Man who survived deadly June bus crash doesn't want anyone involved to be forgotten

A man who survived a deadly bus crash that claimed the lives of 17 seniors this past summer is speaking out in hopes that people remember those who died, the families who lost someone and those who survived and are still recovering. 

Alex Senyk, 74, was one of 25 people on the minibus June 15 taking a trip to a casino near Carberry in southwestern Manitoba when it drove into the path of a semi-trailer truck on the Trans-Canada Highway. But six months after the incident, Senyk said it feels like what happened that day has "disappeared into thin air." 

"It almost seemed like it was washed away already, and it was a tragic, tragic thing that happened and it's sad to see that. I mean, they should be remembered for a long time. "

The 25 people on the bus, including the driver, were from Dauphin and the surrounding area, about 240 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. Senyk remembers getting on the bus and then waking up in the hospital. 

He said he was told he was in a coma the first five days. 

The 74-year-old started walking with a walker roughly three or four weeks ago, he said. 

He has a plate and pins in his knee and his wrist. The back of his head has a scar and his face was injured.

He said he's always been outgoing and enjoyed outdoor adventures.

"Five days out of six, I was doing something, or visiting somebody. And now it's a shock to my whole system that I can't do a quarter of what I used to do. It's a lonely life right now for me.

"I'm hoping and praying that I could be half [as] normal as what I used to be," he said. 

He also shared a hospital room with his close friend, another survivor of the bus crash.

"It lifted our, at least my spirit, and I'm sure it did his, too. To be survivors of something horrific as such and … it helped us get through a lot of this."

Plans for memorial in the works: Dauphin mayor 

Senyk's wish for those involved in the crash to be remembered may soon come true. 

Dauphin Mayor David Bosiak said a group of five family members of victims came to city council recently to present an idea about establishing a memorial in CN Park.

Bosiak said there's been no opposition from the city, which wants to work with the group to help them "in a number of ways," whether it be accessing funds that might be available or helping them place the memorial in a place in the park that won't be disrupted by other activities that happen there. 

"Generally speaking, the community, the broad community has tried to move on and not forget about it, but carry on with their lives," he said.

"At the same time … we have a significant number of families in our community that have been impacted by this in a very serious, intimate kind of way," said Bosiak.

"I think that they are still getting the support they require and have probably gotten more support from each other as they've gotten to know each other over the last six months or so." 

He said the group wants to do something by the one-year anniversary, and seem willing to work with the city on the project.

Bosiak said while the city always had a willingness to listen to ideas, it wasn't always sure what to do about a memorial, but that having a group of family members come forward helps in establishing an appropriate tribute. 

He said he's been pleased by the community's response, especially in the way families of those who were killed in the crash were able to lean on one another for support. He said that's a sign of the closeness of a small rural community looking out for each other. 

"There was an event that occurred and we want to remember all these people," he said. "And I think that's what it's about, to be kind to members of our community."