Counsellors, therapy dog help students cope after deadly crash in western Manitoba

Crisis team counsellors and support staff are at several western Manitoba schools to help students and staff cope with a fatal crash last week that claimed the lives of four young peopleduring spring break.

Students returned to classes Monday for the first time since the crash just before 11 p.m. onMarch 29, whichalso sent a fifth personto hospitalin critical condition.

"We're just wanting to create the environment where everyone can feel safe and be able to talk," said Mountain View School Division superintendent Stephen Jaddock."It's a tragic situation and we all want to get through it together."

The five teens were in a car that went through a stop sign and collided with a semi-trailer at the intersection of Provincial Road 274 and Highway 5 in Gilbert Plains, 30 kilometres west of Dauphin, in western Manitoba.

Chris Swintak and Alexandra Watt, both 18, and two 17-year-olds, all from Dauphin,were killed. Watt had just moved to the area from Carberry, Man.

Hanna Yurkiw, 15, from Dauphin, was the lone survivor from the car and is being treated at the Children's Hospital in Winnipeg.

The 30-year-old driver of the semi, from Saskatoon, wasn't hurt.

Jaddock said Monday wasa quiet, sombre day, but students are starting to open up and talk and try to process what happened.

In addition to counsellors atGilbert Plains Collegiate, a therapy dog has been made available.The two17-year-old boys were students at that school.

Yurkiw and Swintak were students at Dauphin Regional.

Swintakwas in Grade 12 and set to graduate in June.

Jaddock said the division identified a total of five schools for support "just based on connections with the individuals that were involved."

Counsellors will be on hand at the schools for the rest of the week at least, Jaddock said.

"As our critical incident response team liaises with the principals of the schoolsto see what is needed, we will continue to support them as necessary," he said.

"Maybe some students that didn't feel comfortable talking today are going to talk tomorrow or the next day."

Neighbouring school divisions have offered supportpersonnel andsome of them areinMountain View Division schools this week, Jaddock said.

Flags across the division have been lowered to half-mast for the week in honour of those who were in the crash.

"We're all just still in a state of shock," Jaddock said. "[It's] just unimaginable, just a tragedy of tragedies when you have young lives lost."

The tragic accident came up in question period at the Manitoba Legislature where both Manitoba NDP leader and premier offered condolences to the families impacted.

"I don't know how much comfort words can provide at a moment like this, but I do want to say to the families, friendsand everybody in the Parkland as well as in Carberry, that the whole province is with you right now. We've got your backs and we will be there to support you," said Wab Kinew.

Premier Heather Stefanson added: "Our thoughts and condolences go out and prayers go out to the families of the individuals who perished. These are teenagers who lost their lives in this accident."