MP pays tribute to Walkerton crash victims on Parliament Hill

On Tuesday, he read a statement on Parliament Hill paying tribute to four local teenagers and their coach killed in a crash.

Alex Ruff, MP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, usually rises in the federal legislature to talk about local projects or share his concerns about the direction of the government.

On Tuesday, he read a statement he didn’t want to have to, paying tribute to four local teenagers and their coach killed in a crash near London on May 23.

Olivia Rourke, Kaydance Ford, Rowan Mcleod, Danica Baker, and their coach Mat Eckert, were killed when the vehicle Eckert was driving collided with a transport truck. They were on their way home to Walkerton after capturing silver at a school softball tournament in Dorchester when the crash happened.

“Although Walkerton is in the riding of Huron-Bruce, two of the four teenage girls, Rowan McLeod and Kaydance Ford, were part of the Tara Twins Minor Softball Team in my hometown, and all the victims had families in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound,” said Ruff.

“On behalf of all the constituents of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound and all Canadians, my deepest condolences to all the families, friends, communities, impacted by this terrible tragedy. May they rest in peace,” he continued.

In the days following the tragedy, residents of Walkerton, and across the region, put out running shoes and baseball bats on their front steps in a show of support for the families of the victims.

A fundraiser for the victims’ families has raised $213,438. Another fundraiser for scholarships in the students’ and coach’s names has reached $12,175.

Shows of support for the victims’ families and their school, Walkerton District Community School, have also be delivered from the Tennessee Women’s Softball Team and the Humboldt Broncos Hockey Team.