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Statue of Humboldt coach killed in bus crash created in Cochrane

COCHRANE— A bronze statue honouring a junior hockey coach killed in the deadly Humboldt bus crash designed by Studio West Bronze Foundry & Art Gallery was unveiled this weekend in Peace River.
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A bronze statue created by Studio West Bronze Foundry & Art Gallery honouring a junior hockey coach Darcy Haugan who was killed in the 2018 Humboldt Bronco’s bus crash in unveiled in Peace River. Photo by Don Begg

COCHRANE— A bronze statue honouring a junior hockey coach killed in the deadly Humboldt bus crash designed by Studio West Bronze Foundry & Art Gallery was unveiled this weekend in Peace River.

Darcy Haugan, 42, was one of 16 people who died after the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team's bus and a semi collided at a crossroads in Saskatchewan on April 6, 2018.

In honour of his legacy the Peace River North Peace Navigators Junior B hockey team commission the bronze from Shirley Begg and her husband Don.

Begg said it was an honour creating the statue of the celebrated the coach. She added she and her husband were grateful and fortunate to work with Haugan’s family, who live in Cochrane, when creating the work of art.

They worked as a team to create the work of art.

“They participated fully in helping us get a likeness of Darcy and they helped us with all the details that make it accurate and authentic,” Begg said. “It’s a statue that will be familiar to players and people that he worked with.”

The statue took about 18 months to complete. In the beginning, they had many discussions on the best way to celebrate and represent Haugan. Begg praised his family for their expertise and compassion in helping the Beggs capture a portrayal that was accurate and authentic.

“It was a collaboration— We had the artistic input,” Begg said. “We relied on them to give us the detail.”

Looking at the completed and installed statue, Begg said, she was pleased that it will serve as a legacy honouring his lasting impact on Peace River.

“He symbolizes a lot of good,” Begg said. “He had a lasting impact and the statue will have a lasting place in Peace River.”

While they were brought together under tragic circumstances, Begg said, they were united in the goal of creating a statue that honoured a very special man.

The more they learned about Haugan, Begg said, the more amazed they became with his lasting legacy.

Begg described Haugan as an inspirational teacher who taught his players to care about their families, hockey, team and community.

Haugan launched the North Peace Navigators with Albert Cooper. Begg said the team served as a way to counteract the negative influence many young men experience.

“They both had this vision that they wanted to make good citizens and to make them care about family, to have ethical standards and be good hockey players,” Begg said. “He led by example.”

Haugan had a massive influence on hundreds of players, she said, explaining that he left a mark on the community living there for 12 years.

Begg added during his time as coach for the Navigators Haugan led his team to five league championships.

The base of the statue looks like ice and has five pucks symbolizing his five championships. Begg added that during practices he would pass a puck to players and she hopes when people look at the statue they feel like he is in the middle of coaching.

“It looks like a moment in time that people out in the area, players, their families can almost think ‘I saw that,’” Begg said. “We wanted it to be familiar that’s why every detail had to be right.”

There is also a special subtle hockey skate with a cross pinned to the statue's chest that is worn by the coach to represent his faith and love of hockey.

The statue was designed to evoke Haugan lifting up his whistle, looking like he was at practice ready to guide his players.

Begg said she likes to think some of his players who are parents now will be able to share the statue with their children to explain the impact Haugan had on their lives.

While working on the statue, Begg said, they were pleased the bronze focused on the amazing legacy of Haugan, while honouring the tragedy of the Humboldt bus crash.

The piece of art serves as a way to celebrate the life of an incredible hockey coach, she said, while honouring a tragic moment in Canadian history.

“It is about this hockey coach who was a mentor to so many young men and guided them through their careers in hockey and into society as good citizens,” Begg said.

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