By Canadian Press

Alberta city to honour Broncos victim with arena naming and ‘Green Shirt Day’

Apr 1, 2019 | 7:27 PM

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — The Alberta hometown for a victim of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash will name an arena after him, and will also make an exception to a decades-old rule that prohibited its mayor from issuing proclamations.

Councillors in Lethbridge voted unanimously Monday to approve a name change that will see Adams Park Ice Centre become Logan Boulet Arena.

They also voted 8-1 to direct the mayor’s office, as a one-time exception, to proclaim April 7, 2019, as “Green Shirt Day” in the city.

The day is meant to honour the 21-year-old defenceman’s life and his contribution to organ donation, which has been called the Logan Boulet Effect.

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Lethbridge councillors passed a resolution in 1999 stating the mayor’s office would discontinue its long-standing practice of issuing proclamations.

But Coun. Blaine Hyggen, who introduced the resolution, said it was important that the city where Boulet grew up to acknowledge the contributions he made.

“This movement has been unbelievable. The Logan Boulet Effect has changed so many lives and will continue to do so. For that reason I thought it was extremely important,” Hyggen said.

Sixteen people died and 13 were injured when the hockey team’s bus was hit by a transport truck on a Saskatchewan highway on April 6, 2018.

Prior to his death, Boulet decided to become an organ donor.

Six organ recipients benefited from his decision, and it inspired more than 100,000 Canadians to register as organ donors in the following weeks.

Coun. Joe Mauro opposed the resolution to allow the mayor’s proclamation, noting he didn’t want to set a precedent.

The city’s administration will work to make the name change on the arena in preparation for next hockey season.

(LethbridgeNewsNOW)

The Canadian Press