Support for Humboldt pours in from around the globe
Flags at half mast, money pouring in, and tributes abound
It's hard to find a flag that isn't flying at half-mast in Saskatchewan as the province mourns the loss of 15 people after the SJHL Humboldt Broncos' bus collided with a truck over the weekend.
Schools focused on "curriculum of care"
Saskatoon and Regina public schools have brought in counselling support for students and staff.
In Regina, the public school division has mobilized its entire team of counsellors to support those who may be experiencing difficulties.
We're flying our flags at half-mast, and we will do that for 15 days. One day for each of the souls that were lost,"- Twylla West, Regina Catholic schools
"To the best of our knowledge, the school division has no students who were involved in the accident," said Terry Lazarou, director of communications for the school division, in an email.
"We have students, staff, and families that have connections to the sport and may have connections to the Humboldt Broncos players or families."
Regina Catholic schools are feeling the tragedy perhaps even more acutely.
Broncos player Adam Herold attended Dr. Martin Leboldus High School. A liturgy was held on Monday afternoon for students and staff.
"We're flying our flags at half-mast, and we will do that for 15 days. One day for each of the souls that were lost," said Twylla West, communications coordinator for the Regina Catholic school division.
In Saskatoon, Catholic schools are focusing on a "curriculum of care," according to director of education Greg Chatlain. Mathematics and language classes will come second to support services this week.
Leboldus has taken a one-day reprieve from classes, and students will return to class Tuesday.
"The scope and scale of this, we know there are connections to this tragedy we're not aware of," he said.
Many schools are encouraging students to wear their favourite hockey jerseys, or to don green and gold, both in Saskatchewan and beyond.
Individuals, teams rally behind Humboldt
"I have the porch light on too. I read something about how one billet family would turn on the porch light when they went to bed," said Regina mother Scottie Frostad, who has three children in sports.
"The billet was suppose to turn it off when they got home at night. The next morning they would know he was home safe if the light was off."
Author Sharon Butala, author of Where I Live Now and Wild Rose, expressed her condolences to CBC News.
"I spent most of Saturday in front of the television set staring in disbelief, tears continually rising and spilling over," she wrote,
"I cried, I guess, partly as the mother of a sports-playing son and thinking of the parents, partly for the immensity of the loss - 14, then 15 young lives - for the shock of it, and disbelief that such a thing could happen, so many young men gone like that, in the full flower of their youth."
Her sentiments have been echoed by politicians, sports stars, and others in North America.
In Ukraine, the national hockey team paid their respects to the dead and showed their support of the survivorsby placing flowers on the wall of the Canadian embassy Monday morning.
Similar tributes are pouring in from around the world.