Names of crash victims released at sombre ceremony in Dauphin By: Chris Kitching Posted: 1:16 PM CDT Thursday, Jun. 22, 2023 Last Modified: 8:48 AM CDT Friday, Jun. 23, 2023 Updates

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A husband and wife, a retired teacher and a great-great-grandmother are among the 16 seniors who died in a fiery crash involving a minibus and tractor-trailer near Carberry last week.

Family members and first responders placed pictures of the victims on easels before two RCMP officers announced their names at a sombre news conference in Dauphin on Thursday.

The victims are Louis Bretecher, 81; Margaret Furkalo, 82; Vangie Gilchrist, 83; Ann Hill, 81; Helen Kufley, 88; Arlene Lindquist, 68; Dianne Medwid, 70; Nettie Nakonechny, 87; Shirley Novalkowski, 76; Frank Perzylo, 82, and wife Rose Perzylo, 80; Jean Rosenkranz, 82; Donna Showdra, 79; Lillian Stobbe, 73; Patsy Zamrykut, 88; and Claudia Zurba, 87.

“We lost 16 people who were mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, whose decades of contributions helped make this community what it is,” said Supt. Jeff Asmundson, the RCMP’s west district commander in Manitoba. “They were gone in an instant.”

A memorial was held in a community hall Thursday night to mourn those killed in one of the deadliest road collisions in recent Canadian history.

Twenty-five people were on the wheelchair-accessible bus, which was headed to the Sand Hills Casino, when the collision happened at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5 on June 15.

The driver and passengers were from Dauphin and the surrounding area.

Nine survivors remained in hospital Thursday. Shared Health said four were in critical condition.

“Hearts are broken, families are grieving, a community is feeling immeasurable loss,” said Asmundson. “The communities of Carberry and Dauphin will be forever connected.”

Some of the families released messages about their loved ones that were read aloud.

Bretecher was remembered as a proud and beloved husband, father and pépere.

“He will be forever be missed and always remembered by all who knew and loved him,” they said. “Our hearts lay also with those families who are grieving alongside ours.”

Kufley’s family thanked first responders and the people of Dauphin, which is about 300 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

“We are heartbroken and numb by this tragedy and the loss of our vibrant mother, baba and great baba,” the family said. “She was and always will be the cornerstone of our family, the one we always went to for advice and wisdom, and we will miss her terribly.”

Nakonechy was “very proud” of her Ukrainian culture.

“A longtime resident of Dauphin, former school teacher, and baba to not only her own grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but to many others who knew her,” her family said. “She will be missed by all of us who loved her.”

Showdra’s family said she will be “deeply missed” by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Zurba was a great-great-grandmother whose life was a “blessing,” her family said.

“Your memory is a treasure. You were loved beyond words and missed beyond measure,” they said. “Love you forever. Our hearts were shattered into pieces that day June 15, 2023.”

Retired teacher Nakonechny was fondly remembered by some of her former students in the comments section of her online obituary.

Kim Armstrong, administrator of the Dauphin Active Living Centre, knew all but two of the victims.

The bus had departed from the seniors centre about two hours before the crash.

“It’s heartbreaking to see these faces, these people that we’ve known somehow or another,” she said, after watching the news conference.

“It’s heartbreaking to see these faces, these people that we’ve known somehow or another.”–Kim Armstrong, Dauphin Active Living Centre

She said the centre will offer condolences and support to the families.

“It’s a huge blow to our community. There is a generation of people that will leave a hole,” said Armstrong. “Their knowledge, their volunteerism, their personalities, their wisdom is all lost, and on such a large scale.”

Fifteen victims died the day of the crash. The 16th victim, a woman, died in hospital Tuesday. The first funeral is scheduled for Saturday.

At Thursday’s news conference, a moment of silence was held after the names were read out.

“We will remember you,” Asmundson said afterward.

In their remarks, Dauphin Mayor David Bosiak and RM of Dauphin Reeve Ernie Sirski offered condolences to the families.

“It’s been a tremendously difficult week for our city,” said Bosiak. “We can’t imagine the sorry and sadness you are feeling.”

“We cannot feel your pain, we can only offer our sympathies,” said Sirski. “We cannot suffer your loss, but we can share your grief.”

Bosiak said sadness in the community was palpable, with difficult weeks and months still to come.

“As we heal, I trust we will continue to support each other and remember all the good these wonderful people brought to us,” he said. “I know we are hurting, but we are resilient, we are strong – Dauphin strong.”

Premier Heather Stefanson attended the briefing but did not address the audience.

Afterward, she told reporters she had spoken with the families in attendance and offered her government’s support. She also thanked the first responders and Mounties.

“We are grieving as a province along with those families and offering supports to those families. This doesn’t end today, this continues, and we will continue to ensure and offer supports to the families and we just want to send a message to them (that) whatever they need from us, we’re here for them,” she said.

RCMP Insp. Lee Fortin, who was one of the authorities who notified people about their loved one after the crash, told reporters it was an extremely difficult task, and being at the scene of the crash was emotionally tough for first responders.

When asked how RCMP officers deal with such a tragedy, Fortin said everyone processes it differently. He shared a story about one officer’s experience in which something as simple as seeing a piece of candy brought back a flood of emotion.

The bus was heading southbound on Highway 5 when it crossed into the path of an eastbound tractor-trailer, which had the right of way, shortly before noon.

Investigators, who have spoken to some of the survivors, are trying to determine why the bus proceeded into the eastbound lanes as the truck approached the intersection, which is about 160 kilometres west of Winnipeg.

The survivors are five women and four men who range in age from their 60s to their 80s.

RCMP Supt. Rob Lasson said the investigation will determine whether criminal charges should be laid.

Officers plan to speak with the bus driver and other passengers, but only after their conditions improve.

“We’re not rushing to talk to them,” said Lasson.

He said both drivers had the proper vehicle operating licences.

Officers have spoken to the semi-truck driver, who was released from hospital last week.

Dauphin-based Quality Care Transit owned the bus and had arranged the day trip to the casino.

— with files from The Brandon Sun, The Canadian Press

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @chriskitching

Chris Kitching
Reporter

Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris.

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