TISDALE — Five Tisdale first responders that attended the Broncos crash were among those invited to march in the Calgary Stampede parade.
The five included three firefighters and two emergency medical services personnel. Each of them was invited to bring a significant other. The travel, stay, food and tickets were all included and they were given passes to the Stampede. Travel included a limousine ride.
“All these people were showing us support, standing up and clapping for us, and all that kind of thing,” said Brian Minhinnick, chief of the Tisdale Fire Department. “It made me feel good, there were so many people out there and they appreciate what we’ve done.”
The crowd’s response made him think back to the crash.
“Sometimes it was kind of emotional, it was good, it made me feel good,” Minhinnick said.
The Tisdale group weren’t the only ones invited to the Stampede. First responders from other Northeast communities, including Zenon Park, Nipawin, Melfort and Carrot River, also participated. Police officers were also in attendance.
“It was a bit of an emotional roller-coaster, specifically through the parade part,” said Karen Rafael, an emergency medical services paramedic from Zenon Park. “We had several standing ovations as we did our trek through the parade and people yelling out, ‘thank you for your service’, ‘thank you very much’. And that was very much an emotional time for us, for me at least.”
Zenon Park sent two firefighters and one emergency medical services personnel.
“When you live in Zenon Park you have to pass by that corner to get out and go anywhere, so you do pass by it very often. All those people there, we passed by twice today, and all those people at that site, always. People are just grasping at the magnitude of what happened and, ‘how is this possible?’”
Rafael found it helped her with her healing process from the incident.
“Somewhat of closure for healing [for me] will be at the one-year anniversary,” Rafael said. “We’d love to see a memorial put up and something more permanent and I think that will help my closure for my healing.”
Nipawin RCMP Staff Sgt. Darren Wouters said the president of the Stampede reached out with the invitation.
“All we had to do was get on the plane and they’ve really taken care of us,” said Wouters, who wore a #HumboldtStrong T-shirt, as floats and horses got in position to march. “We certainly appreciate the opportunity to be here today and represent the families and the Humboldt Broncos, as well as all of the protective services workers in Saskatchewan.”
Nipawin Fire Chief Brian Starkell said he was treated like royalty.
“It’s just been excellent,” he said. “It’s just been tremendous so far and just a huge thank you to everybody.”
Written with files from the Canadian Press
