Manitoba has recognized 134 first responders for their bravery in responding to the Carberry bus crash, one of the province’s deadliest collisions in recent history. Premier Wab Kinew awarded the Order of the Buffalo Hunt to emergency personnel who risked their lives during the June 15, 2023, crash that claimed 17 lives.
Kinew emphasized the selflessness of the responders, saying, “When we think of the first responders and how they stepped up and answered the call that day…they went towards the crisis instead of running away.”
The recipients included members of various fire departments, emergency medical services, and air ambulance crews who were involved in the immediate response. Personnel from the Carberry North Cypress-Langford Fire Department, Brandon Fire and Emergency Services, Neepawa Volunteer Fire Department, Shared Health Emergency Response Services, STARS air ambulance, and Manitoba RCMP were among those honoured.
Two Saskatchewan Lifeguard air ambulance crews, responsible for transporting patients from Brandon to Winnipeg, were also inducted into the Order.
Several leaders from the responding agencies, including fire chiefs Keith Loney of Carberry and Yves Guillas of Neepawa, were present at the ceremony, held at the Legislative Building in Winnipeg, to accept the award on behalf of their teams.