Plans finalized for fifth anniversary of Humboldt Broncos tragedy

By Ben Tompkins

April 6 will mark the fifth anniversary of the 2017-18 Humboldt Broncos bus crash, and the City of Humboldt announced its plans to commemorate the day.

The crash occurred when a semi driver failed to yield at a stop sign. The team’s bus collided with the semi, leaving 16 people dead.

The city, along with representatives of the players’ families, is preparing a tribute of both videos and online content to honour the team and all those impacted, the city announced on Tuesday.

The Elgar Petersen Arena will be open to the public from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. for those who wish to reflect or pay their respects.

During that time, numerous videos will be played on the jumbotron while some will be uploaded and published on the city’s Facebook page. They will also later be added to the ‘2017-18 Humboldt Broncos Tribute Page’ on the city’s website.

Also, at 4:50 p.m., the approximate time that the crash occurred, the bells at St. Augustine Church will ring a total of 29 times.

The city’s mayor, Michael Behiel, has proclaimed April 6, 2023, as ‘2017-18 Humboldt Broncos Day’ and encouraged all citizens to observe a moment of silence at roughly 4:50 p.m. no matter where they are or what they may be doing.