On this day six years ago, 16 people were killed and 13 were injured in a bus crash 170 kilometres northeast of Humboldt, Sask. Many of them played hockey for the Humboldt Broncos.
Now, a committee has released a draft concept plan for a permanent memorial at the site of the tragedy.
It’s a step that’s been a long time coming, according to Carol Brons, whose daughter, Dayna Brons, was killed in the tragedy. Dayna was the Humboldt Broncos’ trainer and athletic therapist.
The memorial committee began its work in 2019, said Brons. It includes representatives of the families of the 2017-18 Broncos team, Humboldt Broncos board members, the Humboldt Public Art committee and city council.
“We were hoping to create something in Humboldt permanently and at the crash site. Then there was COVID and funding kind of dropped a bit. So we thought it was best to focus on the crash site,” Brons said.
“COVID was a mixed blessing for me, maybe because it just forced me to slow down some stuff.”
Everything that we do in the name of the 2017-18 Broncos families is meant to honour them and to thank everybody in the communities that have helped us.– Carol Brons
But the delays were frustrating and time-consuming for members of the committee, especially since much of the planning and exchanges with government entities, rural municipalities and other stakeholders had to be done virtually.
“It was hard to, you know, keep things moving ahead, but we did,” said Brons.
She’s glad the concept draft plan — which was announced earlier this week — is now available to the public, but says there’s a lot more work to do now.
Phase 1 of the project will be site preparation, which will involve earth-moving, along with the creation of pathways and a sitting area. Phase 2 will be a monument that will stand near the crash site, at the intersection of highways 35 and 335, close to Tisdale.
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More information about the second phase will be released before the end of 2024, the committee said.
Completion dates for the memorial are not known at this time.
Brons said the committee is set on doing everything as safely and respectfully as possible.
“This is kind of a graveyard too,” she said of the crash site. “So you want to make sure that the people that have that feeling are happy with the outcome.”
She said for her, “it is healing to be involved.”
“But it will be good for my healing to also feel like I’ve accomplished something too.”
Committee members are working in partnership with the provincial Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure, the Water Security Agency, the RM of Connaught, CN Rail and SaskPower to “ensure the design is respectful and meaningful while meeting all safety requirements,” according to a Thursday news release from the City of Humboldt.
The committee is “anxious to get moving forward” with the first phase, Kurt Leicht was quoted as saying in the news release.
His son, Jacob Leicht, died in the 2018 tragedy.
“We would like to get started within the next month or so, and we invite individuals and companies interested in contributing to this phase either through financial contribution or services to assist with the earth-moving, concrete and paving work to contact us,” Leicht said in the release.
Brons said that anyone who wants to help is encouraged to reach out to the City of Humboldt.
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Adam Herold’s father, Russ Herold, speaks about his son’s legacy. The family started a foundation after the Humboldt Broncos bus crash on April 6, 2018, and each year, it offers a free three-day hockey and leadership program to children in three rural Saskatchewan communities. Applications for next season are due April 7.
“We are asking for help to complete it as much as possible,” she said. “Everything that we do in the name of the 2017-18 Broncos families is meant to honour them and to thank everybody in the communities that have helped us.”
Brons said she hopes people take some time on the April 6 anniversary of the tragedy to remember those who died and suffered, and also think of the people in their lives that are important to them, as well as those they miss.
