TRAGEDY ON THE PRAIRIES: THE HUMBOLDT CREDITS BRONCOS BUS CRASH News in Review is produced by CBC NEWS and curio.ca Video duration – 16:09 GUIDE Writer/Editor: Sean Dolan In April 2018, 16 people died and 13 others were Additional editing: Michaël Elbaz injured in a bus crash at a rural intersection in VIDEO Saskatchewan. The bus was carrying the Humboldt Host: Michael Serapio Broncos junior hockey team when it collided with a Senior Producer: Jordanna Lake Packaging Producer: Marie-Hélène Savard semi-trailer. Most of the dead and injured were Associate Producer: Francine Laprotte teenagers. The crash prompted an outpouring of sympathy from people across the country, including Supervising Manager: Laraine Bone hockey leagues, celebrities and the prime minister. Visit www.curio.ca/newsinreview for an archive of all previous News In We look back on the tragic events of that day and Review seasons. As a companion resource, go to www.cbc.ca/news what has happened since. for additional articles. CBC authorizes reproduction of material contained in this guide for educational purposes. Please identify source. News In Review is distributed by: curio.ca | CBC Media Solutions © 2018 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation VIDEO REVIEW curio.ca/newsinreview / 3 BEFORE VIEWING 1. How often do you travel on a school bus, city bus or coach? Why do you travel on a bus? What tends to be your destination? Do you enjoy the experience? 2. Keep you experience of bus travel in mind as you view the video. How does the story arouse feelings of empathy or understanding within you? WHILE VIEWING 1. What does Art Lalonde think might have helped to prevent the deadly collision at the intersection in Saskatchewan? a) Traffic lights b) Lower speed limit c) Bigger stop sign d) Rumble strips 2. A GoFundMe campaign was launched and raised more than $15 million for the families of the victims. TRUE or FALSE? Tragedy on the Prairies: The Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash curio.ca/newsinreview / 4 3. Why will Kelsey Fiddler play an important role in the bus tragedy investigation? a) Because she witnessed the crash b) Because she was the first on the scene to help c) Because she was travelling behind the bus d) Because she was travelling behind the truck 4. Days after the crash, the coroner came to the realization that he had misidentified one of the victims and had to tell one family that their son was actually alive and another family that their son had passed away. TRUE or FALSE? 5. It took the RCMP more than a year to file charges against the driver of the truck involved in the collision. TRUE or FALSE? Tragedy on the Prairies: The Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash curio.ca/newsinreview / 5 TALK NEW PROMPTS curio.ca/newsinreview / 6 TALK PROMPT #1 Consider pausing the video and giving students the opportunity to talk to an elbow partner for a few minutes or use these questions as part of a class discussion. Pause the video after Olivia Stefanovich signs off from the first story, @ 00:00 – 02:17 1. How affected were you by the devastation of the crash? 2. Are there any dangerous intersections in your community? 3. What can be done to improve traffic safety in your community? Tragedy on the Prairies: The Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash curio.ca/newsinreview / 7 TALK PROMPT #2 Pause the video after Susan Ormiston signs off from the second story, @ 02:18 – 05:35 1. How did the people of Humboldt respond to the crash? 2. How were they feeling? 3. What did they want to see happen after the crash? Tragedy on the Prairies: The Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash curio.ca/newsinreview / 8 TALK PROMPT #3 Pause the video after Olivia Stefanovich signs off from the third story, @ 05:36 to 08:23 1. Why is Kelsey Fiddler an unsung hero of the Humboldt tragedy? 2. What did she do that showed compassion and caring in the aftermath of the crash? TALK PROMPT #4 Pause the video after Susan Ormiston signs off from the fourth story , @ 08:24 to 10:56 1. How did the people of Humboldt express their grief in the aftermath of the crash? 2. What stories struck you as the most impactful? Tragedy on the Prairies: The Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash curio.ca/newsinreview / 9 TALK PROMPT #5 Pause the video after Olivia Stefanovich signs off from the fifth story, @ 10:57 to 13:19 1. How did the people of Allan, Saskatchewan, and Stony Plain, Alberta, remember Logan Schatz and Parker Tobin? 2. What impact do you think the two players had on their communities? Tragedy on the Prairies: The Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash curio.ca/newsinreview / 10 TALK PROMPT #6 Play the video through to the end and consider the following questions as a class, @ 13:20 to end 1. Why was it important to the victims’ families that charges be laid in connection with the crash? 2. Why do some people feel sorry for the semi-truck driver? Scott Thomas, father of crash victim Evan Thomas Tragedy on the Prairies: The Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash curio.ca/newsinreview / 11 AFTER VIEWING In early July 2018, semi-truck driver Jaskirat 3. Truck drivers are involved in about 20 per Singh Sidhu was charged with 16 counts of cent of collisions on Canada’s roads every dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing year. Many industry observers say that death and 13 counts of dangerous operation of drivers are often undertrained, overworked a motor vehicle causing bodily injury in relation and, generally, in poor health after to the Humboldt crash. spending hours on the road. What do you think needs to be done to ensure that 1. Why do you think it was important for the Canadian truck drivers are better prepared survivors of the tragedy to see that charges to operate safely on the nation’s roadways? were laid? 2. The accident happened in April and charges weren’t laid until July. Why do you think it took authorities so long to charge Jaskirat Singh Sidhu? Tragedy on the Prairies: The Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash curio.ca/newsinreview / 12 Whether it was the unimaginable devastation of the crash, the youth of the victims, the comradery of members of a team or just plain compassion, the nation shared Humboldt’s grief. THE STORY The Humboldt Broncos were truck driver was psyching themselves up for able to walk away. their next playoff game against Photos from the the Nipawin Hawks in the crash scene showed Saskatchewan Junior Hockey the truck’s load League’s semi-final. Their bus strewn across the was heading north toward road and the bus, Nipawin on Highway 35 when so torn apart that it many people on board the bus a semi-truck crossed its path. was virtually unrecognizable. had died and, as the media The ensuing collision was News reports spread rapidly shared pictures of the team devastating. Sixteen people on — first locally, then nationally, (one showing the entire team board the bus died and the then internationally — with with their hair dyed blonde in remaining thirteen were one central theme: tragedy. It their uniforms, smiles on all of seriously injured. The semi- was clear from the start that their faces), a collective feeling Tragedy on the Prairies: The Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash curio.ca/newsinreview / 14 of shock spread across hockey games. Meanwhile, wore Humboldt green ribbons Saskatchewan, throughout the players gave back to the for the balance of the playoffs. Canada and around the world. community, volunteering One television reporter took when possible and respecting to Twitter and encouraged And the shock was quickly their status as a source of people to leave hockey sticks followed by sadness, grief and pride for the people of on their front porch, posting a mourning. The Humboldt Humboldt. picture of a hockey stick and Broncos story captured the the caption, “Leaving it on the hearts of Canadians. A small Whether it was the front porch tonight. The boys town of under 6 000, unimaginable devastation of might need it… wherever they Humboldt, Saskatchewan, the crash, the youth of the are.” Thousands of Canadians embraced everything about victims, the comradery of followed the reporter’s lead. their hockey team. Local members of a team or just Meanwhile a GoFundMe businesses sold Broncos’ swag, plain compassion, the nation campaign, initially started to restaurants offered the shared Humboldt’s grief. NHL raise money for the victims’ players discounted food, and teams stood vigil at centre ice families to pay for things like the town shut down for the day after the crash and Tragedy on the Prairies: The Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash curio.ca/newsinreview / 15 hospital parking, exploded to a Community Hero Award on The Humboldt Broncos took to $15 million total that now her late husband’s behalf the ice in August 2018 in requires a board of trustees while 10 Humboldt Broncos preparation for the next hockey and the supervision of the looked on. season. New head coach Saskatchewan court system to Nathan Oystrick told the media, The Humboldt tragedy will make sure the money is “Right now, this is about a team likely continue to resonate distributed properly. Finally, moving forward, but there’s with Canadians for years to the NHL flew the survivors of definitely a lot of things in the come. There’s something works to honour last year’s the crash who were able to about young lives lost and the team and the people we lost.” travel as well as the widow of game of hockey that pulls on Broncos coach Darcy Haugan the heart strings of people to Las Vegas for the NHL from coast to coast to coast.