Broncos to dismantle centre ice memorial
The dimly lit rink at Elgar Petersen Arena has been a place for quiet reflection in the weeks since the bus carrying members of the Humboldt Broncos organization collided with a semi-trailer, killing 16 people and injuring 13.
By the end of this week, the ice surface and the on-ice memorial will be removed.
Humboldt Broncos club president Kevin Garinger said there are plans to do something to permanently memorialize the people who died and those who were injured in the April 6 highway crash.
He said the outpouring of support from all over the world has been “incredible” and the memorial itself is a testament to that.
“It’s certainly gone a long way to help us with being able to begin the healing process and obviously, we’re aware this has impacted people across the province and nation and anyone who has ever ridden on a bus has been impacted,” Garinger said on Wednesday.
“We know that there’s a need to heal, not just in Humboldt, but in so many ways, everywhere. So, that memorial has been really important for that. It’s been something that people have been able to share their respects and to provide gifts of flowers and written statements about their grief and their loss.”
Members of the community have had access to the ice surface, where bouquets of flowers line a carpeted walkway leading to the centre of the memorial. Handwritten messages of condolence on bristol boards are affixed to the glass surrounding the ice surface.
The City of Humboldt released a statement on Wednesday confirming that work to remove the ice — and along with it, the memorial — will begin on Friday morning. Anyone wishing to pay their respects at the on-ice memorial will still be able to do so until 9 p.m. tonight.
The city said no events are planned in conjunction with the removal of the ice surface.
Garinger said the announcement on Wednesday affords people the time to pay their last respects at the site.
City manager Joe Day said the city kept the ice in place longer than it typically would, “out of respect for the funerals that were being held there.”
The contents of the memorial will be moved into storage while the ice is removed. The city is in discussion with the Broncos about displaying or archiving them.
“We’ll have a need to have a more permanent memorial dedicated to the lives of all 29 of our Broncos and our Bronco family who were involved in this accident,” Garinger said.
Right now, the organization doesn’t have the final plan or design for a more permanent memorial. Garinger said the board is listening to many people who have expressed ideas.