Humboldt Broncos Crash: Eight Years Later, a Community Still Building Toward Healing
On Monday, the quiet weight of the humboldt broncos crash returned to Humboldt, Saskatchewan, where the anniversary was marked not only by grief, but by the steady work of remembering. Eight years after April 6, 2018, the community is still living with the loss of 16 people and the injuries suffered by 13 others.
What remains eight years after the Humboldt Broncos Crash?
In Humboldt, the date is still measured in memory. The transport truck that entered the path of the Humboldt Broncos bus on a rural Saskatchewan intersection changed the town and the country in a single moment. The crash did not only affect one team or one community; it spread mourning across Canada, where hockey sticks were left on front porches in tribute and families and survivors received an extraordinary wave of support.
The public response was immediate and massive. A GoFundMe campaign created for the families and survivors raised $15. 1 million, reflecting how deeply the story reached beyond Saskatchewan. For Scott Thomas, whose 18-year-old son, Evan, was killed in the crash, that response still matters. “The country wrapped us up in their arms and certainly gave us a lot of warmth, and they still continue to, ” he said.
How is the memorial project moving forward?
Work continues on a permanent memorial near the crash site, northeast of Humboldt near the intersection of Highway 35 and Highway 335. The Humboldt Broncos Memorial Committee says asphalt work for a parking lot and pathways at the site, near Tisdale, is scheduled for this year. The next phase will focus on building a monument to honour the lives lost.
The City of Humboldt is also working with a second committee on a future recreation centre to honour the team. Mayor Rob Muench said the project is part of how the city carries the memory forward. “Eight years later, we continue to carry the memory of the 2017-18 Humboldt Broncos with us in everything we do, ” he said. “These projects are about more than remembrance; they are about creating spaces where families, residents and visitors can reflect, heal and feel connected. ”
Why does the anniversary still carry such emotional force?
The Humboldt Broncos Crash remains a deeply personal story because the scale of the loss is tied to individual lives, families, and unfinished grief. Thomas, speaking about his son and the strangers who reached out after the tragedy, described forgiveness as the path that helped him move forward. “To hang on to hatred and carry that energy around, it’s too hard, ” he said. “The easiest path forward is through forgiveness, and now we can move forward and honour our son in a meaningful way, as opposed to wasting my energy being angry at a man who caused a terrible accident. ”
That mix of pain and purpose is also visible in the city’s approach to the memorial. The work has been shaped by donations, volunteers, and planning, and the design process continues with families playing a leading role. Muench said much of the foundational work is already complete, while the central monument is still being finalized. The goal is to finish the full memorial by the 10th anniversary in 2028.
For now, the anniversary still arrives with the same hush. At St. Augustine Church in Humboldt, bells are rung in honour of those involved in the bus crash. “It helps us not forget all those that were lost that day, ” Muench said. On a day like this, the sound is both a remembrance and a promise that the community is still building, still grieving, and still trying to give the loss a permanent place in the landscape of memory.
