In a small Atlantic town more than 4,000 kilometres from Humboldt, Sask., a towering aluminum hockey stick has been erected to remember the 16 victims of the deadly Saskatchewan bus crash.
The monument was built by Wayne Smith, a welder and artist who, like many other Canadians, was personally touched by the tragedy.
鈥淎nd I thought to build a structure to express the care and compassion that we have for each other,鈥� Smith told CTV Atlantic.
The statue is six metres tall and has a 1.5-metre blade, making it about five times the size of a typical hockey stick.
The idea came from the #SticksOutForHumboldt campaign, which saw people across Canada leave hockey sticks outside their doors to honour those killed in the crash. The monument is displayed outside the front door of a community centre in Truro, N.S.
Smith donated the statue to the community centre. Rink manager Matt Moore said he hopes there鈥檚 a way the stick can make a journey to Humboldt one day.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to speak for Wayne, but I鈥檇 love to extend the offer to the Humboldt community. If there鈥檚 a way that we can get this stick out to their community, then that might be an option too. But for now, it isn鈥檛 going anywhere and we鈥檙e happy to keep it here at our facility,鈥� Moore said.
Across Canada, tributes and donations have poured in for the Broncos. A GoFundMe fundraiser for the team has raised more than $14.3 million as of Wednesday. Originally, the fundraiser set a goal of $5,000.
That money will go into a non-profit corporation called the Humboldt Broncos Memorial Fund Inc. A committee will decide how best to disperse the money.
Beside the towering stick, an aluminum puck is placed with an engraved message, written by Smith, and the date of the crash: April 6, 2018.
鈥淟ike the saying goes only the good die young. In saying that everything happens for a reason. Because of this loss of young lives it shows how we can all come together and be strong. Because we all need each other for that reason.鈥�
It is when this happens we think of each other 鈥� but we should think like that all year long because life can be gone too quick.鈥�
From all of us to those taken before their time.鈥�
The large memorial has drawn a stream of visitors to the centre, many of whom can identify with the victims.
Hockey player Andrew Barron called the accident 鈥渉ard to believe.鈥�
鈥淚 was on buses my whole life, growing up in junior hockey. So I know a lot about it,鈥� Barron said.
With files from CTV Atlantic
