Forty-eight days after setting out on foot from Sioux Lookout, Ont., 24-year-old Rance Cardinal has made it to Humboldt, Sask..
Hundreds of residents walked through the streets of Humboldt with Cardinal as he arrived after the 1,200 kilometre journey, including family members of the Broncos, with the procession ending at a local arena for a ceremony.
The former Junior B hockey player set out on foot last month to honour the victims of the April 6 Humboldt Broncos bus crash, which killed 16 and injured 13 others.
Cardinal’s journey spanned three provinces.
“It didn’t matter how far it was,” Cardinal told CTV Saskatoon. “Not one bit of quitting ran through my mind.”
The crash hit close to home for Cardinal, who lost his brother and a close friend in 2013. He says the trip has helped him rediscover himself for the first time since the loss.
“As the days passed on, it was like I got myself stronger mentally and physically, emotionally,” Cardinal said. “And I’d like to pass that strength on to the people of Humboldt.”
Cardinal says he plans on staying in Humboldt for three days, where he hopes to play some ball hockey with the locals before returning home to Ontario. This time, he will be travelling by car.
With files from CTV Saskatoon’s Stephanie Villella.
