Haåkon Edward Povey

It is with immense sadness that we share the unexpected and tragic passing of our beloved son, Haåkon Edward Povey, on January 30, 2025, in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Haåkon was born on Labour Day, September 4, 2006, at Women’s Hospital in Winnipeg and was raised in St. James. From an early age, he was endlessly curious, always eager to understand how things worked. A hands-on learner, he had a deep love for math and science, but his true passion was art. Whether sculpting, drawing, painting, or building, Haåkon found joy in creating.

He also had a love for cooking, and his specialty was making bacon—his siblings always said he made it “just right… a little wiggly.” Every year, he dreamed up elaborate cake designs, which his mom helped bring to life, while he meticulously crafted fondant details. He was always so excited to bring these cakes to school to share with his classmates.

Haåkon had a playful and adventurous spirit. He always had his siblings join him in taking on challenges—especially ones involving spicy peppers. He loved spicy food with jalapeños being his favorite. He loved gummy bears, Pepsi, and his go-to McDonald’s order: two Jr. McChickens.

An athlete in his younger years, Haåkon played both soccer and baseball. One of his proudest moments was winning the district championship in 2016, with his dad coaching him to victory. He also loved video games and could often be found playing Fortnite. As a child, he collected Papo dinosaurs and was obsessed with Spider-Man.

He cherished time with family, especially the weekly card games of Hearts with his mom and dad, always eager to “shoot the moon.” Those moments, which once seemed small, are now priceless memories.

Haåkon had a deep love for nature and animals. He spent hours bug hunting, catching frogs, and exploring Sturgeon Creek with his family, day and night, searching for creatures. This led to his love of turtles. His first turtle, Squirtle, passed away when Haåkon was 10, and his current turtle, Bob (or “Junior”), will continue to be cared for by his parents. He adored his dogs, often dressing Walley in gaming headsets and making Barkley “dance” or play the keyboard with him. Haåkon would often sneak Barkley to bed with him to help him fall asleep.

Haåkon was always thinking of ways to make a quick buck—whether getting Ryden and Shylynn to go with him to shovel driveways, delivering flyers with his dad, playing his keyboard outside of Mac’s or, at one point, attempting to sell baby bunnies he thought were abandoned (for $10 each on Snapchat). He even turned his homemade ninja stars into a business, convincing people, thanks to his Nana, that they’d make great Christmas bows. Which they did.

Haåkon developed a love for fishing thanks to his older brother David. He took every opportunity to cast a line, whether in the early morning with his Papa or celebrating his birthday fishing with his cousins. He also loved camping with his family—exploring off-limits areas with his dad in search of Bigfoot, taking late-night walks hunting for bears, or catching fireflies. Adventure was in his soul.

But beyond his humor, creativity, and love for nature, Haåkon was deeply kindhearted. He never wanted to see anyone go without. He always saw the good in others and wanted others to do the same. He was funny, always telling jokes or showing off his latest card trick. He was unique and never quite fit the mold that society expected.

This, unfortunately, made him a target for bullying. As he grew older, it became harder to make friends, and by middle school, he struggled with feelings of loneliness and worthlessness. At just 13, he became vulnerable to grooming and exploitation—circumstances that led to unimaginable trauma and, in a short time, addiction.

But Haåkon was so much more than his struggles. They were not going to define who he was. He made friends who became family to him and built deep, meaningful connections. He always put others before himself, doing anything to help those in need. He would have given the shirt off his back if it meant someone else wouldn’t go without.

His first girlfriend, Kavina, gave him the nickname “Skittles,” and under that name, he channeled his pain into rap music. He recorded songs and shared them with those closest to him. The lyrics he left behind will be cherished, even as it hurts to know we’ll never hear them performed again and many songs will go unsung.

Haåkon played music almost nonstop, day and night. We lost count of how many times we asked him to turn it down—just a little—or reminded him that he did, in fact, own headphones. He loved sharing the songs that meant the most to him, from Wishing Well by Juice WRLD blasting all day long to Dear Friend by Kid Cole, which he played on repeat as he tried to sleep. Music wasn’t just background noise for Haåkon—it was his therapy, his comfort, and a reflection of his soul.

In recent years, Haåkon attended sacred fires for friends lost to addiction. He found healing in the connection they provided. Last summer, he told us, “If I ever die, I want a fire so my friends can feel that same connection.” We brushed it off, telling him, “You won’t die.” But then he did. And those words echoed loud and clear.

Haåkon’s sacred fire was held on February 3, 2025. We cannot thank Dylan enough for making it possible, along with Deep and all those who tended to the fire. To everyone who attended, thank you for making Haåkon’s final wish come true. He was right—this experience was healing.

Haåkon leaves behind his loving parents, Natasha and Todd; his sister, Shylynn; and his brothers, David and Ryden. He is also deeply missed by his grandparents, Pam and Dave Keith, and Bev and Mel Brandson; his aunties and uncles, Cory, Stephanie and Calvin, Amber and Chris; and his cousins, Tyleen, Tyrell, Alex, Wyatt, and Brody.

He also leaves behind his girlfriend, Shay, whom he loved deeply. You stood by him through his darkest days, bringing him a sense of peace and happiness we had never seen before. Your connection was more than just boyfriend and girlfriend—you were best friends, soulmates in your own way.

We are grateful for the friendships that brought Haåkon joy. Kaizen, Alex, Lilly, Amber, Sirenna (Eva), Barry and Landon—you all meant the world to him. Thank you for being there for him when he needed it most.

A special thank you to Aaron Sodomsky, who stood by Haåkon’s side for years, fighting for his future with us when he couldn’t fight for himself. There are no words to express how grateful we are for the connection you built and the love and care you showed our son. Thank you for continuing to stand by us as we navigate this unimaginable loss.

We also extend our deepest gratitude to those who truly cared for Haåkon and wanted to see him succeed including: Mario (Kavina’s grandpa), Ashley (Shay’s mom), Kris, Tracey, Franco, Peter, Andrew and many more from MYC as well as Tyler, Pam, ‘auntie’ Carley, and Justin from Compass, Todd from Work 2 It, and Kathleen, Kinder, Jennifer, Dr.Daniel Rothman, Dylan, Deep, Jodi Kauffman, and Jane Harrington.

One of Haåkon’s favorite phrases was, “It’s all good.” No matter what challenges he faced, those words became his way of pushing forward. That phrase will stay with us forever.

Haåkon, we will love you forever. We will miss you forever and ever. You are finally free.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation in Haåkon’s name to an AFM program that specifically supports mental health and addiction.