Work is about to begin on a memorial site to commemorate the victims of the 2018 Humboldt Broncos tragedy, with the entire project expected to be complete in roughly two years.

Carol Brons, member of the Memorials Committee and mother to Kayla Brons, a victim of the tragedy, says almost exactly six years after the incident, a design concept of the site has been unveiled.

Although it isn’t a final draft, it depicts two memorial sites, a pond, paved walking paths, and a parking lot near the intersection of highways 35 and 335 near Tisdale.

She adds that there are two phases to the project. The first is the clearing of land and the creation of paved pathways and a parking lot. The second is creating and erecting two monuments to commemorate the 16 lives lost. She says safety is their top priority when designing the site.

“It’s very important to us to make sure that whatever we do will not impede or impose safety on the highway, because they are both very busy highways.”

Brons says the Committee had to coordinate with engineers, SaskPower, Saskatchewan Highways, CN Rail, the Water Security Agency, and the RM in order to ensure the proposed site would meet the required safety standards.

She anticipates that the groundwork phase will wrap up by the end of this year, with the implementation of the monuments to be complete by the end of 2025.

“People that live in that area are anxious to have something a little more permanent. They have to go by there every day and it’s a daily reminder of a huge tragedy. I think they would feel more comfortable knowing something is in place. The families are anxious as well. It’s been a priority for all of us to have something,” Brons states.