An emotional vigil in a packed arena last night in Humboldt, Saskatchewan.
Fifteen members of the Humboldt Broncos hockey teams were killed in an accident involving their bus and a transport truck. Those killed include players, the head and assistant coach, a play by play announcer and team statistician.
Team Chaplain Sean Brandow was one of many powerful speakers at last night’s vigil. Through tears he told thousands about one of the many questions that he is often asked, “Why did this happen. I would love to stand up here as a spiritual leader and say that I have all of the answers, but I don’t know why.”
Eight survivors remain in hospital, many in critical condition.
Brandow says it will take time to heal, “A scar is something that is healed, but it is still there. This isn’t going to go away, but it’s not going to be as raw. Can we heal? Yes. Will the scar still be there? Yes.”
A go fund me page was started shortly after word of the accident and within 72 hours it has raised four million dollars.
Humboldt Broncos President Kevin Garinger says everyone has come together to offer support, “Across our region, our province, our country and our globe, we will find strngeth in one another. We will be forever Humboldt Broncos strong.”
Coverage of the vigil on CPAC TV and online at https://t.co/bu6IHV9MWK . pic.twitter.com/lkhuOKMWpC
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) April 9, 2018
Tributes continue to pour in on social media, and have been held at rinks around the world.
Her Majesty The Queen has sent this message to the families of the victims of the recent bus crash in Canada. Read the full message here > https://t.co/V7J1K1ftG1
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 8, 2018
Tonight, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended a vigil in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, to pay his respects and mourn the loss of the players and officials of the Humboldt Broncos. To the entire Humboldt community: the country and the hockey community stand with you.
— CanadianPM (@CanadianPM) April 9, 2018
Our province and our country are in mourning.
Our flags have been lowered.
Our hearts are with everyone affected.
To share and read messages of support for those affected by the Humboldt Broncos tragedy, you can visit our online book of condolence https://t.co/KBvbroP7x4 https://t.co/gxWMf4wfMa— Rachel Notley (@RachelNotley) April 9, 2018
To all the families and friends of the Humboldt bus crash victims, my sincere condolences. RIP #HumboldtBroncos
— Bryan Adams (@bryanadams) April 8, 2018
My heart breaks this morning for the entire Humboldt Broncos community. I am sending so much love to everyone affected.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) April 7, 2018
RCMP have released details of what they know so far about the accident.
“So far our investigation has determined the tractor trailer unit was travelling westbound on Highway #335 and the bus was travelling northbound on Highway #35. There were 29 people on the bus at the time of the collision. We continue to investigate this collision and have deployed the appropriate resources and specialized investigators, including a collision reconstructionist team. Our investigators will be looking into all aspects of this collision to determine exactly what took place. This is a very involved investigation and due to the large amount of evidence, information and the number of victims this work will take some time. It is too early to comment on the cause of the collision and we will continue to provide updates as the investigation progresses.”
(photos from CPAC)
