After a Zamboni smoothed over the Canadian flag on the surface of the Sechelt rink, a figure skater carved a heart into the ice. A handful of volunteers shuffled over and by placing hockey pucks onto the outline, made that heart a little darker.
Then dozens of kids, decked out in jerseys, helmets and figure skating outfits, tumbled onto the surface, and for a few moments of stillness, sent a heart-shaped message to the community of Humboldt, Sask.
The idea to create a heart for Humboldt came from organizers of youth ice sports on the Sunshine Coast.
“It hits home with a lot of our families,” said Kate Turner, registrar of the Sunshine Coast Minor Hockey Association (SCMHA) and the Sunshine Coast Skating Club (SCSC), who took a lead in organizing the April 16 event with Melissa Tripp, also with the SCMHA.
“Whether you’re in Ontario, New Brunswick, Vancouver or the Sunshine Coast, we can all relate to travelling, long nights, bus trips and that team camaraderie. So it was really important for us to show our support,” Turner said.
Ice time wraps up in a couple of weeks, and both groups have been busy squeezing in end-of-season programming. The SCSC donated its ice time to the impromptu event, which was planned via email.
“The support was overwhelming,” Turner said.
Janeth Lesko’s daughter is an atom player, and was one of the first to respond.
“She was very concerned. She was heartbroken when she heard the news, and as soon as I read her the email, she was the first person to say yes, I’m going to be there. She wore her jersey and she was ready,” Lesko said.
The Humboldt Broncos were driving to a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoff game when their bus collided with a tractor-trailer on Highway 35 north of Tisdale on April 6. Sixteen people were killed and 13 were injured in the accident.
Since then, Canadians have been finding means to show their support for the community, including residents of the Sunshine Coast.
Hockey sticks were out at various locations, including a home in Davis Bay known for its seasonal decorations, and on April 12, businesses and organizations across the Coast joined a movement launched by a handful of Lower Mainland hockey parents by wearing their hockey jerseys. Gibsons and Sechelt lowered their flags to half-mast last week and posted their condolences on Facebook.
– With files from Sean Eckford
