Grandparents of Humboldt Broncos player 'touched and honoured' by growing memorial outside Brandon home
Frank and Betty Thomas's grandson, Evan Thomas, was among the Broncos players who died in Friday's crash
A memorial is growing outside the Brandon, Man., home of the grandparents of Evan Thomas, an 18-year-old forward with the Humboldt Broncos who was among the players who died in last week's deadly bus crash in Saskatchewan.
As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 50 hockey sticks had been laid against the home of Frank and Betty Thomas in the southwestern Manitoba city, along with skates, a helmet and a photo in honour of their late grandson and the Broncos team.
"Somebody's thinking of Evan and through that, through those thoughts, we feel truly touched and honoured," said Frank in a phone interview from Saskatoon.
"I'm honoured by the thought that people have tried to pay tribute to Evan," he said.
"There's been so much support from people, so many people coming to visit and offer their thoughts and prayers and hugs.… It's a mishmash of things that have kept us going."
He said he and his wife, along with other family members, have been inundated with calls, texts and messages from people, some of whom they haven't heard from in decades, offering their support and condolences.
'He was a great kid'
Frank described Evan as a passionate young man with a good sense of humour and someone who was loved by all.
He said one of the memories he'll cherish the most is a talk they shared last summer that lasted into the wee hours of the morning after a family golf outing.
"He was a great kid — not kid a anymore, he was a man now," said Frank, adding that Evan was much more than a hockey and baseball player. "He was an intelligent kid, really smart, honour-based. He was the kind of guy that made you feel honoured."
Evan was one of the 29 people on the Broncos' bus last Friday, taking the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team from Humboldt to a game in Nipawin, Sask., when it was involved in a collision with a semi-trailer near Tisdale, northeast of Saskatoon.
The collision has now claimed the lives of 16 people, after it was confirmed Wednesday that athletic therapist Dayna Brons had died.
Frank said he and his wife were out for dinner on Friday when Scott Thomas, Evan's dad, phoned to tell them about the crash. As the hours passed and no information on Evan had come in, Frank said he knew he and his wife had to get to Saskatoon.
The news came not long after they left Brandon.
"Betty and I were right at the Saskatchewan border when Scott called and gave us the news.… Our first battle was on the side of the road at the No. 1 highway at the Saskatchewan border," he said.
"I don't know how long we sat there till we took the rest of the trip. Since then it's been a jumble."
Frank said one of his other sons then drove him and his wife from Whitewood, in southeastern Saskatchewan, the rest of the way to Saskatoon, where they've been since.
Family friend lays sticks
When the family learned of people across Canada putting sticks outside their front doors to honour the team, they knew they had to do something and called on a family friend to gather up 15 hockey sticks and place them in front of their house to honour the 15 initial victims of the crash.
"I got a hold of some of my old-timer friends that I play hockey with and they just started bringing sticks over to my place," said David Maguire, who has been placing the sticks in front of the Thomas house.
"We ended up with 29 for the whole bus load and then the sticks just kept coming in, and now we're up to 50-something."
He said when the family asked for that one small gesture, he didn't hesitate.
"You can give them hugs when you see them and say condolences and that, but one little thing will help out a long way," said Maguire, who has coached and played hockey himself over the years.
"This is small-town Canada. Everybody looks after everybody else and helps out. We do what we can do."
The tragedy is "beyond horrific," he said. "It's just something you hope never, ever ever happens to anybody."
A memorial will be held for Evan next Monday in Saskatoon. Frank said he and his wife, however, will stay in the city with Evan's parents as long as they're needed.
"He was going to do something in this world, there was no doubt about that in my mind," said Frank.
"The world has lost a significant contributer."
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