Municipal flags throughout Chatham-Kent are being lowered and a book of condolence prepared in memory of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos Junior hockey team bus crash Friday.
Fifteen people aboard the bus died and another 14 were injured when the bus collided with a truck on route to a playoff game about 300 kilometres north of Regina, Saskatchewan.
Chatham-Kent Mayor Randy Hope said the depth of the tragedy has touched Canadians as well as people around the world.
“You don’t have to have been a hockey player to identify with those who were on the bus,” he said. “The pain of losing young people in such a tragic and cruel manner is something every parent or community member can relate to.”
Mayor Hope said he left a message for the mayor of Humboldt on the weekend. “Words are really meaningless right now but in time, all of the love and support will help the community begin to regroup.”
Each municipal service centre will have pages on which residents can express their feelings. At the end of the week, a book will be compiled and forwarded to Humboldt.
Mayor Hope said the municipality is supporting an initiative spreading across the country in which everyone is encouraged to wear a sports jersey Thursday.
More details, here.
Monday’s council meeting will begin with a moment of silence for the victims.
