On January 25, 28-year-old Kellie Verwey was laid to rest.
If this is not a name you recognize, it is important to familiarize yourself.
Kellie Verwey was a loving, thoughtful, caring, brilliant pillar of the City of Portage and surrounding communities, including Warren and Stonewall.
She was a mover and a shaker. If there was a task to be done, a committee that needed members, or a group that needed a volunteer, Kellie was the first to step up.
She was a loyal friend, loving fiancé, cherished family member, a businesswoman, a beloved hockey coach and teammate and a dedicated community member to all communities she was associated with.
She had a long list of personal and professional achievements, including graduating from the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba with a commerce degree.
At the time of her passing, Kellie was the tourism coordinator for Portage la Prairie, where she was a driving force behind initiatives that showcased the city.
With her fiancé Travis Lundy, she operated Roasts and Toasts Mobile Beverage Service, a mobile cocktail and coffee bar that catered special events and weddings. In 2024, the couple earned an award from the Portage Chamber of Commerce for Outstanding New Entrepreneur.
Kellie’s untimely death is an unfathomable loss, an utterly senseless death by a criminal who should have been behind bars rather than behind the wheel of a stolen truck while impaired with warrants out for his arrest.
Kellie paid the ultimate price for a failed justice system.
A justice system that chose to protect James Lorne Hilton, 24, over Kellie. He was responsible for the crash that killed her. Hilton should never have been on the highway when Kellie was travelling to her grandmother’s house to plan her grandfather’s funeral.
It is reported that in July 2024, when Hilton pleaded guilty to drug possession in Selkirk, the court heard he had three grams of meth, cannabis and opioid pills in his possession when RCMP picked him up.
His lawyer told provincial court Judge Tony Cellitti he was not a daily drug user but had been struggling with substance use. He wasn’t working and was in the process of moving out of his ex’s place, with whom he shares a daughter who was three at the time.
Hilton was given a six-month conditional discharge and unsupervised probation.
That same day, he was charged with break-and-enter. He was arrested in September for alleged trespassing, possessing tools for break-and-entry, and failing to comply with his curfew. Hilton has repeatedly violated bail conditions.
He was charged with violating his release conditions on Dec. 14, 17, 31 and Jan. 1.
RCMP reported that Hilton fled from the scene of the accident on Jan. 15 where Kellie died. He was already a wanted man with a warrant for his arrest Jan. 9.
Following the accident he caused, where Kellie Verwey died, Hilton was charged with Dangerous Driving Causing Death, Driving While Impaired, Failure to Stop after a Fatal Collision, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime and Resisting Arrest. He has also been charged with Possessing a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking.
Our justice system chose to protect Hilton over Kellie Verwey, a woman who was making our world a better place.
The failure of the justice system cost an innocent woman her life and has robbed her fiancé, family and friends of her bright future. It has also impacted innocent people who were on the accident scene.
As I write this letter, I try to understand why people in power allow this kind of tragedy to happen repeatedly. I often wonder if the system would improve quicker if it happened to a family member of a politician, judge, lawyer, or others in power to make decisions regarding the justice system.
To state that this tragedy is infuriating is an understatement.
I beg you to prioritize making changes to protect law-abiding citizens over criminals and repeat offenders.
Kellie Verwey is a name that should never be forgotten. Kellie Verwey is a name that the recipients of this letter need to hear over and over until changes are made.
Kellie leaves behind an inspiring legacy for her community.
– Jo-Anne Procter, Stonewall
