On April 12, members of UBC’s Island Medical Program (IMP) and UVic’s Division of Medical Sciences (DMSC) wore jerseys to honor the Humboldt Broncos. The Saskatchewan-based junior hockey team was involved in a fatal traffic accident that took the lives of 16 people and injured 13.
Coordinating the tribute was Kurt McBurney, an Assistant Teaching Professor in the DMSC and lifelong lover and player of hockey.
“Thanks for wearing jerseys today to honor the Humboldt Broncos,” said McBurney in an email to faculty and staff. “After we decided to do this, I thought about what it meant to me to wear a jersey today and why it seemed important.”
In early April, the Humboldt Broncos were traveling by bus to Nipawin, Sask., for a playoff game when their bus collided with a semi-truck.
The accident was one of the worst in the country’s history. Canadians and people across the world have been wearing jerseys and leaving hockey sticks outside their doors in support of the families and victims of the crash.