Few people will ever forget where they were or what they were doing when they heard the news.  

Around 5:00 pm, Friday, April 6th, 2018 reports began to trickle in.  There had been a collision involving a bus and a semi-trailer in rural Saskatchewan.  Later we learned the bus belonged to the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and had been on it's way to a playoff game in Nipawin.  Eventually shock and fear turned to horror.

On the bus were 29 people.  Players, coaches, athletic therapists, broadcasters, drivers and support staff.  16 of the 29 died in the crash.  Two of the dead were members of the Golden West family, the parent company of Air 106.1 and Discover Airdrie, Tyler Bieber and Brody Hinz.  The 13 others had traumatic, horrendous injuries.  One of them, Ryan Straschnitzki, was from Airdrie.  Ryan had a broken back among his numerous injuries.  It left him paralyzed from the chest down.

The horror of that late afternoon, one year ago today (April 6) left countless families devastated, communities reeling, a nation in despair and the world in shock.  A theme emerged as people began to grieve.  The theme of "Humboldt Strong."  Soon, that small Saskatchewan community would show the world exactly what that meant.

Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown was one of the first people Discover Airdrie talked with the day after the horrific crash.  He says he often goes back to that day when the nightmare began

"You'd turn the television on, you almost couldn't believe what you were watching.  It almost felt like a movie.  You're just sort of staring in awe.  It reminded me of some big tragedies in and out of our country over the years.  Everything stopped.  We just sort of stopped in our tracks.  We just couldn't believe that something like that could happen."

Cliff Gunther, the President of Airdrie Minor Hockey, remembers when he first heard the news of the crash.  "It shook everybody to their core, I think," explains Gunther.  "It was clearly a terrible event and as the news started to unfold and we realized we had Ryan in it, which was news to me since I didn't know where Ryan was playing.  It hit pretty close to home obviously, and it just shook everybody."

The shock of the event quickly became grief.  Funerals and memorials were held for the 16 killed.  Through all the sorrow though, there rose a spirit of compassion, unity, and resilience not often seen before.

A GoFundMe page, set up to help pay for funeral expenses for the families, quickly grew to one of the largest fundraisers ever.  More than $15 million was raised through donations that came from over 80 countries.  Countless concerts, bake sales, hockey tournaments, galas, and just plain generosity from people raised much more. 

People began putting out hockey sticks on front porches across the country, "just in case the boys need it," as someone said.  Soon, thousands of hockey sticks adorned the front doors of homes, schools, businesses and hockey rinks around the country. 

Tomorrow is Green Shirt Day in Canada, in memory of Logan Boulet who died in the crash.  A phenomenon that's become known as the "Logan Boulet Effect," was started by him.  Shortly before passing away, Boulet made it know to his parents that he wanted to become an organ donor.  His parent's following through on his desire gave life to six people through the transplant of his organs.  When Canadians learned of Boulet's selfless act, thousands upon thousands also signed organ donor cards, saving the lives of countless people.  

The outpouring of support for the Straschnitzki family in Airdrie and across Alberta was staggering.  Mayor Brown explains that's just what Airdronians do.  "Our community rallies around those that need help," says Brown.  "Ryan is part of a long list of people who've had some horrific things happen in their lives and the generosity and the support of the community, financially and through volunteerism.  It's truly what Airdrie is all about."

Brown is amazed at Ryan's spirit and attitude.  He calls him an inspiration.  "When you look at what he's facing, you know the challenges he faces for the rest of his life, he's meeting it head-on.  He's working hard, he does his best, and he does it with a smile on his face."

One thing that many families who were affected by the events of one year ago have strongly called for has been a change to the legislation involving busses and those of the trucking industry.  It's a call that was heard, listened to, and acted upon by Cliff Gunther and the AMHA.

"We really looked hard into out bussing policy and how we would proceed with that" explains Gunther.  "So we implemented a mandatory "buckle-up" policy for our busses and we'll be working with our bus companies closer for the coming year to make sure the busses have the appropriate seatbelts.  I know there are lots of groups that are advocating change still and we have some strong advocates right in our own community.  We as an association are just doing the best we can in trying to find the right avenues for those things."

The past 365 days have been a dark time for so many people.  But through it all, the goodness, kindness, generosity, and love of people, in Airdrie and around the world,  has managed to provide a sliver of light to help those people move ahead. 

Comments? Questions? Story ideas? Email us at news@discoverairdrie.com