Three years ago, the Humboldt Broncos team bus collided with a semi-trailer. The accident killed 16 players and staff, injuring 13 others on board. (The Canadian Press)

By Mat Barrett

TRAGIC ANNIVERSARY

Tribute centre, roadside memorial site announced to honour Humboldt Broncos bus crash victims

Apr 6, 2021 | 10:11 AM

We’re starting to get a better idea of what some permanent memorials will look like to honour the 2017-2018 Humboldt Broncos.

On April 6, 2018, the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) team’s bus was involved in a crash with a semi-trailer at the intersection of Highway 35 and 335, killing 16 people and injuring 13 others, as they were on their way to a playoff game in Nipawin.

A day before the third anniversary of the crash, the Humboldt Broncos Memorials Committee and the City of Humboldt announced two memorials to honour the team.

“Although people from around the world will associate Humboldt with the tragedy,” deputy Mayor Rob Muench, who was mayor at the time of the accident, said. “There might be only one opportunity to create a lasting tribute.”

At a press conference, it was announced that a Humboldt Broncos Tribute Centre would be constructed, as well as a roadside memorial at the site of the crash.

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The press conference focused mainly on the tribute centre, what it would include and what it will mean. The vision for the centre would be based around Darcy Haugan’s Core Covenant. Haugan was the Broncos head coach and also died in the tragedy.

Kurt Leicht, father of Jacob Leicht, a player on the team who passed away in the crash, is a member of the Broncos Tribute Campaign group.

“This all-inclusive facility will help and inspire all of those who come to it to become the strongest, best version of themselves,” he said.

The preliminary vision for the facility would include a gallery to honour the Broncos players and staff, and those who played a major part in the recovery in the months and years that have followed.

The facility could also include another ice surface for the City of Humboldt, some fitness components, and possibly some physiotherapy and recovery aspects as well. The hope is that it would be connected to the current Uniplex facility.

While the vision is still very preliminary, it’s also going to cost money. City manager Joe Day said work is underway by the campaign group to start looking for donors for the project, but the cost would likely be tens of millions of dollars.

“Probably the target of what the construction costs would be for that is somewhere in that $25 million dollar range,” he said. “However, it’s so very preliminary yet, that we still have room to downsize if need be, or possible grow it a little bit if that support is there.”

A press release stated that “a Humboldt Broncos Tribute Centre Capital Campaign will engage philanthropic, corporate, government and construction partners who are inspired to contribute and bring this extraordinary project from concept to reality.”

Muench added this facility will help with the recovery for the community and those who visit it.

“Anything positive and good that comes out of this, I think this centre is going to be that,” Muench said. “It’s going to be something that we can all get behind to influence and provide that positive aspect moving forward.”

As for the roadside memorial, it is also in the very preliminary stages but will be “a quiet place to reflect on the lives of the sixteen angels that have been lost, the thirteen players whose lives have been forever changed, and the heroic efforts of so many who answered the call to help in the chaotic days that followed,” according to a press release.

According to Day, it’ll be at least two years before a final concept is completed for the tribute centre. The roadside memorial will likely go ahead sooner than that.

Day said there are still some “obstacles” to overcome with some power lines and access roads at the crash site before the memorial could be put up.

People can visit broncostributecampaign.com for updates on the campaign for the memorials.

This story was first published by paNOW on April 5, 2021.

mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6