(Calgary) The driver of the tractor-trailer that caused the tragic bus accident involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team in 2018 received a deportation order Friday to his country of origin, India.
Jaskirat Singh Sidhu was granted parole after being sentenced to eight years in prison for dangerous driving causing a bus crash that left 16 dead and 13 injured in Saskatchewan.
The Immigration and Refugee Board announced its decision following a 15-minute virtual hearing Friday in Calgary.
“I can’t take into account humanitarian and compassionate factors,” said Commissioner Trent Cook, who chaired the hearing. “My only role today is to determine whether the Minister has established the facts that support his allegation that you are inadmissible for serious criminality.
“I am convinced that the minister’s report is well founded. I am therefore required by law to issue you an eviction order,” the commissioner concluded.
Mr. Sidhu, who has permanent resident status in Canada, remained impassive when reading the decision. His lawyer, Michael Greene, had already admitted that the decision was a foregone conclusion, because all that was needed to deport his client was proof that he was not a Canadian citizen and that he had committed a serious crime.
On April 6, 2018, the rookie truck driver, a Calgary resident, “ran” a mandatory stop at the intersection of a rural Saskatchewan road and found himself in the path of the bus carrying the team of junior hockey.
Mr Sidhu pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was sentenced to eight years in prison. He was granted full parole last year.
Other remedies, according to the lawyer
Me Greene said there were other legal and procedural remedies and that Mr. Sidhu may not be deported to India for months or even years.
The lawyer planned to ask the government to restore Mr. Sidhu’s permanent resident status on humanitarian grounds. He said immigration officials would examine Mr. Sidhu’s actions, his remorse and whether he poses a security risk or danger to the public.
“They also look at other factors, including whether the person is settled in Canada, family ties, the best interests of a child or the difficulties that might arise if they were returned,” Ms.e Greene.
Mr. Sidhu and his wife now have a child born in Canada, the lawyer noted. This child suffers from serious heart and lung complications, he said. “This has been a difficult time for them and this child needs a lot of medical attention. »
The families of the victims are divided
Several family members of the accident victims said they wanted the driver deported. But Scott Thomas, whose 18-year-old son Evan was killed, has forgiven Mr. Sidhu and wants him to stay in Canada.
Chris Joseph, whose 20-year-old son Jaxon lost his life, is relieved by the deportation order. “It is not a death sentence, as some would have you believe: he simply lost the privilege of remaining in this country,” Mr. Joseph said in an interview.
“We cannot begin to heal our wounds as long as we continue to see the face [de Sidhu] all over the media and hearing the different opinions of people who have not lost anyone [dans cette tragédie]. This should only concern the victims and their families. »
Shauna Nordstrom, who lost her 18-year-old son in the crash, said the eviction would allow justice to be served. “Logan didn’t get a chance, let alone a second chance,” she said in a statement. “If Sidhu truly wanted to feel remorse and do what was right and honorable, he would have left Canada years ago. »