Looking through photos on her phone brings a range of emotion for Paradise Lee, as well as reminders of her grandparents, Brenda Lee and Dan Keats.
“Very warm, caring people,” Paradise told Global News.
Paradise says her grandmother, Brenda, was caring but also tough at the same time. She has fond memories of baking, gardening, and making crafts with her.
“Their doors (were) always open to anybody. Anybody was family. You needed a helping hand, they were always there,” she said.
Dan Keats and Brenda Lee lost their lives in a motorcycle accident in St. Andrews on June 13.
Submitted
On Paradise’s phone is also a video of a tribute to her grandparents at a Winnipeg Goldeyes game. The couple, both 65 years old, died in a motorcycle accident on Breezy Point Road in the RM of St. Andrews on June 13.
“It’s a tough one…. they both were just big impacts on our lives,” Paradise said.
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Mandy Keats, Dan’s daughter, says both Dan and Brenda loved deeply and were passionate about family, charity, and their motorcycle community.
“They were just people you (idolized). The people you went to for answers, they never said no,” Mandy said through tears, noting how difficult the loss has been for their family.
“I don’t think it’s something you truly ever get over, losing someone like your dad or your parents. You just learn to carry their memories and the love that they left,” she said.
“You try to remember the good things, but it’s a pain that never goes away. It’s a pain that you’ll always carry.”
Mandy says she hopes sharing their story will help honour their memory, and also potentially prevent more tragedies on the highway.
“He loved with his whole heart and if you were a part of their life, you knew it,” she said.
“They would do anything for the people they loved and if anybody could take away anything from this tragedy is slow down on the roads, and take a minute and know that you’re sharing the road with fathers and husbands and grandparents.”
“Love everybody twice and tell them you love them,” Mandy added. “Because if there’s anything I could do to get one last day with him, I would.”
Tragedies on Manitoba highways
Motorcycle fatalities are up in Manitoba this year, with seven Manitobans losing their lives so far in 2026. In all of 2025, six people died in motorcycle crashes, according to data from Manitoba Public Insurance.
Sgt. Mark Hume of Manitoba RCMP’s northwest division traffic services says bikers need to practice defensive driving, and motorists need to pay extra attention to their surroundings. He also says an approaching motorcycle can change a driver’s perception of distance.
“We need two points of focus to judge distances. So when you see two headlights coming at you, you’re able to judge how far in the distance those headlights are, but when you see one headlight coming at you, there’s nothing to help judge distance so it looks much further than it is,” Sgt. Hume said.
“And sometimes people pull out to (pass) and they don’t realize it’s not a car way in the distance that looks like (it has) one light, it’s a motorcycle that’s up close with only one light.”
Dave Remington has been riding bikes for 50 years and teaching motorcycle courses with Safety Services Manitoba for 26 years. He says tragedies have a ripple effect through Manitoba’s tight-knit motorcycle community.
“It’s always shocking how fast you find out about (accidents), and that shows you how tight-knit the motorcycle groups are,” Remington said.
He also says he’s noticed an increase in aggressive driving behaviour on roads in recent years, and adds that motorcyclists need to be on high alert.
“When you’re driving a car, you get a second chance. With a motorcycle, you often don’t,” he said.
“Even the best rider can get caught off guard.”
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