WEBB— A journey of friendship brought a group of former railway workers together to honour their colleagues and present a new memorial plaque.
People travelled from across Canada, along with relatives and friends of those who died in the accident, for what became both a memorial and a celebration of life on the rails.
Those attending gathered near Webb on Tuesday to remember one of the deadliest accidents in Saskatchewan history.
Known as the CPR Steel Gang, the group reunited to dedicate a new plaque at the memorial site about two kilometres west of Webb, on the north side of the Trans-Canada Highway to remember one of the deadliest accidents in Saskatchewan history.
The gathering marked more than four decades since a 1980 crash that claimed multiple lives when a bus carrying railway workers was involved in a three‑vehicle collision with a car and a semi‑truck hauling liquid asphalt. The collision caused the bus to overturn before being struck by the tanker, igniting a fire that killed the driver and most of the passengers.
While the tragedy remains central to the memorial, Monday’s event focused equally on remembering the lives and friendships behind the names.
“Today is about telling the story — putting the names with what happened — but also remembering the good times,” said organizer Alan Gee.
Events began at the Webb Community Hall before moving to the memorial site for the plaque of dedication. A community supper followed, along with a screening of a short concept film, Steel Gang: The Ties That Bind, and a discussion.
Gee said the idea for the project grew out of conversations with fellow former workers reconnecting decades after their time on the railway.
“We started this process about two years ago,” he said. “We realized we had all been friends for nearly 50 years and didn’t know where everyone was. So we tracked people down and started reconnecting.”
Those efforts eventually led to the involvement of a film company and a return to hands‑on rail work for the group, including time spent working alongside a crew on a heritage railway in Manitoba.
“We hadn’t driven spikes in 50 years,” Gee said. “After a week, we were pretty sore, but it brought everything back.”
The project also became a way to learn more about the accident itself. During filming in Webb prior, the group met Brent Cammer, a first responder who attended the 1980 crash.
Cammer said the new plaque helps provide context for visitors.
“People would see the names, but not fully understand what happened,” he said. “Now they can stop and learn the story.”
Among those attending Monday’s ceremony was Derald Flamand, who now resides in New Westminster, B.C, and is one of the few surviving passengers from the crash. Flamand, who was 18 at the time, lost two cousins in the accident.
This gathering brought eventually together both those directly affected and others who became connected through shared history.
For participant Peter Hoag, the event reflected the enduring bonds formed during their time with the railway. “It started with a journey of friendship. All of us are getting together. The guys who worked there between 1974 and 1977. Before the accident. Mike was a good friend of ours and was a pretty important part of our story and our journey. We don’t know where the journey is going to go. Friendships don’t die. They just get put on hold. So now we are all together again (the six Steel gang guys with Alan Gee, Peter Hoag, Bernard Aubin, John Alexander, Bob Berlinger and Brian Petynko). This is another part of our journey. We don't know where we are going to go but the significance is the influence we had on other people and the value they found in us being here.
“The story doesn't really end here in terms of the accident that happened to the individuals but it’s really about the life they lead. The Gang. Leading up to the accident. We lead that life up to accidents. We had fun. It was hard work. What we wanted to do is tell some stories about how good life was and how difficult it was. And how it helped us in our futures.”
Sometimes dedications are about sadness. This one was a celebration. A celebration of the jobs they had. The friends they once knew, and the thankfulness of knowing that there are others who still think of the times gone by.
