to these families,” Kinew said in Winnipeg Wednesday.

“I did so directly earlier today, and I heard some of the parents’ suggestions for how we could make this safer for everybody. I committed to them that we’re going to take those actions — both stuff we can do relatively quickly and some longer-term fixes, as well.”

RCMP said a westbound car, occupied by the teens, was crossing Highway 8 at about 9:15 p.m. Sunday when it was struck by a southbound van, which had the right of way. The intersection has stop signs for westbound and eastbound traffic.

Two 18-year-old victims — Maya Borsa, who lived near Sandy Hook, and Chloe Vermette, who lived in Winnipeg — were identified by their families in earlier interviews. Both women recently graduated from high school.

An 18-year-old Gimli man and a 17-year-old boy from Ear Falls, Ont., also died.

The van was occupied by a man, woman and two children from Winnipeg. RCMP said they had minor injuries.

It was the second fatal crash at the intersection this summer.

Borsa’s father, Tom Borsa, said after speaking to Kinew, he’s hopeful Highway 8 and PR 229, and other intersections on the highway will undergo safety improvements.

“We had a pretty long conversation about my daughter. He offered his profound condolences from the premier’s office and the rest of the people in Manitoba, which is very nice,” Borsa said. “He basically said… ‘What can I d0 to make this better?”

Borsa said he suggested the province install flashing lights atop the westbound and eastbound stop signs, and pavement rumble strips on PR 229 to alert drivers as they approach Highway 8.

He also suggested yellow lights 100 yards (300 feet) before the intersection to make drivers aware that they’re approaching the crossing.

Borsa wants the province to consider installing traffic signals at some intersections along two-lane Highway 8.

The province is installing intermittent passing lanes on Highway 8, between Highway 67 and Gimli. Borsa said some drivers will increase their speeds while using the lanes.

He said he told the premier he would rather the highway be twinned because it would be a safer option. Traffic volumes have increased on the highway, which is a gateway to cottage country on Lake Winnipeg’s western shore.

Borsa said he has witnessed several examples of dangerous manoeuvres, including near-miss passes and people driving on the Highway 8 shoulder, in the 13 years he’s lived in the area.

He vowed to do everything he can to avoid using the highway, following Sunday’s crash.

“I’ve been robbed of so much. I don’t get to dance at (my daughter’s) wedding, I don’t get to hold her babies, I don’t get to see her smile every day,” Borsa said. “It’s just so hard to deal with right now.”

Vermette’s mother, Veronique, said she told Kinew the stop signs on PR 229 need flashing lights.

She raised concern about a light standard that she said might obscure the view of the stop sign in the westbound lane.

“Wab Kinew said he’s going to investigate that,” the mother said.

The province started a review of the intersection after an 86-year-old Teulon man died there in a two-vehicle collision July 2. The review hasn’t been completed.

A fatal crash occurred at the intersection in 2021, Manitoba Public Insurance said.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca