Nelson Coupland and his wife Cheryl own a small business in Foam Lake. A true shared passion of theirs is the art of woodcarving.

After years of competing and winning awards in their self-taught hobby, the Couplands have recently begun to teach local would-be woodcarving enthusiasts about the craft.  However, all projects were halted after hearing the word about the Humboldt Broncos bus crash.

Like many people touched by the April 6th accident, Coupland decided to use his creative skills to produce a memorial tribute for the Broncos organization.

His motivation came after a conversation Coupland had at the time with a former fire chief in Foam Lake. They discussed how being involved in such a tragedy affects first responders. That conversation prompted Coupland to think about the witnesses who help out *before* the first responders arrive, and their role on-scene at such an accident.

"They're really the heroes of the world; (those) who turn around and stop and help people in need. That kept running through my head. I wanted to make sure this memorial was not just for the lives lost, but for the lives that were changed by the event," says Coupland.

The hand-carved Humboldt Broncos piece has taken Coupland quite a while to complete. He estimates between 70-80 hours have been put into the memorial. The carving is made with butternut (akin to white walnut) wood and finished with a "thinned-out wash of colour" to add to the visual impact.

Now complete, Coupland hopes it will serve as a lasting tribute to the many people involved in the tragedy.

"As far removed as I am from it, I know I'm never going to forget it. It's meant something to me, so how much more does it mean to those people who were directly involved in ANY capacity?" Coupland questions thoughtfully.