‘They weren’t alone’: 1 year later, families gathering in Dauphin to remember victims of bus crash

It’s been one year since Garry Kufley lost his mom, Helen. 

The 88-year-old was among the 25 people on a bus that was hit by a semi at the intersection of Highway 5 and the Trans-Canada Highway near Carberry, Man., on June 15, 2023. The passengers, most of whom were seniors from Dauphin and the surrounding area, were on a day trip to a casino.

It was the deadliest bus crash in Manitoba history, leaving 17 people dead, including Helen. 

In the face of tragedy, Garry Kufley said his family has found comfort in thinking about how his mother would have been happy in her final moments.

 “They were on a trip with friends and doing something they liked,” he said.

“They weren’t alone.”

He and his family plan to be among the other families, community members and first responders gathering in Dauphin on Saturday, to mark the one-year anniversary of the crash. They’ll be honouring the victims with a memorial and unveiling a monument dedicated to those on the bus that day. 

The monument will sit in CN Park in the small western Manitoba city, with a bench installed beside it. 

“This is really something that came from the families,” said Martijn van Luijn, the City of Dauphin’s economic manager. 

“They wanted to have a place where people could come to and just kind of gather, or think.”

Garry Kufley said the monument will help ensure people remember the crash and lives lost.

“It’s not so much for us a reminder, because we know what happened,” he said. “But for anybody who comes to Dauphin … it’s something that people can see and know what happened.” 

88-year-old lived independently, volunteered

Helen Kufley was born in the municipality of Ethelbert, but moved to Dauphin with her husband after they sold the family farm, where they had raised their children.  

Even at 88, she lived independently, volunteered at her church and enjoyed community potlucks. 

She would walk four blocks to pick up groceries — even in winter, said Garry. 

“My only regret is that she never made it to her 90s, because her mom, grandmother and great grandmother all made it into their 90s,” he said.

Garry knew about his mom’s plans to go on the casino trip. She had always enjoyed bus trips in the past, he said. The June 15 trip would’ve been her first since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When he heard about the crash he went to Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre, where some survivors were taken, then RCMP headquarters, before going to his nephew’s home to call other hospitals in an effort to get answers about his mom. 

WATCH | The emergency response to the deadly crash on June 15, 2023:

When he returned to HSC later that night, he was told by a doctor that his mom was not among the survivors. That was later confirmed by RCMP. 

He still gets emails from the RCMP’s major crimes unit about the investigation, he said. 

At a news conference this past week, RCMP Supt. Rob Lasson said police still have not interviewed the driver of the bus due to ongoing medical issues related to the crash.  

“We have been able to talk with some of the survivors and that’s part of the investigational disclosure package that we’ve provided to the Crown,” he said Thursday.

Prosecutors will review the evidence and decide whether to recommend charges, said Lasson.

RCMP have previously said dashcam footage shows the semi, which was eastbound on the Trans-Canada, had the right of way when the southbound bus was hit.

‘The last chapter in this incident’

Lasson said the investigation has been thorough and complex, which played a role in the length of time it has taken. 

“We needed to get this right, and I’m confident that we did,” he said. “I promised the family and the public that we’d have accurate answers, and that took time.” 

Lasson hopes to get an update related to the investigation from the Crown’s office soon, he said. 

Garry Kufley understands it will take time before the investigation’s findings on what factors may have led to the crash are released.

“That will come,” he said. 

He hopes what will also come is closure for his family as they mark the anniversary of the crash on June 15. 

“That will be kind of like the last chapter in this incident,” said Garry.

For now, he does have one other reminder of his mother, who he said was always cooking for her family and would send him home after visits with food she’d made.

“We’ve even kept one container of borscht,” said Garry.

“I think we might have it when we come back from Dauphin, at my nephew’s place [on Saturday]. I hope he has some left, because there’s only enough for about three or four people.”