Mother of 4 whose remains were found at Winnipeg landfill remembered for 'laugh that filled any room'

The family of a woman whose body was found in a Winnipeg landfill this week are remembering 33-year-old Linda Mary Beardy as a devoted mother and auntie with a "contagious laugh that filled any room she was in."

"We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our dear Linda. It is difficult to comprehend that this happened to our loved one and to our family," a statement released by Beardy's family on Thursday said.

"Linda was our baby girl, a mommy, our sister, auntie, niece, cousin and friend. She will always be truly deeply loved beyond measure."

Staff at the city's Brady Road Resource Management Facility discovered Beardy's remains there on Monday afternoon, Winnipeg police said earlier this week.

During a Thursday afternoon news conference, police Chief Danny Smyth said investigators determined she climbed into a garbage bin near a store on Pembina Highway before it was emptied into a truck that then went to the landfill earlier that day.

An autopsy done Tuesday confirmed she had injuries consistent with what would happen to someone stuck inside a garbage bin as it was handled by a truck, Smyth said.

While there's still no cause of death from the medical examiner, he said none of Beardy's injuries suggested foul play and police are "satisfied that this is not a homicide."

Beardy's family said the mother of four was a member of Lake St. Martin First Nation and grew up in Winnipeg, where she went to Pinkham and General Wolfe schools and attended the St. Norbert Adult Education Centre.

Flood evacuee

Lake St. Martin First Nation Chief Christopher Traverse says Beardy was among roughly 2,000 residents of his community who were displaced by flooding in 2011.

Water was diverted from the Assiniboine River into Lake Manitoba to reduce the risk of flooding in Winnipeg, but that resulted in hundreds of homes around the lake being damaged or destroyed completely.

Lake St. Martin First Nation was entirely relocated and rebuilt after the flood. Many evacuees returned home years later, but in 2020, Lake St. Martin took the federal government to court, alleging the government cut off benefits for people who were still displaced without providing secure housing. Their motion to extend the benefits was denied by a judge.

"Had our people had the chance to return home to our traditional lands, Linda Beardy might still be here today," Traverse said at a news conference on Thursday.

"However, she's returning home in a casket."

Beardy's death has been hard for the First Nation, he said.

"It's just ongoing traumatization for my community. I feel for them."

A woman of faith

Beardy had a strong Christian faith and grew up going to Bethel Tabernacle, and was also an active member of Living Bible Explorers, her family said. At the time of her death, she also actively attended the Believers Church in Winnipeg.

"We remember Linda as a super devoted auntie, who always stepped in to play and had such a contagious laugh that filled any room she was in," the family statement said.

"Linda was the youngest of five sisters who fiercely supported one another whether through caring for children or lending a shoulder of support.

"She was in constant contact with family, and she was often active on social media. Linda loved being a mommy to her four children and they were her pride and joy."

The family also thanked the community for its support and invited the public to a march from Winnipeg's Portage and Main intersection to city hall at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Police Chief Smyth said on Thursday investigators are still open to pursuing other information that might come in from the public about Beardy's activity that could "shed some light on her last day."