Debates of the Senate
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DEBATES OF THE SENATE 1st SESSION • 42nd PARLIAMENT • VOLUME 150 • NUMBER 193 OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, April 17, 2018 The Honourable GEORGE J. FUREY, Speaker This issue contains the latest listing of Senators, Officers of the Senate and the Ministry. CONTENTS (Daily index of proceedings appears at back of this issue). Debates Services: D’Arcy McPherson, National Press Building, Room 906, Tel. 613-995-5756 Publications Centre: Kim Laughren, National Press Building, Room 926, Tel. 613-947-0609 Published by the Senate Available on the Internet: http://www.parl.gc.ca 5185 THE SENATE Tuesday, April 17, 2018 The Senate met at 2 p.m., the Speaker in the chair. All of us, who were once young, who have children and grandchildren, can easily imagine this scene. What we can’t Prayers. possibly imagine is what happened next on the road to Nipawin for the Humboldt Broncos. VICTIMS OF TRAGEDY For the loss and for those who are injured in body and in spirit, we pray for you. For the families and friends of those who lost their lives, we grieve with you. And for the whole community of HUMBOLDT—SILENT TRIBUTE Humboldt, we hold you in our hearts. We cannot imagine the raw pain of each moment of each day for you. The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, we were all deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the tragic bus crash on The late American poet Maya Angelou wrote once: April 6, which has resulted in the loss of life of 16 people related to the Humboldt Broncos, and the injuring of 13 others. I know I have a son, who is my heart. A wonderful young man, that senators have expressed their support for the grieving daring and loving and strong and kind. families and community, and will continue to do so. I would ask you to rise in a minute of silence in memory of the victims of this tragedy. The last week has shown that the sons and daughters of Humboldt are held in hearts across Canada. In these moments of pain, we hope that the love of a nation helps you find fleeting (Honourable senators then stood in silent tribute.) instances of light as you move forward in mourning and healing. Hon. Larry W. Smith (Leader of the Opposition): It is with a heavy heart that I rise today to offer my condolences to the [Translation] families, friends and community members of the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team. SENATORS’ STATEMENTS Together we grieve as a country. Together we mourn the tragic loss of the Humboldt Broncos athletes and support team taken too soon. HUMBOLDT TRAGEDY Such situations are beyond our capacity to understand. We all struggle with the difficult reality that these young athletes — at TRIBUTES the prime of their game — will not get more ice time. The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I know that [Translation] many senators wish to speak about the Humboldt tragedy. I understand that there is therefore agreement to extend the time As soon as Canadians heard about this terrible accident, they for statements to 30 minutes. Is this agreed? came together to offer support and encouragement, as a country, to all those affected by the tragedy. Hon. Senators: Agreed. [English] [English] We have seen entire neighbourhoods with hockey sticks on Hon. Peter Harder (Government Representative in the their front porches. We have seen jerseys worn by so many last Senate): Honourable senators, there is little to compare with the Thursday, and we have seen the generosity of Canadians. energy and exuberance of a group of young people in the prime of their lives. • (1410) Teenagers and young adults can fill a room with the ready To the families and friends who have been faced with the confidence that the world is theirs to claim. Put them together on impossible loss of a dear loved one, may you find peace and a team, on skates, and in an arena, and you have inspiration and comfort in knowing that the country mourns with you, and know excitement. that we will not forget your loved ones. We can imagine the Humboldt Broncos as they boarded the To the survivors who have witnessed the horrors of this bus to go to another tournament — a familiar ritual for this team. accident, may you find strength and support to properly heal Tournament travel was part of their lives. Bus rides meant jokes from this ordeal. Stay strong, and when you are faced with times and YouTube videos being shared, stops at Tim Hortons, and of doubt, know that the people of Canada await your recovery occasional moments of quiet and perhaps sleep. and well-being. 5186 SENATE DEBATES April 17, 2018 To the first responders and medical professionals, thank you But as every Canadian knows, on April 6, tragedy struck one for your bravery. Your courageous actions under circumstances of these everyday scenes. A transport truck collided with the bus unimaginable to most of us do not go unnoticed. carrying the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Humboldt Broncos just north of Tisdale, Saskatchewan. One moment, they To all those impacted, from small towns to big cities, were excitedly on their way to a playoff game in Nipawin; the dedicated hockey lovers and teammates, brothers, sisters and next moment brought a terrible accident in which 16 people parents everywhere, remember that Canada is built on strong ultimately lost their lives, 13 others were seriously injured, and communities. Whether you are in Saskatchewan or elsewhere, their families were forever shattered. know that you are not alone. The entire country shares your pain. In the days that followed, Canadians all struggled with the Sport is what brings us together. It is where champions are loss. But in tragedy, the country has united behind the injured born, but more important, where teammates become family. survivors and the families of those lost in the town of Humboldt. Since that dreadful day, Canadians from coast to coast to coast Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. have come together to show their support for a community and province in mourning, leaving hockey sticks on porches, wearing Hon. Yuen Pau Woo: Colleagues, I remember the moment sports jerseys to work and school, and donating millions of when I first learned the news of the Humboldt bus accident, dollars to help families cope with their unimaginable loss. scrolling through my news feed on my iPad. I saw it first as perhaps a routine traffic accident. But it took only a few seconds to realize that this was no routine traffic accident. Honourable senators, we all share in Humboldt’s grief, just as we did 10 years ago when seven members of the Bathurst High School Phantoms basketball team and their teacher lost their lives The first reports already had casualties — deaths — in the low in a horrific collision on a snow-covered highway in my home teens. As we know, in the days to follow, more passed away. province of New Brunswick. This terrible accident will be marked as a day of great sadness, not just for the people of Saskatchewan and the families affected, but for all of Canada. On behalf of the Independent Liberals in the Senate, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends In the aftermath of this tragic accident, we see some silver and loved ones of the 16 individuals taken by this tragedy. I also linings in the outpouring of sympathy and support from across offer our support and good wishes to the injured and their the country. In my own province, a group of hockey mothers families. I hope that our thoughts and prayers will help organized Jersey Day, an event in which many senators, Senate strengthen them as they begin to rebuild their lives. administration and staff participated. I was most impressed that morning during my short commute to the local store to see Hon. Pamela Wallin: Honourable senators, I stand today with children on their way to school wearing hockey jerseys. love in my heart for the friends and neighbours in Humboldt and Commuters driving to work or taking the bus were wearing in the many small towns across the Prairies that sent their boys to hockey jerseys. The server in my local coffee shop was wearing a realize a dream and reach for greatness. The thing is, in small hockey jersey, and even the cashiers at Canadian Tire were towns, everybody knows somebody who has been touched. My wearing hockey jerseys. nephew played with several of the boys. Every kid rides a bus to school, to hockey, to volleyball and to camp. It is a testament to how deeply this accident has affected the Canadian psyche and how much we feel for the affected families In this chamber today, we mourn alongside the families who and friends. have lost their loved ones, and we pray for those families still sitting vigil at hospital bedsides. In addition, we know that Canadians and folks from around the world have rallied through a GoFundMe campaign that was created by a Humboldt hockey parent. It has already raised Amidst the grief, there were so many poignant moments: the $12 million in donations. broken Slap Shot DVD found near the bus, or the inspirational act of 21-year-old Logan Boulet, who emphatically signed his On behalf of the Independent Senators Group, I would like to organ donor registry card shortly after his birthday. He did not convey our deepest condolences to the affected families and know that weeks later, his extraordinary selfless act would be friends, and to give encouragement to the survivors that we will giving the gift of life to six people.