Providing comfort to the families affected by the Humboldt Broncos bus crash

On April 6, 2018, a parent’s worst nightmare occurred when the Humboldt Broncos Hockey Team collided with a tractor trailer as they were on their way to Nipawin, Sask., for a playoff game. The victims included 10 players, two coaches, a statistician, a broadcaster, the bus driver, and an athletic therapist. The remaining 13 passengers suffered serious injuries.
 
The Government of Saskatchewan activated the Canadian Red Cross to provide comfort and support to family members and the community. Volunteers greeted families from out-of-town at the airport as they flew into the city. The families were offered lodging, personal services and meals to families who were not from Saskatoon.
 
“We attended the vigil to provide comfort by providing a listening ear, blankets and teddy bears for children,” said Cindy Fuchs, Vice-President of the Red Cross in Saskatchewan. “We even helped fold chairs and clean up afterward, which was appreciated by the community.”
 
The following week, the Red Cross partnered with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League to provide players, parents and billets access to an online Psychological First Aid training program.  
 
“The program provides people with the knowledge they need to care for themselves and others, and to understand the effects of stress, loss and grief,” explained Fuchs.
 
The Red Cross also provided support to the SJHL family through a support phone line that provided instant access to staff who can talk with them about the issues they are having, and to find links to appropriate professional resources in their community.
 
Your support allowed us to have trained volunteers and resources ready to help support families as they faced this tragedy.
 

Members of the Red Cross team attending the Humboldt Broncos vigil.	Red Cross Ambassador Tom Jackson met with people at the vigil.
Red Cross personnel helped at the vigil by providing a listening ear, blankets and teddy bears for children, folding chairs and cleaning up afterward.	Volunteers greeted families as they arrived at the Saskatoon airport. Families from out-of-town were offered lodging, personal services and meals.

Saskatchewan 2018-2019 Report Back to Communities