Immigrant killed in crash near MacGregor was a beloved father, husband
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on brandonsun.com
- Read the Brandon Sun E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
*Your next Free Press subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/11/2016 (3648 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
An immigrant from El Salvador killed in a head-on collision on the Trans-Canada Highway Friday was a beloved father and husband who recently moved into a new home with his family.
In 2012, Hassin Ventura moved to Canada to find a better life for his family, who only joined him in Canada last year.
On Friday night, Ventura, 29, was driving home to MacGregor from his work in Portage la Prairie when he was struck by a pickup truck travelling the wrong way.
Six months ago, he started working as a forklift operator at Simplot Canada and quickly made friends.
“He was a honest man. He was very full of love for his family and a very kind guy,” said co-worker and friend Orlando Alas. “When you talked to him, it was like talking to a brother.”
Ventura was recruited to Brandon by Maple Leaf Foods, where he worked on the production floor for almost four years.
He found a good life in Canada, made complete last year when his family joined him.
“He was so happy, especially when he got his wife and kids,” Alas said.
Another friend and colleague, Cesar Rodriguez, said Ventura often took his kids to the park and regularly posted videos on Facebook of him playing with his children.
“The only thing I can say is he was an amazing guy, an amazing father and an amazing husband,” Rodriguez said.
His other love was music. His Simplot colleagues, many of them immigrants without relatives in Canada, would gather some nights in Portage to sing and play guitar.
They all mourned his passing.
“Every time we talked to people (after his death), the first thing they start to do is cry,” Alas said. “Who wants that to happen to a person who was so kind and gentle?”
Ventura died when his westbound minivan was struck by an eastbound pickup truck. RCMP responded to the collision — a kilometre east of MacGregor — at 8:10 p.m.
Prior to the collision police received a report of a speeding pickup truck heading the wrong way. Police tried to intercept the truck.
On Monday, Audrey Comte, Simplot Canada’s unit director in Portage, said Ventura always had a smile on his face.
“His whole crew here is devastated by it,” she said. “Even though he’s been here a short time, it was a big loss and that speaks to how well he fit in here with the crew.”
Ventura leaves behind his wife, Maria, and two young children, Alisson, 7, and Jefferson, 4.
The driver of the pickup truck, a 63-year-old man who also resided in MacGregor, has been identified as John Penner. He died at the scene.
A family member declined to comment.
There were no occupants in either vehicle.
» ifroese@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @ianfroese