The City of Humboldt is expecting a shipment of 1,000 tulip bulbs in Broncos colours any day now.
The bulbs are a gift from Charlottetown, PEI-based company Vesey’s Seeds and are intended to serve as a memorial for the Humboldt Broncos players, personnel and community members who died when The Broncos’ bus crashed in April. The Golden Apeldoorn tulips were ordered from Holland, and feature bright golden blooms.
Penny Lee, communications manager with the City of Humboldt, said the city and the Humboldt Broncos board are determining where the tulips should be planted, and have not yet made a decision.
“Where we’re putting them, we’re not certain,” Lee said. “It could take between 100 and 200 square feet to plan all of them in one spot. We might have to divide them up through the city. That is one thing we’ve touched on.”
Lee said the organizations have considered planting them in pots, to make it easier to swap them out if required, as tulips have a limited growing season.
“Even if we were to plant them at the entrance to the city, they would look wonderful in spring, but then what, for the rest of the year?” said Lee.
The bulbs must be planted in the fall for spring blooms.
The bulbs are just one of many gifts Humboldt has received in an outpouring of sympathy and support from the community and beyond.
“It’s slowed down a bit now... initially it was everyday, constant,” said Lee, who added the City of Humboldt has worked in conjunction with the Broncos board to decide where to put gifts they have received, which range from small tokens from local children to an 11-foot tall wood carving of a Broncos player with wings.
“Right now we have it in our curling rink, because we don’t know where to put it. Things are still just showing up,” she said.
A committee will be struck to organize a permanent memorial for the deceased bus passengers, which will include members of council, Broncos board members and families of the players, but Lee said it will be some time before the memorial is organized.
In the meantime, the city and the Broncos board are working together to handle gifts as they arrive.
“We’re so appreciative. We just want to say thank you to everyone who has contributed. It just shows the tremendous amount of support everyone has given us. We are thankful for every single item that has come to us.”
