Memorial bench unveiled on Winnipeg trail for fatal crash victim Jordyn Reimer

A memorial bench in honour of a 24-year-old woman who died after a Winnipeg car crash was unveiled by her family on Saturday.

Jordyn Reimer died following a two-vehicle collision involving an alleged impaired driver in Transcona during the early morning hours of May 1, 2022.

The memorial bench, which is inscribed with a picture of Jordyn, is placed along the Transcona Trail at the corner of Hoka Street and McMeans Avenue.

"We're missing a big part of us without her," Nikki Reimer, Jordyn's sister, told CBC News.

"There's not a day that goes by that we don't miss Jordyn, and we're just going to be reliving and revisiting the 24 years that we had with her for the rest of our lives."

She said the location of the bench means a lot to her family, since it's close to their homes and Jordyn spent a lot of time on the trail.

Jordyn Reimer's parents, sisters unveil memorial bench in her honour

1 year ago

Duration 2:05

Dozens of family and friends of Jordyn Reimer gathered in Transcona Sunday to unveil a bench in the 24 year old's honour. Reimer was killed last May after being hit by an alleged drunk driver .

Jordyn is remembered as a daughter, sister, friend and hockey player who graduated from Transcona Collegiate before going onto study at MacEwan University in Edmonton.

Winnipeg police charged Tyler Scott Goodman, who was 28 at the time of the collision, with dangerous driving causing death, impaired driving and failing to stop at the scene. His mother Laurie Lynn Goodman has been charged with obstruction of justice and two counts of accessory after the fact.

Their trial was supposed to begin in late April, but was adjourned until May 15. Details and submissions made by lawyers could not be reported due to a court-ordered publication ban.

Dozens of people wearing t-shirts featuring Jordyn's name and photo were at Saturday's unveiling. Her sister Alex said the community's presence at the event helps her family through their grieving journey.

"We fight every day," Alex Reimer told CBC News.

"It touches our hearts a little bit to see the community support in this way, with our friends, family and people that we may have not even known previous to this."

Their father, Doug Reimer, agreed. "It's a real testament that Jordyn touched a lot of people, whether it was family, friends, relatives, teammates. She was a wonderful girl."

Jordyn's mother, Karen Reimer, said she wants people whowalk the path near the benchto talk to her daughter and think of her grieving sisters.

"We want everybody to remember Jordyn for the beautiful, kind, loving person that she is," she told CBC News.

Jordyn's family wants to lobby for changes in legislation following the Goodman's trial, she said.

"There's lots of changes we want to [make] so that moving forward, other families don't have to suffer the same grief and heartache, and have their lives shattered like ours."