The grief isn't gone 5 years after the Humboldt Broncos crash, but for some it's softer

Bernadine and Toby Boulet say they are still coming to terms with their son's death, even though he's been gone for years.

They've noticed theboys their son Logan knew growing tall and moving into adulthood. 

"I looked at pictures to compare and it really hit me that Logan's pictures aren't going to change. Everybody else gets to change. I thought about that lots before, but it's really starting to hit," Toby said. "After five years, there's a difference."

Logan Boulet played defence for the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team. He was one of the 16 people who died after team's bus collided with a semi that had blown through a stop sign in rural Saskatchewan on April 6, 2018. The thirteen others travelling on the bus were injured.

There will be a memorial event Thursday at the Elgar Petersen Arena in Humboldt, planned by the city and the Broncos families. The rink will be open from 4:45 p.m. to 5:30 pm. CST, and tribute videos will also be posted online. 

Church bells will toll in the city 29 times around 4:50 p.m., the approximate time of the crash. Mayor Behiel encouraged all people to observe a moment of silence, no matter where they may be.

The Boulets said that at times it feels like the unthinkable tragedy happened yesterday, and other times it feels like a lifetime ago.

Their day-to-day decisions are still influenced by the loss. Chocolate milk, eggnog and frozen pizza are all off limits at the grocery store. They're too intertwined with memories of their son. 

"You're supposed to lose your parents, you're supposed to, before you …" Bernadine paused, allowing tears to fall. "You're not supposed to lose your child."

Despite the trauma, the Boulets — and others affected by the crash — have been able to move forward.