Some area residents gathered over the weekend to remember the 17 victims of a tragic bus and train collision.
The crash took place on Nov. 29, 1960, when a 26-car train collided with a school bus full of children from Chipman at a rail crossing in Lamont. The train dragged the bus for nearly a kilometre before slamming it into a metal pole, which tore the bus in half.
Fifteen girls and two boys died in the incident, another 25 were injured.
The bus driver, 31-year-old Frank Budney, was driving the bus at the time. He had recently taken over as the previous driver quit due to complaints about the vehicle's brakes not being up to standard. Budney suffered serious injuries from the crash that left him drifting in and out of consciousness for weeks, but he eventually pulled through.
Budney was initially charged with criminal negligence but was later acquitted of all charges.
For years, the park directly beside the crash scene sat empty with no memorial for those who lost their lives, but that changed in 2021.
Tom Hrehroets, a long-time resident of Lamont, was able to lead the charge in building a monument that paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the accident as well as those who were able to walk away from the tragedy.
"I used to be a school bus driver here in Lamont for 35 years," said Hrehroets. "I found out about this accident as a young child and there was never a memorial or anything here and I wanted to see something done."
"Donations came in from all over the place, from all the people, and we raised lots of money."
While the monument in Lamont stands just mere feet from the crossing where the accident happened, there is also a monument in Chipman, where most of the kids on the bus were coming from.
This year marks the 62nd anniversary of the crash, and the second year that the monument has been up for everyone to see and pay their respects.
Another monument was placed in Chipman.