Digital signage with the message "Dauphin Strong" is seen outside city hall in Dauphin, Man., on Saturday, June 17, 2023. Church services are to offer residents of Dauphin, Man., solace today as they mourn 15 community members who died in a highway crash that also left 10 gravely injured.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
DAUPHIN, Man. – Residents of Dauphin, Man., are expected to seek solace at church services today as they mourn 15 community members who died in a highway crash that also left 10 gravely injured.
Father Brent Kuzyk of St. George’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church says part of his liturgy is to be dedicated to victims of the crash.
He says he plans to offer prayers for those who died and speak to the community’s overall suffering.
The Ukrainian church is among many places of worship in Dauphin that are to address the tragedy during their regular Sunday services.
Deacon Frances Stewart of St. Paul’s Anglican Church says she will offer a moment of silence for those who died.
She says now is a time to offer comfort and be compassionate as people grieve.
“As Christians, we have this wonderful hope, this wonderful promise of the life to come. But at this stage, the important thing is to just get through the first few days and then to be there for the months and years to come,” Stewart said.
RCMP continue to investigate the fiery crash Thursday between a transport truck and a minibus that was carrying seniors from the Dauphin area to a casino near Carberry, Man., some 190 kilometres away.
Mounties have said the truck was travelling east on the Trans-Canada Highway when the southbound minibus crossed at an intersection.
Investigators have not yet spoken with the driver of the bus, who remains in hospital along with nine other survivors.
Kuzyk said he has spent the last few days at seniors complexes to pray with people. Some of the victims lived in the facilities.
“Simply being able to verbalize whatever they’re feeling always helps,” he said. “Since it’s such a small community, everyone knew someone on that bus or even had relatives on the bus.”
He said coming together, praying for those who died and then burying them is part of the healing process.
“When we begin to heal, we gain strength, we begin to understand and then we get to prepare our lives for the next step,” he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2023.
