A community 'forever changed' marks fourth anniversary of Humboldt Broncos bus crash

The fourth anniversary of the fatal Humboldt Broncos bus crash will be a quiet one, in a community that has been "forever changed."

On April 6, 2018, a semi collided with the Junior A hockey team's bus killing 16 people and injuring 13 others.

"We consulted with the families and the involved people and they determined they'd rather have a low-key ceremony today," the city's mayor Michael Behiel told CTV News.

The community's Elgar Petersen Arena will be opened to the public. The building was a focal point for mourners in the aftermath of the crash.

It will be the first in-person memorial event since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Video clips of previous services will be on display as well as some of the donated items which poured in from around the world following the crash.

"Just have a quiet moment to sit and reflect upon everything (and) draw some strength or some peace from it all," Behiel said.

Behiel said the tragedy has left a mark on his community.

"I can honestly say that it's forever changed our community and but not just for the tragedy, for a better way as well," Behiel said.

"Everybody's more compassionate and understands the needs of each other."

Behiel said a call he received from a North Bay, Ont. woman Wednesday morning is an example of how the tragedy has touched the world.

"(She said) 'I know it's been four years but I want you to know we still remember and we're still thinking of you,'" Behiel said.

"My focus has definitely shifted from that one of a tragedy to moving forward and making this a beacon of hope for the entire world so that when they see something terrible happens, they can also see something amazing happens."

Behiel's sentiments were echoed in a statement issued by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Wednesday morning.

"In the years since the crash and in the face of the immense grief and tragedy that followed, the Humboldt community has shown the world what it truly means to be Canadian," Trudeau said.

"Their perseverance to not only remember the lives lost, but also to make the world of sport a better place for future generations, is inspiring."

Trudeau pointed to lasting changes that have occurred since the crash, such as the introduction of national standards for truck driver training and seat belt requirements for motor coaches.

"We cannot go back in time and change what happened that day, but we owe it to the victims, the survivors, and their families to try to prevent tragedy from striking again," Trudeau said.

At 4:50 p.m., the approximate time of the crash, a church bell will toll 29 times in honour of those killed or injured in the crash.​