A special day is planned to honour and remember those involved in a tragic bus crash near Carberry on the first anniversary of the accident, which left 17 people dead and eight others with significant injuries.
The event at CN Park is also being organized to unveil a memory bench provided by an anonymous donor dedicated to those killed in the accident and a monument which includes the names of all of the passengers and tells the story of that day.
“We’re going to have representation from the Province, the City, the RM of Dauphin and Ministerial Association. Then we’re going to have a tribute to the passengers and the first responders. Some of the first responders (involved in the aftermath of the crash) are coming. We have a lot coming and we’re going to honour them and then the unveiling of the monument,” said Theresa Rausch, whose mother Cathy Day died in hospital about a month after the accident.
Rausch was joined by Darlene Prytula, Lavonne Tyschinski, Patrick Furkalo and Dave Showdra - all of whom lost family members in the accident - in planning for the monument and the ceremony.
“We kind of started this, you started reaching out to each other. We got together and that’s our counseling sessions. We get together . . it was once a month, but now it’s once a week,” Rausch said.
“It’s so they’re not forgotten, to honour them.”
The monument was made possible through a grant from the province, funds raised by the Dauphin and District Community Foundation’s Support Our Seniors Fund, which was set up after the crash, contributions from the City and RM and the Dauphin Firefighters Association, as well as other donations from individuals and local businesses.
The monument was designed and manufactured by Repro Map in Dauphin, in consultation with the families of the victims, Rausch said.
The ceremony in CN Park gets underway at 2 p.m. sharp and will be followed by a tea at the Dauphin Active Living Centre, which will also offer a viewing opportunity of the event made possible by a live stream provided by Pathways Funeral Services.
The collision happened when the bus carrying Dauphin area residents to a casino near Carberry for the day was hit by a semi at the intersection of Highway 5 and the Trans-Canada Highway.
Dashcam footage reviewed by police shows the semi had the right-of-way and information was sent to the Manitoba Prosecution Service earlier this year to determine if charges should be laid.
The accident also prompted a review of the intersection by the Manitoba government, which later earmarked $12 million to upgrade the infrastructure.
A report released in January provided three potential options on how the intersection could be improved. Construction is expected to be complete in late 2026.