Premier Wab Kinew inducted 134 first responders into the Order of the Buffalo Hunt on Monday, bestowing one of the province’s highest honours during a ceremony recognizing their life-saving efforts and bravery during Manitoba’s deadliest bus crash.
The order honours Manitobans who have made outstanding contributions to the province in the areas of leadership, service and community commitment.
The honour was accepted on behalf of the first responders by:
- Keith Loney, fire chief of Carberry North Cypress-Langford Fire and Rescue.
- Yves Guillas, fire chief of the Neepawa Volunteer Fire Department.
- Terry Parlow, chief, and Kevin Garrioch of Brandon Fire and Emergency Services.
- Ryan Schenk and Grant Winder from the Office of the Fire Commissioner.
“Not only did you go above and beyond, not only did you save lives, not only did you have each other’s backs, I know that I can only imagine that you took some stuff home with you that day as well too,” Kinew said.
“I hope as you’re on your own journeys to process, to heal and to reflect on what you have done to serve your fellow Manitobans, may this be some measure of encouragement and reassurance for you that your good deeds do not go unnoticed,” he said.
Members of the Carberry North Cypress-Langford Fire & Rescue, including the fire departments in Neepawa and Brandon, were some of the first people to respond to the crash in Carberry, Man., that killed 17 people on June 15, 2023.
The bus was carrying 25 people — most of them seniors from Dauphin and the surrounding area — who were headed to a casino near Carberry on a day trip when it was struck by a semi at the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5 intersection.
First responders at Shared Health’s emergency medical services, Manitoba RCMP, the STARS air ambulance, as well as hospitals in Brandon, Portage la Prairie and Winnipeg also responded to the tragic collision.
Kinew had announced he would award those people with the order during a ceremony in August that unveiled the second monument to remember those who lost their life in the crash.
The audience received a loud burst of applause as they signed the official registry for the Order of the Buffalo Hunt, which was established in 1957 and is accompanied by a certificate of membership signed by the premier.