DAUPHIN, Man. — Mourners, dignitaries and first responders gathered at a western Manitoba park Saturday afternoon for the unveiling of a monument honoring the 17 victims of a fatal bus crash yesterday a year.
About 200 people, including Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, were on hand for the official unveiling in the town of Dauphin, many setting up lawn chairs in CN Park and others kissing under a covered sky.
Volunteers distributed programs containing small packets of forget-me-not seeds to plant after the ceremony.
Last year’s accident occurred when the bus, which was transporting elderly people to a casino near the town of Carberry, collided with a tractor-trailer while crossing the Trans-Canada Highway.
RCMP said the tractor-trailer had the right of way and the investigation is now in the hands of Crown prosecutors, who will decide whether to lay charges.
Federal police say they may never be able to speak to the bus driver, who was among the seriously injured survivors.
The Manitoba government is exploring three options to improve safety at the intersection: a wider central reservation, a roundabout and a new alignment that would require people entering the Trans-Canada Highway to turn right instead of going straight or left.
The Canadian Press
