Tammy Bateman was homeless and was receiving supports at the time of her death on Monday in Fort Rouge Park, her father told the Free Press.
Andrew Desjarlais identified his daughter as the woman who died after being hit by a police cruiser.
Her loved ones are planning a vigil at the River Avenue riverside park in the coming days.
Desjarlais said he last saw his daughter five days prior to the incident at the nearby New Directions office, where they both access services.
Bateman was using one of the public computers when she saw her father walk in.
“I grabbed her. I hugged her and I gave her a kiss and I said, ‘I love you my baby’ and she said, ‘I love you too,’” Desjarlais told the Free Press Tuesday evening.
Near the site of the collision, a square made up of strips of red fabric encased a blue-and-white ribbon skirt on the gravel path. Tobacco and flowers used in Indigenous ceremonies had been placed by the skirt.
Earlier in the day, a ceremony that incorporated traditional Indigenous medicine and drums was held to remember Bateman, while Main Street Project outreach workers remained in the area to offer emotional support to encampment residents.
A cousin of Bateman, who asked not to be identified, described her as a “spitfire.”
“One minute you hated her and the next minute you loved her,” he said.
Desjarlais said his daughter had schizophrenia and problems with addiction. She was trying to secure a home through Manitoba Housing and wanted to finish her high school education.
Desjarlais believes police have little respect for the homeless, which is what likely led to the collision.
“I’d like to see (police) put themselves in our shoes for one day. I guarantee that none of them would survive,” he said.
— Nicole Buffie