On April 6, 2018, sixteen people were killed and thirteen were injured when a northbound
coach bus
A coach (or coach bus/motorcoach) is a type of bus built for longer-distance service, in contrast to transit buses that are typically used within a single metropolitan region. Often used for touring, intercity, and international bus service ...
struck a westbound
semi-trailer truck
A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semitruck, (or semi, eighteen-wheeler, big rig, tractor-trailer or, by synecdoche, a semitrailer) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-traile ...
near Armley, Saskatchewan, Canada. The driver of the semi-truck had failed to yield at a flashing stop sign at the intersection of Highways 35 and 335. The semi-trailer was travelling at a speed of approximately 100 km/h (60 mph). Most of the deceased and injured were players from the Humboldt Broncos, a junior ice hockey team from Humboldt, Saskatchewan, which plays in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL).
On July 6, 2018, the
RCMP
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal and national police service of Canada. As poli ...
charged 29-year-old Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, the driver of the semi-truck, with sixteen counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and 13 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily injury. In early 2019, Sidhu pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 8 years in prison. Sidhu, an immigrant from India, plans to appeal deportation from Canada if he is granted parole.
The crash made news around the world, and prompted condolences from public figures and celebrities, vigils, and tributes, such as people leaving hockey sticks outside their doors. A
GoFundMe
GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the be ...
crowdfunding campaign set a national record by raising more than $15,000,000.
Background
Saskatchewan Highways35 and 335 meet at a right-angle intersection near the village of Armley in the Rural Municipality of Connaught, Saskatchewan. The intersection is commonly known as "Armley Corner". Traffic on Highway 35, running north–south, has the right of way at the intersection and a speed limit of . Traffic on Highway 335, both westbound and eastbound, has a speed limit of 100 km/h (60 mph) dropping to 60 km/h (35 mph) at the intersection, which has stop signs with flashing red lights. The signal lights were installed after a fatal traffic collision at the same intersection in 1997, in which six members of a family from
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
were killed. Six memorial crosses in the intersection's southeast corner commemorate those deaths. The coroner's report on the 1997 accident suggested "additional warning device approaching Highway 35 from the west, which could include
rumble strip
Rumble strips (also known as sleeper lines or alert strips) are a road safety feature to alert inattentive drivers of potential danger, by causing a tactile vibration and audible rumbling transmitted through the wheels into the vehicle interior. ...
s", but this was not implemented since the last crash occurred in 1988.
From 2011 to 2015, Saskatchewan had 13.2 traffic deaths per 100,000 people, the highest rate of any province or territory in Canada and over double the national average.
Crash
According to the RCMP collision report, the coach bus carrying the team and the semi-trailer truck collided at the intersection of Highways 35 and 335 near Armley at about 5:00 p.m. CST. Jaskirat Singh Sidhu was travelling westbound on Highway 335 in a transport truck carrying two trailers loaded with peat moss, between 86 and 96 km/h. A bus carrying 29 members of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team was travelling northbound on Highway 35 around 96–107 km/h. At the intersection of Highways 35 and 335, near Armley, Highway 335 traffic faces a stop sign, which is "oversized" at 1.2 metres across, attached to a post with a blinking red light immediately above it, and placed 19 metres ahead of the intersection. Sidhu failed to heed the stop sign, while the Broncos' bus was to be given the right-of-way. Sidhu's truck was completely blocking the intersection when the Broncos' bus slammed into the lead trailer.
It was a clear, sunny day and nothing obscured Sidhu's view of the stop sign, according to the agreed statement of facts. The sun was not in his eyes, the road was not affected by any inclement weather, and the intersection was clearly visible before the collision. Sidhu also passed signs indicating that an intersection with a stop sign was ahead.
Sidhu was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time, and was not distracted by a cellphone. Sidhu claimed he was distracted by a tarp that had come loose. Glen Doerksen, the Broncos' bus driver, applied his brakes 24 metres before the intersection, but was unable to avoid the collision. The bus struck the truck's front trailer in a T-bone collision. The bus sustained massive damage, particularly at the front. The driver and 13 passengers were killed immediately. Two others died of their injuries in hospital.
One of the survivors described how the bus broadsided the semi-trailer truck, which was consistent with the photographic account of the incident. A father of one of the victims stated that they "pulled up and saw the front of the bus was gone", and that the normal seating plan on the bus would have been rookies in the front, veterans in the back. Survivor Kaleb Dahlgren recounted later that the bus had the 18-year-olds up front, 19-year-olds in the middle, and the 20-year-olds in the back. The force of the impact caused both vehicles to come to rest off the highway in the northwest corner, lying on their sides. According to the RCMP, the bus carried 29 people, including the driver. Fourteen died initially and 15 suffered injuries (three of them critically). Two of the critically injured later died in the hospital.
As part of the emergency response to the accident,
Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society
The Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS, formerly Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society) is a Canadian non-profit helicopter air ambulance organization funded by individual donors, service groups, corporate donors and government contributions. ST ...
(STARS) dispatched three
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
s to assist with transporting victims. Several of the injured were taken to the
Royal University Hospital
Royal University Hospital, often abbreviated RUH, is one of four hospitals in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It is located on the University of Saskatchewan campus. RUH is a teaching hospital and closely tied to the College of Medicine within the uni ...
in
Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as th ...
, about southwest of the accident. The truck driver was not injured in the crash. Photos show the semi-trailer's load of
peat moss
''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, peat moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store wa ...
was strewn over the ground. Police detained and later released the truck driver. The RCMP stated that the driver was being provided with mental health and wellness assistance. The owner of the trucking company later confirmed that the truck driver was receiving psychological support since his release.
The team chaplain Sean Brandow arrived at the scene of the accident shortly after the collision and attempted to offer prayers and aid. Officers directed families of the team towards the Nipawin Apostolic Church, where family and friends gathered to wait. One father recounted: "You're at the church and most of the families are there. All the veterans' parents start getting phone calls, we got your boy, come to the hospital. You get a little deeper and at the end of the night it's mostly the rookies parents there ... And then of course the police had the conversation with us."
First responders
Two ambulance services, Tisdale Ambulance Care from Tisdale, SK, and North East EMS from Nipawin, SK, responded initially. Ambulances from Melfort, SK, and Carrot River, SK, were also brought in to assist. Medavie Health Services West also assisted with transporting patients from the nearby hospitals. Three helicopters and four air ambulance planes were loaned from various cities and companies to help transport the most critically wounded to the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, almost away. Due to the number of injuries, the hospital declared a Code Orange, indicating mass casualties were en route. The
Saskatchewan Health Authority
The Saskatchewan Health Authority is the single health region of the province of Saskatchewan. It is a health authority providing direct and contracted health services including primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary care, home and communit ...
, which oversees hospitals and ambulance services in the province, has encouraged employees affected to access counselling available, as many of the first responders had ties to the accident. Jessica Brost, the paramedic manager of Nipawin's North East EMS, stated that the crash was "just too close to home, especially in Saskatchewan, where everyone is either a
billet
A billet is a living-quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. Historically, a billet was a private dwelling that was required to accept the soldier.
Soldiers are generally billeted in barracks or garrisons when not on combat duty, alth ...
, obsessed with hockey, or the parent of a teenage hockey player".
Doug Lapchuk, president of the Saskatchewan Volunteer Firefighters Association, said his organization has sent peer counsellors to help members of the Nipawin and Tisdale fire departments who were involved in removing victims from the crash. A Tisdale crane operator was called to the scene of the crash to use his crane to hoist the roof of the bus to allow first responders to reach victims underneath it. He stated concern about the "poor first responders, them guys – they were the ones getting the people out of there, they were the ones making the decisions".
An estimated 80 first responders were on scene of the crash, with resources from Tisdale, Nipawin, Zenon Park, Carrot River, Melfort, and other locations dispatched to provide aid. An eyewitness who was waiting to turn at the intersection stated that her 911 call, placed moments after the incident, was responded to 15 minutes later by police.
Victims
The RCMP stated that they would not be releasing the names of the dead until the families were notified, but the family of Broncos's head coach and general manager, Darcy Haugan, confirmed on Twitter that Darcy was one of the 16 killed. Team captain Logan Schatz was also confirmed dead by his father. The bus driver, Glen Doerksen, and two radio-station employees, announcer Tyler Bieber and statistician Brody Hinz, died in the collision. Doerksen was a former board member for the Carrot River Outback Thunder hockey team, serving from 2006 to 2011 and a driver for Charlie's Charters, a Saskatchewan bus company. Four days after the crash, athletic therapist Dayna Brons, the only woman on the bus, died from head injuries sustained in the collision.
On April 8, it was discovered that one of the dead, Parker Tobin, had been misidentified by the coroner as Xavier Labelle, who survived the crash. This prompted an apology from the coroner.
Memorials and funerals
* The funeral for Tyler Bieber was held on April 12 in Humboldt.
* Three funerals were held on April 13; Jacob Leicht in Humboldt; Adam Herold in Montmartre, Saskatchewan; and bus driver Glen Doerksen in Carrot River.
* Funerals for Darcy Haugan and Brody Hinz were held on April 14 in Humboldt.
* A
celebration of life
''Celebration of Life'' is a one-hour English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, ...
for Logan Boulet was held on April 14 in Lethbridge,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
.
* A celebration of life for Logan Schatz was held on April 15 in Allan, Saskatchewan.
* The funeral for Evan Thomas was held April 16 at
SaskTel Centre
SaskTel Centre (formerly Credit Union Centre, and originally Saskatchewan Place; informally also known as ''Sask Place'') is an arena located in the Agriplace Industrial Park, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. With 15,195 permanent stadium seats ...
in Saskatoon.
* A public memorial was held on April 17 at
Rogers Place
Rogers Place is a multi-use indoor arena in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Construction started in March 2014, and the building officially opened on September 8, 2016. The arena has a seating capacity of 18,500 as a hockey venue and 20,734 as a conce ...
in
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
for Jaxon Joseph, Logan Hunter, Parker Tobin, and Stephen Wack.
* A private service was held for Parker Tobin in
Stony Plain, Alberta
Stony Plain is a town in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region of Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by Parkland County. It is west of Edmonton adjacent to the City of Spruce Grove and sits on Treaty 6 land.
Stony Plain is known for its many painted ...
, on April 16.
* The funerals for Conner Lukan and Dayna Brons took place on April 18, in
Slave Lake
Slave Lake is a town in northern Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by the Municipal District of Lesser Slave River No. 124. It is approximately northwest of Edmonton. It is located on the southeast shore of Lesser Slave Lake at the junction o ...
, Alberta and Humboldt, respectively.
* The funeral for Mark Cross was scheduled for April 21, in
Strasbourg, Saskatchewan
Strasbourg () is a small town in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, located about 75 km away from the provincial capital, Regina.
The school, William Derby School, which holds kindergarten to Grade 12 has 260 students.
History
The ea ...
.
Investigation
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) planned a news conference about the investigation into the crash. According to a statement released April 18, 2018, Assistant Commissioner Curtis Zablocki, the Commanding Officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP, would not announce any charges related to the crash. The RCMP planned to only answer general questions from the media about the collision. During the press conference, Zablocki stated that the truck driver was immediately taken into custody and released after the accident, and that the driver has been in constant contact with the RCMP. Under investigation are the engine computers for both vehicles, the drivers' logs, and the drivers' experience. It was also stated during the press conference that the truck driver was in the intersection at the time of collision, but Assistant Commissioner Zablocki said he could not comment on its speed when the crash took place.
The RCMP returned to the scene of the crash on April 19, 2018, to do additional analysis and testing with reconstructionists and officers. A police news release stated the investigators would be using vehicles similar to those involved in the collision to allow the reconstructionists to take further measurements and analyze sight lines. Previously, members of the RCMP had conducted more than 50 interviews with independent witnesses, the driver of the semi-trailer truck, the trucking company's owner, victims, and other individuals. Over 5,500 photos had been taken to document the scene and analyzed, along with imaging from 3D technology and drone usage.
Kelsey Fiddler, present at the intersection at the time of the crash, was identified as a key eyewitness. She stated in an interview she had to swing her vehicle away seconds before the crash to avoid being sandwiched by the two vehicles. Reportedly, she was waiting at the eastbound stop sign on Highway 335 to make the turn onto Highway 35 and saw the bus approaching in the northbound lane of Highway 35 at what seemed to her as "regular highway speed". Fiddler is also identified as one of the first callers to 911 in response to the crash.
Legal proceedings
Criminal
On July 6, 2018, the RCMP held a news conference to announce an arrest and charges in relation to the collision. The driver of the truck, 29-year-old Jaskirat Singh Sidhu of Calgary, was charged with 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death, and 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm. Sidhu had only one year of experience driving trucks and had only two weeks of training on the vehicle he was driving at the time of the crash. He had only been driving the vehicle on his own for two weeks when the crash occurred. He was released on $1,000 bail with a number of conditions: he was required to reside at his Calgary home, follow a curfew, be under a driving ban, and surrender his passport.
In October 2018, Sukhmander Singh, the owner of the involved trucking company Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd., was charged with violating federal and provincial safety regulations. These included two counts of failure to require a daily log, two counts of keeping multiple daily logs for a single day, three counts of failure to monitor the driver's compliance with the relevant regulation, and one count of failure to have or follow a written safety program. A court date was set for November 9. In March 2019, Singh plead guilty to five counts, with the logs and safety program charges having been dropped, and was fined $5000.
On January 8, 2019, Sidhu pleaded guilty to all counts and underwent sentencing hearings in late January, hearing from 90 victim impact statements. A forensic report found that he did not apply the brakes upon approaching the intersection and that his view was unobstructed, with plenty of advance warnings. On the final day of hearings, January 31, Sidhu expressed remorse and apologized. The Crown requested a 10-year prison sentence, with each count to be served concurrently, followed by a 10-year driving ban. Judge Inez Cardinal delivered her sentencing decision on March 22, 2019: concurrent sentences of 8 years. The court's decision as to whether Sidhu will be able to stay in Canada after his sentence is served or be deported back to India has continued since the initial legal proceedings and will likely be completed sometime in 2022.
Civil
Russell and Raelene Herold, the parents of Adam Herold, filed a lawsuit on behalf of their late son. It names the truck driver, the trucking company, and the bus manufacturer, and asks for unspecified damages and court orders, including one that would require all buses carrying sports teams in Saskatchewan to have seat belts and other safety devices.
Ryan Straschnitzki, a survivor of the bus crash, filed a $13.5 million lawsuit, seeking damages against the truck and bus drivers, the trucking company, the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and several others.
Aftermath
Numerous dignitaries and politicians in Canada expressed their condolences after the accident, including
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
,
Queen of Canada
The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional Canadian federalism, federal structure and Westminster system, Westminster-style Parliamentar ...
, and her husband,
Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...
,
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
Scott Moe
Scott Moe (born July 31, 1973) is a Canadian politician serving as the 15th and current premier of Saskatchewan since February 2, 2018. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the riding of Rosthern-Shellbrook, first elect ...
, and
Alberta Premier
The premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta, and the province's head of government. The current premier is Danielle Smith, leader of the United Conservative Party, who was sworn in on October 11, 2022.
The ...
Rachel Notley
Rachel Anne Notley (born April 17, 1964) is a Canadian politician who served as the 17th premier of Alberta from 2015 to 2019, and has been the leader of the Opposition since 2019. She sits as the member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for ...
. US President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
phoned Trudeau and subsequently tweeted to offer his condolences to the victims and their families. Celebrities and other public figures such as
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom ''Ellen'' from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for " The Puppy Episode". Sh ...
,
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
and
Whoopi Goldberg
Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...
voiced their sympathy and condolences to those who were affected.
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
also sent a message of condolences, which was read out by the Bishop of Saskatoon at a Sunday service two days after the accident.
The Swift Current Broncos of the
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...
expressed their condolences to the Humboldt Broncos organization, players, and families. A group of survivors from the Swift Current Broncos bus crash in 1986, led by Sheldon Kennedy, headed to Humboldt to offer their support to the community and hockey team.
The SJHL indefinitely suspended its playoffs immediately following the crash. The league's board of governors, which is composed of representatives from each member club, unanimously decided on April 11 to allow the two remaining teams in the play-offs (the Nipawin Hawks and Estevan Bruins) to play for the league championship. The Manitoba Junior Hockey League, the SJHL's counterpart in the neighbouring province of
Manitoba
, image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg
, map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada
, Label_map = yes
, coordinates =
, capital = Winn ...
, delayed its championship series by four days out of respect for the SJHL and the Broncos. The playoff champions of the two leagues later played for the ANAVET Cup regional junior championship as planned.
Humboldt schools reopened, though classes were not expected to be in session, on April 10, 2018, with crisis workers present. It was also released that the truck was from a Calgary-based company, Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd, which had been operating for only one year. Adesh Deol's safety certificate was automatically suspended due to the severity of the incident while the company was investigated by the Alberta Transportation ministry. A letter posted on Reddit and linked on Facebook, offering support and sympathy to the unidentified driver of the semi-trailer, has been widely shared.
One of the survivors, Ryan Straschnitzki, paralyzed from the waist down as a result of the accident, has told his parents he wants to continue playing
sledge hockey
Sledge hockey, also known as Sled hockey in American English, and Para ice hockey in international competition, is an adaptation of ice hockey for players who have a physical disability. The sport was invented in the early 1960s at a rehabilitat ...
Saskatchewan Government Insurance
Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) is a Canadian insurance company and a Crown corporation wholly owned by the Government of Saskatchewan. SGI's operations consist of the Saskatchewan Auto Fund, the compulsory public auto insurance program f ...
announced on April 13, 2018, plans to improve training standards for truck drivers by 2019; at that time, no training was required to be done by certified schools.
Blood donations increased by as much as 25% in some cities in Western Canada after the crash. After the news of Logan Boulet's organ donation, 3,071 Albertans registered as organ donors in a single weekend, compared to the province's weekly average of 425. It was announced later by The Kidney Foundation of Canada that in the weeks following the crash, almost 150,000 Canadians registered as organ and tissue donation due to Boulet.
Vigils and tributes
League tributes
The
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
Canadian Junior Hockey League
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of Canadian junior A ice hockey leagues and teams and was formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior H ...
, and many of their respective teams and players offered tributes to the Broncos team, as did the
Saskatchewan Rush
The Saskatchewan Rush are a professional box lacrosse team based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Formerly the Edmonton Rush, they are members of the Western Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and play their home games on Co-op Fie ...
of the
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a men's professional box lacrosse league in North America. The league is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The NLL currently has fifteen teams: ten in the United States and five in Canada. The N ...
and the
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in ...
Canadian football
Canadian football () is a sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's scoring area ( ...
team. On April 7, in their final game of the 2017–18 regular season, players on the
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...
and
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
teams had the "Broncos" name in place of their regular name bars on the back of their jerseys in their game and stood united in a circle at centre ice during the national anthems. On that same night, the
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
played "
O Canada
"O Canada" (french: Ô Canada, italic=no) is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony; Calixa Lavallée composed the mus ...
" before their last home game and regular-season game against the
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...
, despite neither team being Canadian-based. Several teams added special decals to their helmets to honour the Broncos.
On April 7, a moment of silence was observed before the NCAA college hockey championship in Minnesota.
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Sid the Kid" and dubbed " The Next One", he was selected first o ...
, captain of the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
, had a special Penguins jersey with the words "BRONCOS 18", made and signed by the whole Penguins team, sent to the Broncos. The April 7 broadcast of Coach's Corner on ''
Hockey Night in Canada
CBC Television has aired National Hockey League (NHL) broadcasts under the ''Hockey Night in Canada'' (often abbreviated ''Hockey Night'' or ''HNiC'') brand that is primarily associated with its Saturday night NHL broadcasts throughout its hi ...
'' focused on the incident, with
Don Cherry
Donald Stewart Cherry (born February 5, 1934) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, coach, and television commentator. Cherry played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, and later coached the team for five se ...
describing it as a "national nightmare". The episode was devoted to discussing the 29 coaches, players, trainers, and media associated with the team that were on the bus, and also commented about the December 1986 Swift Current Broncos bus crash.
After eliminating the Minnesota Wild on April 20, 2018, during the first round of the
2018 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL). The playoffs began on April 11, 2018, after the 2017–18 regular season and concluded on June 7, 2018, with the Washington Capitals winning their fir ...
, the Jets displayed survivor Matthieu Gomercic, a forward for the Humboldt Broncos, on the jumbotron of Bell MTS Place, drawing a raucous
standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim. In Ancient Rome returning military commanders (such as Marcus Licinius Crassus a ...
from the crowd. As the first round of the playoffs progressed, the Stanley Cup was also brought to the hospital where the injured players were to improve their spirits. Two months later, after the
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...
Chandler Stephenson
Chandler Stephenson (born April 22, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Washington Capitals organization, who had drafted him in 2012 ...
, who knew some of the people on the Broncos team, stated his intent to spend his day with the Stanley Cup in Humboldt, which he did in late August.
On June 20, 2018, 10 survivors of the crash were honoured at the 2018 NHL Awards in Las Vegas. Their late head coach Darcy Haugan won the inaugural Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award which is given to a person who has positively impacted their community, culture, or society through the game of hockey. Two days later at the
2018 NHL Entry Draft
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft was the 56th NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held on June 22–23, 2018, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft was the second of two professional sports drafts to be held in the Dalla ...
A vigil for the victims was held on April 8 at Elgar Petersen Arena, the home of the Broncos. Prime Minister Trudeau and Saskatchewan Premier Moe attended, but did not speak. Outside the arena, the cars of those who died in the accident remained parked with white roses placed on their windshields.
On April 12, 2018, people across Canada were encouraged to wear sports jerseys to remember the victims in a movement known as ''#JerseysForHumboldt''. Many Canadians and others around the world wore jerseys, and Toronto Mayor
John Tory
John Howard Tory (born May 28, 1954) is a Canadian politician who has served as the 65th and current mayor of Toronto since 2014.
After a career as a lawyer, political strategist and businessman, Tory ran as a mayoral candidate in the 200 ...
proclaimed April 12 to be Jersey Day in honour of those killed in the accident. On April 14, during Game 1 of the
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...
and
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
of the
2018 NBA Playoffs
The 2018 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2017–18 season. The playoffs began on April 14, 2018 and ended on June 8 at the conclusion of the 2018 NBA Finals.
Overview
* The Houston Rockets e ...
, Canadian rapper
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
wore a Humboldt Broncos jersey, which he had the Raptors team sign after the game. Canadian professional golfer Brooke Henderson dedicated her win at the LPGA's Lotte Championship to the Broncos. A week after the crash, one of the teams taking part in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) championship made a stop to the scene of the crash to pay their respects, with players and coaches stating they felt stopping at the site was an important step in the grieving process.
Homegrown
Shortly after the accident, people began leaving their hockey sticks out on their front porches as tributes to the victims. The tribute, known by the social media hashtag ''#PutYourSticksOut'', was started after
TSN Radio
TSN Radio is a semi-national sports radio brand and part-time network in Canada carried on AM radio stations owned by Bell Media.Brian Munz Brian Munz is a Canadian broadcaster formerly employed by Bell Media, working on TSN 1290 and TSN, primarily on Winnipeg Jets broadcasts and Hockey Canada events. He is currently the director of communications for Golf Manitoba.
Hockey announcing ...
received a text message from a friend urging people to leave their hockey sticks out, stating "the boys might need them ... wherever they are". The grandparents of one of the deceased initially set out to collect and display fifteen sticks but by April 12 had received 50 sticks and other memorabilia. Kingston musician Jason "Smitty" Smith posted a song about the crash on Facebook; the video shares a similar idea from the campaign and is entitled "Leave a Stick Out By the Door", which had generated over 1.3 million views by April 12, 2018. He began working on recording the song professionally and will donate the proceeds to families of the victims.
The crash location has been turned into a memorial, with Canadians from all across the country leaving flowers, candles, stuffed bears, stickers, coffee cups, wreaths, and hockey sticks. On April 14, 2018, Nipawin resident Rocky Salisbury placed 16 crosses at the crash site to memorialize the dead.
Four days after the Humboldt Broncos crash, musician
Tom Cochrane
Thomas William Cochrane ( ; born May 14, 1953) is a Canadian musician best known as the frontman for the rock band Red Rider and for his work as a solo singer-songwriter. Cochrane has won eight Juno Awards. He is a member of the Canadian Music H ...
appeared on Canadian sports network TSN to perform an acoustic version of his song "
Big League
''Big League'' was the official magazine of the National Rugby League. Its predecessor, ''The Rugby League News'', was first published in 1920; in 1974 it was rebranded as ''Big League''. In 2020, due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in ...
" before hockey coverage began. He updated the lyrics to imply the players were "riding to immortality" and placed an emphasis on the unpredictability of life. Eight days later, he released a studio recording of the reworked version as a charity single, with sales proceeds directed to the Humboldt Strong Community Foundation."Tom Cochrane releases his reworked version of 'Big League'"
CTV News
CTV News is the news division of the CTV Television Network in Canada. The name ''CTV News'' is also applied as the title of local and regional newscasts on the network's owned-and-operated stations (O&Os), which are closely tied to the national ...
, April 19, 2018.
At least two
tattoo
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing ...
tributes were carried out by those connected to the crash. Two siblings and two friends of survivor Morgan Gobeil had his heartbeat, measured at the hospital, tattooed onto their arms at Rites of Passage Tattoo, who also said fans were making bookings for tribute tattoos, such as of jerseys and team numbers. Mark Antonichuk, a passer-by from
Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw is the fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Lying on the Moose Jaw River in the south-central part of the province, it is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javian ...
who was one of the first on the scene, had the team's logo tattooed onto his back under the words "With You on the Scene" and above the words "With You Forever".
On April 27, 2018, a Country Thunder Humboldt Broncos tribute concert was planned. It was held in Saskatoon, and some NHL players attended. Clint Jackson, an artist associated with the Olds Mavericks, created an artwork to commemorate the victims; the piece is a set of wings encasing two hockey sticks, with the faces of the dead airbrushed in the interior. At least one survivor, Graysen Cameron, a previous Olds player, has signed the piece, and it was delivered to Humboldt by the artist.
Crowdfunding and aid
GoFundMe
A crowdfunding effort was launched by Humboldt resident Sylvie Kellington within hours of the collision to support victims and their families, and raised more than $1 million within 24 hours, and $4 million by the next day. On April 18, it reached $15,185,502, making it Canada's largest
GoFundMe
GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the be ...
campaign and the second largest in the history of the site. Public discussion on the use of funds raised coincided with the Humboldt Broncos using the services of a Western Canada law firm, MLT Aikins, for assistance. Consideration of possible future NHL salaries to home renovations for disabled access were part of public discussion. The GoFundMe campaign closed on April 18, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. MST, and the Bronco's President Kevin Garinger met with the media to announce a plan for managing the donations.
Under the newly formed Humboldt Broncos Memorial Fund Inc., the funds will be disbursed through a committee that will work with the team and establish how the funds will be disbursed. After the campaign ends, the GoFundMe page will stay live to allow the team to continue to update the public on the progress of allocating the funds. At least one family of a survivor has commented on how the money should be split between the victims. The father of Ryan Straschnitzki has suggested that it be divided evenly to all 29 victims.
On May 17, the committee announced that it would begin the process of distributing the funds raised through the GoFundMe campaign. Under Saskatchewan law, money raised through a public appeal must follow regulations that include appointing a supervising judge, submitting a proposed court order for fund allocation, and recommending a timeline for the distribution. In November 2018, the committee recommended that funds were distributed almost equally among survivors and the families of the deceased. The final recommendation was for families of the deceased to receive $50,000 more than the survivors. Including $50,000 preliminary disbursements, the families of the deceased received a total of $525,000, while each survivor received $475,000. While some statements supporting an even distribution of funds were made, the committee decided against that, due to "a huge difference in emotional circumstances between most of the families who lost a loved one and most of the families who did not."
Other fundraisers
Fundraisers and donations outside of the GoFundMe will go to the Humboldt Strong Community Foundation, created with legal counsel from Robertson Stromberg LLP. The Foundation's mission will be to support the Broncos' players, employees, families, and volunteers, as well as first responders, emergency personnel, teams, athletes, organizations, and community affected by the crash and the aftermath.
The Canalta Hotel offered free rooms to family members travelling to Saskatchewan after the crash and provided food and support. Restaurants handed out free food, and servers from other restaurants in the chain of
Boston Pizza
Boston Pizza (BP), known as Boston's The Gourmet Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar outside of Canada, is a Canadian multinational restaurant chain that owns and franchises locations in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
History
Boston Pizza ...
came to cover the shifts of workers in Humboldt who had been friends with team members. Other groups such as STARS Air Ambulance and Ronald McDonald House, were credited by family members of those injured for providing support after the accident and during family members' recovery.
Wounded Warriors Canada have offered support for the
first responders
A first responder is a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance or incident resolution at the scene of an emergency, such as an accident, disaster, medical emergency, structure fire, crime, or terr ...
involved with the crash. An online fundraising campaign started by Wounded Warriors Canada and TEMA Conter Memorial Trust raised over $110,000 for Humboldt's first responders.
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons Inc., commonly nicknamed Tim's, or Timmie's is a Canadian multinational coffeehouse and restaurant chain. Based in Toronto, Tim Hortons serves coffee, doughnuts, and other fast-food items. It is Canada's largest quick-service res ...
, a Canadian fast-food company, raised $800,000 selling yellow and green sprinkle doughnuts, the proceeds of which were donated to the Humboldt Broncos.
Toledo Walleye players and coaches raised $6,040 through a jersey auction during their April 13, 2018, game and then raised the donation total to $10,000 through the teams Walleye Wishing Well charity fund. Family members and friends of those injured and killed have also created their own fundraisers, such as a four-on-four hockey tournament, memorial funds for scholarship use, and medical funds.
The
Atlanta Gladiators
The Atlanta Gladiators are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Duluth, Georgia. The Gladiators play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games at Gas South Arena, approximately northeast o ...
organization raised $4,200 through an auction of a stick signed by the team and the
Greenville Swamp Rabbits
The Greenville Swamp Rabbits are a professional ice hockey team located in Greenville, South Carolina. They play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference and play their home games at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in downtown Gr ...
, a game-worn Davis Vandane jersey, and a matching donation from the Gladiators for Kids foundation.
Scams
A fake GoFundMe that mimicked the initial one that benefited the entire team was discovered and reported by a Vancouver woman, who grew suspicious when she noticed the account had only $1,300 donated, while the original had over $8 million at the time. Families of those who died due to the accident discovered a website with error-filled obituaries of 11 of the 16 victims; the public could then purchase an online memorial candle or flowers, although the money would not be donated. In addition, a fake Twitter account and GoFundMe account were set up under the name of one of the more vocal injured players, Ryan Straschnitzki.
Depiction in media
A book about the team and the crash, ''Humble Beginnings of the Humboldt Broncos and the 2017–2018 Team'', by Barry Heath was released in October 2018. Heath assembled his book from previously published materials and media interviews. The families of the players and personnel on the bus were contacted and declined to participate, and Heath proceeded without their input. After the book's release, several family members, including Logan Boulet's father, Toby, and Darcy Haugen's wife, Christina, made statements asking people not to purchase the book.
Two television documentary films on the team's return to the ice, CBC Television's '' Humboldt: The New Season'' and TSN's ''2 Roads to Humboldt'', received
Canadian Screen Award
The Canadian Screen Awards (french: link=no, Les prix Écrans canadiens) are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media ( web series ...
nominations at the
8th Canadian Screen Awards
The 8th annual Canadian Screen Awards were originally scheduled to be held on March 29, 2020, to honour achievements in Canadian film, television, and digital media production in 2019.W5'' aired a segment called "The Humboldt Driver" in October 2021 which detailed the crash, included an interview with Sidhu, and examined the Canadian trucking industry.
Legacy
It was reported in July 2018 that the province of
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
would consult the public and industry stakeholders about reforms to the province's trucking industry. Proposed changes would include mandatory training for commercial truckers and an end to the practice of allowing companies to operate on Alberta roads for 60 days before they meet safety standards.
Intersection improvements
The Saskatchewan government hired a private consulting firm to do a safety assessment of the intersection where the crash occurred, after the RCMP and Ministry of Highways finished their crash investigation. The consultants note that the existing "alignment of trees, power poles and the horizon could lead to 'tunnel vision' for drivers"; in particular a group of trees on private property, which "obstructs the view of drivers approaching from the south and east – the same directions the bus and semi-trailer were coming from when they collided". Human fatigue was also considered, since "motorists travelling Highway 335 could assume it's an uncontrolled intersection and 'overlook' the stop sign...since it's the only major intersection for more than 20 kilometres in either direction". The government said it would implement the full list of recommendations, include Highway 335 rumble strips, and widened shoulders.
Team
In May 2018, the Humboldt Broncos took steps to be ready for the start of the next hockey season by looking to replace positions that had been lost through the accident, as well as an invitation-only camp in Saskatoon. On July 3, 2018, the team introduced
Nathan Oystrick
Nathan Oystrick (born December 17, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Oystrick has previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Atlanta Thrashers, Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues. He was originall ...
as their new head coach.
The club played their first home game of the 2018–19 season on September 12 against Nipawin, which was televised nationally by TSN, and simulcast by CTV's Saskatchewan stations, as well as NHL Network in the United States. Most of the surviving players were in attendance and following the game, the numbers of all players on the bus were formally retired by the team. For players who are still active or planned to return to the Broncos (Brayden Camrud, Derek Patter, and Tyler Smith), they will retain their number while active, and they will be retired after the conclusion of their careers with the team. Despite scoring the first goal of the game, the Broncos lost the season opener by the score of 2–1.
In March 2019, Logan Schatz's hometown of Allan, Saskatchewan, renamed its local arena to the Logan Schatz Memorial Arena.
In October 2019, the Adams Park Ice Centre in Lethbridge Alberta was renamed to Logan Boulet Arena.
See also
*
2008 Bathurst Boys in Red accident
The Boys in Red accident occurred on January 12, 2008, just outside the city of Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada. A semi-trailer truck and a van carrying the basketball team from Bathurst High School collided, which killed seven students, the wife ...
, previously the worst bus accident involving a sports team in Canada
* Baylor Bears bus crash (1927), previously the worst sports team bus collision in North America
*
List of accidents involving sports teams
This is a list of accidents where all or part of a major sports team had been killed or seriously injured.
Sports teams fatalities from aviation accidents and incidents
''(Click on date for associated article)''
1. Frölunda chartered three p ...
*
List of disasters in Canada by death toll
This list of Canadian disasters by death toll includes major disasters (excluding acts of war) that occurred on Canadian soil or involved Canadian citizens, in a definable incident, where the loss of life was 10 or more.
200 or more deaths
10 ...
*
List of traffic collisions (2000–present)
This list of traffic collisions records serious road crashes: those that have a large death toll, occurred in unusual circumstances, or have some other historical significance, which are notable and have their own Wikipedia article. For crashe ...