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VIDEO: Handmade memorial a tribute to Humboldt Broncos

Langley man honours victims, survivors of tragic bus crash

When Peter Ramirez held the memorial he assembled to honour the victims of the Humboldt tragedy, he had to keep himself from crying.

Ramirez fastened the memorial –– which includes two hockey sticks crossed together, a Canadian flag, and green and yellow banner –– on the fence of his Walnut Grove home earlier this week .

An April 6 crash in rural Saskatchewan involving a semi trailer and a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior A hockey team claimed 16 lives and injured 13 others.

On a gusty day, motorists travelling along the 9400 block of 208 Street can see the flag and banner flapping in the wind.

“I came to this country… 50 years ago,” Ramirez said.

“And I learned to appreciate this country, to love this country, and when I learned of tragedies like (the one) that happened in Saskatchewan, it touched my heart, because I love Canada, I love the people.

And to see (victims) so young, those kids, they give their lives and died for hockey. Canada is a hockey nation and I like hockey, and I feel like they’re part of my family.”

The tragedy impacted Ramirez, all of Canada, and beyond.

A GoFundMe page created for the players and families affected raised $15,185,400 of its $4 million goal and is no longer accepting donations.

The outpouring of generosity makes it the fifth most successful GoFundMe campaign in the online platform’s history.

“The funds donated through the GoFundMe campaign will be transferred to a newly created non-profit corporation known as ‘Humboldt Broncos Memorial Fund Inc.’ to be allocated for their intended purpose,” it’s noted on the GoFundMe page.

Ramirez wanted to do his part by creating the memorial.

The Canadian flag is erected on Ramirez’s fence year round.

The addition includes the colours of both Saskatchewan and the Broncos.

“My dad displayed the green and yellow, the colours of the Saskatchewan flag, because we didn’t have an actual provincial flag available,” Peter’s daughter Cheryl explained.

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Walnut Grove resident Peter Ramirez held a memorial he assembled to pay tribute to the victims and survivors of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash. Troy Landreville Langley Times
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Peter Ramirez’s daughter Cheryl snapped a photo of her dad’s memorial for victims of the bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos junior A hockey team. The memorial can be seen by motorists travelling along 208 Street in Walnut Grove. Photo submitted