Every week, in the pages of this newspaper and on our website, this column tries to talk about local happenings and put a focus on what’s going on in this community area. At least, that’s the goal I try to reach whenever it’s time to come up with another ‘report’.
Things are a little different this week, but yet they’re also similar because when it comes to the sport of hockey, Saskatchewan by itself is simply one big community in itself.
On Friday, April 6, that community was shattered when the breaking news came in of a horrific highway crash involving a semi trailer and a charter bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos SJHL hockey team. Fifteen people lost their lives, and the whole thing has resulted in a living nightmare for so many impacted families, friends, supporters and entire communities.
In the wake of the crash, social media became flooded with all sorts of photos, tributes and words of condolences being sent to the people of Humboldt and those who were directly affected, including the first responders and medical personnel who had to deal with the unbelievable ‘Code Orange’ situation. It may seem cryptic to say, but a part of me was relieved to see Facebook became all about this situation and a hotbed of emotional words and tributes. On any other day, and odds are it’ll return to this state in a week or so, social media would’ve just been another mixed bag of Trudeau hate, Trump hate, hate for supporters of either man, or posts about how “no one’s gonna take my guns, dang nabbit!”
It came from a source of unbelievable heartache and terrible loss, but to see everyone coming together to offer a few kind words, share some photos, share plans of fundraisers and become an overall positive presence in the wake of this tragedy was a light at the end of the tunnel.
I felt compelled to say something after I noticed that a few local businesses were sharing a few words to show that we’re all collectively standing with those affected by the tragedy.
With that, I shared the following on this newspaper’s Facebook page on Saturday night:
“Hockey is woven into the very fabric of Saskatchewan. It's a sport that brings together family, friends, neighbors, and even complete strangers; all of us coming together in rinks around the province to make some noise and cheer on our home teams and favorite players. The pages of this newspaper cover hockey in all types of age range and skill level because we know that as a collective community, rural Saskatchewan holds hockey on the highest of pedestals.
In many ways, the collective sounds of cheering, buzzers, air horns, and sticks clapping against the ice make up the unofficial soundtrack to life in Saskatchewan.
Sadly, there is only silence right now with the news of the horrific tragedy impacting the Humboldt Broncos hockey team. Our province has been rocked with this terrible news, and an entire community is left to pick up the shattered pieces.
However, if the support shown in the short time since the crash is any indication, the people of Humboldt and all the impacted communities are most definitely NOT alone. This is Canada, and this is Saskatchewan; we help each other when we're at our lowest and when things look their darkest.
The Outlook joins everyone in keeping the families, friends and people of Humboldt and beyond in our thoughts and send our deepest condolences in the wake of this shocking loss of life.”
By Monday, it seemed like as if the province was standing with the people of Humboldt and everyone associated with the Broncos team. People were urged to wear green to show their support, signs in Outlook bore the words ‘Humboldt Strong’, and perhaps the biggest sign of support came with the GoFundMe crowd-funding campaign that had raised more than $5 million in support of the team and those that were impacted.
The odds are more than good that by the time you’re reading this column, that five million will have become more than six, and maybe even reaching seven.
That’s the kind of people that live in this province and in this country; people who are quick to offer their condolences but even quicker to offer anything they can give to support others when things look their darkest. The impact that Saskatchewan residents and citizens across Canada have made show that there’s no such thing as being alone when tragedy strikes, and that it’s possible to find some form of light in all the darkness.
I sincerely hope that the people who are mourning right now will see that light sooner than later.
#HumboldtStrong #CanadaStrong
For this week, that’s been the Ruttle Report.
