The truck driver involved in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash has been ordered to be deported. Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, who faced charges of dangerous driving, received the deportation order from the Immigration and Refugee Board. His lawyer is still fighting for him to stay in Canada.
More than six years after the tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash, Sidhu, who was driving the semi-truck, is set to be deported. The decision was made during a virtual hearing in Calgary.
Trent Cook, from the immigration division of the board, explained to Sidhu, “I can’t consider humanitarian and compassionate factors. My sole role today is to determine if the minister has proven that you’re inadmissible for serious criminality. I am satisfied that the minister’s report is well founded. I am required by law to issue you with a deportation order.”
According to Sidhu’s lawyer, Michael Greene, the decision was expected. “There’s no contest, which is why we conceded those points and it was over and done with within a matter of minutes,” Greene said.
Sidhu moved to Canada from India in 2014 and was living in Calgary. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for dangerous driving in the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash in Saskatchewan, which killed 16 people and injured 13 others. Sidhu drove through a stop sign, causing the collision with the Broncos’ team bus.
Scott Thomas, whose son Evan Thomas was killed in the crash, said he is not surprised by the decision but finds it unnecessary. “I feel bad for Mr. Sidhu because I don’t think this is a necessary conclusion to all of this,” Thomas said. He added that Sidhu has already served his time.
Toby Boulet, who lost his son Logan in the crash, expressed support for the deportation decision. “We are thankful for the decision today and believe that Mr. Sidhu should be deported from Canada,” Boulet stated.
Ryan Straschnitzki, a Broncos player paralyzed in the crash, finds the decision irrelevant. “From human to human, I wish him all the best. He’ll have to live with the consequence for the rest of his life,” Straschnitzki said.
Sidhu was granted full parole last year. Greene said the deportation process could take months or years and plans to file an application to restore Sidhu’s permanent resident status on humanitarian grounds. He explained that Sidhu’s child, born in Canada, has heart and lung problems and wouldn’t be safe in India.
Sidhu is struggling with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, Greene said. He is trying to stay strong for his family amid the possibility of deportation. Many believe Sidhu deserves a second chance, arguing that he has been punished enough, while others support the deportation for further punishment.