Flowers placed around centre ice at Humboldt's Elgar Petersen arena on April 8, 2018, (Chris Vandenbreekel/650 CKOM)

By CKOM News

HUMBOLDT STRONG

Parents still grieving, healing five years after Broncos bus crash

Apr 6, 2023 | 12:38 PM

Thursday marks five years since the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, and for the parents of the young people who lost their lives, the anniversary means five years of grief, pain and now, healing.

On April 6, 2018, the team’s bus collided with a semi-truck while the team was travelling to an SJHL playoff game against the Nipawin Hawks. Sixteen people died as a result of the crash, and 13 others were left with injuries.

In 2019, Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, the driver of the semi, pleaded guilty to multiple charges of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and injury.

Whether it’s reading letters, books or attending counselling, Toby Boulet said everyone in his family grieves the loss of his son Logan in a different way.

“I can have a great three days, and the fourth day is not a very good day,” Boulet said.

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Boulet said his family will visit his son’s grave on Thursday to mark the anniversary.

“We just reflect and visit Logan,” he said, adding his wife always brings Lego to their son’s resting place because Logan always enjoyed it. “She’ll build some Lego with Logan (on Thursday) and I’ll take a couple of pictures of that, and we’ll just hang out with Logan a little bit.”

Scott Thomas said the death of his son, Evan, is still incredibly fresh in his mind, even five years on.

“It’s hard to believe we’re this far removed from it,” Thomas said.

Thomas said his family will visit the crash site early Thursday morning and spend the day surrounded by family.

“We always feel a little bit closer to Evan there,” he said

Thomas said his parents are visiting for the next few days to help the family weather this Easter weekend — a holiday that used to be a Thomas family favourite because it came around just as hockey season wraps up.

He said every day brings a tug-of-war between good memories and reminders of his son, and the fact Evan is no longer with them.

“(We’ll be) playing Kaiser just like we used to, and Evan used to love playing cards, especially with Grandpa,” Thomas remembered.

Thomas said a memorial hockey game will take place Saturday in Saskatoon, including 20 to 30 of Evan’s friends. That evening, Thomas said Sutherland Hall will be filled with friends and family for a “good, old-fashioned parent hockey party,” to remember the times when their kids were young and playing hockey together before their lives were rocked by tragedy.

“He never wanted to be the centre of attention, ever,” Thomas recalled about his son. “You try to celebrate the time you had with them, and you’re so grateful for the presence that we had in our lives for those 18 years.”

Thomas said he thinks his son is looking down on his family with a smile, proud of where they are and what they’re still trying to do to support his legacy.

Occasionally, Thomas said, it feels as though time has stood still.

“You see the Broncos in the playoffs now, and they’re (at) exactly the same stage they were five years ago against the Hawks,” he explained.

It seems like both yesterday and so long ago for Carol Brons.
She lost her daughter Dayna, the team’s athletic therapist, after she was injured in the crash and died five days later.
“It’s hard to believe it’s five years,” Brons said.

“A lot of people say that the first year is hard. For myself, I’d have to say the second year was just as hard.”

Brons said the COVID-19 pandemic gave her time to think and reflect on the loss.

“It’s another marker milestone,” she said.

Brons was involved in the Humboldt Bronco Memorial Committee and helped plan the memorial for the fifth anniversary, which includes a gathering at Elgar Petersen Arena in Humboldt with video tributes to be played both there and online.

“We’ve always wanted to be able to say ‘thank you’ to the people that were there, and have been there to support the families, and the city and the Broncos for the last five years especially,” she said, adding she hopes those directly affected by the crash will take some time and space to heal.

— With files from paNOW, 980 CJME’s Shane Clausing, 650 CKOM’s Libby Giesbrecht and 650 CKOM’s Mia Holowaychuk.