It’s almost a year now since the bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team collided with a semi-trailer truck near Armley, Saskatchewan.
Sixteen people died, 13 other were injured.
The last of the injured players still in hospital, Morgan Gobeil, returned home earlier this month, though he can still not walk or speak.
Logan Schatz, seen here during a Humboldt Broncos’ game, was remembered as a natural leader on and off the ice, at Saturday’s ceremony. (Humboldt Broncos Memorial Fund website)
The truck driver, Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, admitted in court he ran a stop sign causing the crash and pleaded guilty to 29 counts of dangerous driving in January. He is due in court for sentencing this coming Friday.
Meanwhile, people across Canada continue grapple with the emotional after-effects of the crash, the nightmare of every Canadian parent.
And In an attempt to lessen the chances of something similar ever happening again, Saskatchewan on Friday began implementing a law it passed last December, requiring that every commercial truck driver undergo mandatory training.
(Earlier this month, Alberta announced new minimum-hours requirements for truck drivers. Ontario has had similar legislation since 2017.)
The Schatz family all wore their Humboldt Broncos’ jerseys to a Saturday afternoon ceremony, that saw Allan, Sask. name its rink the Logan Schatz Memorial Arena. Logan Schatz’s parents Bonnie (front, right) and Kelly (centre, back) Schatz said their son would be honoured by the gesture. (Trevor Bothorel/CBC News)
One of the players who died in the crash was Broncos captain, Logan Schatz.
On Saturday, about 100 of his family and friends, gathered at the local hockey arena in the town of Allan, where Logan skated as a tyke.
“When he was little, I was caretaker of the rink,” said Kelly Schatz, Logan’s father.
“I had keys even if it wasn’t open, I’d be able to get him in here and he’d skate.
“He’s spend hours out there. You had to drag him off the ice.”
As of Saturday, the Allan Community Centre will be known as the Logan Schatz Memorial Arena.
With files from CBC, CTV, CP, Global
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