Photo Courtesy of Raj Sharma

By Veronica Beltran

PG is Humboldt Strong

‘Broncos Strong’ Prince George family commemorates Humboldt Broncos two years after crash

Apr 6, 2020 | 1:15 PM

PRINCE GEORGE— April 6.

It marks two year’s since a charter bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos hockey team crashed in Saskatchewan taking the lives of 16 people and injuring others.

On the two year anniversary of the loss felt by the nation, locals are commemorating the lives of those no longer with us.

Raj Sharma of Prince George and his 10-year-old son Sunjai are huge hockey fans. Sunjai plays for the Prince George Snipers and two years ago on April 6, the father and son duo were on the road because of a hockey tournament as well.

“Being a hockey parent it was maybe a little bit different.”—Raj Sharma

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Sharma says that although the loss was felt across Canada, it may have hit different with hockey families. “That could have been any hockey team travelling anywhere,” he said in an over the phone interview.

In July of last year, Sunjai attended a Gretzky Hockey School camp where he got to meet two of the surviving Humboldt Broncos, Ty Smith and Grayson Cameron.

Sunjai says that Smith gifted him a bracelet that reads ‘Humboldt Strong’ on it. “He’s one of my closest friends now,” said Sunjai, talking about his relationship with Smith.

His dad says that “he hasn’t taken it (the bracelet) off since the second he got it.”

Today the two will don their number 16 Humboldt Bronco’s jerseys, will shoot some pucks outside their home and leave their hockey sticks out—a gesture of support Canadians showed and continue to show to the families and friends of the 16 players lost in the crash and the many injured.

“Hug your kids extra tight tonight…cause there’s some parents out there that can’t.”—Raj Sharma