Saskatchewan’s Hunter Brothers are on the road, but even with the distance home is very much in their hearts.
The five brothers are from Shaunavon, a town of 1,800 located southwest of Swift Current.
“There were three different ways of life there for us: Music, farming and hockey,” explained Ty Hunter.
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‘Where I Want To Live When I Die’ was originally penned as a track defining who the Hunter Brothers are. They have performed it many times, but over the past couple of weeks it has begun to take on new significance.
Luke, J.J., Ty, Brock and Dusty Hunter performed at the funerals for Humboldt Broncos team statistician Brody Hinz and head coach Darcy Haugan.
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“To see the heartbreak, to see the difficulties and the pain of loss and tragedy that the families are experiencing, that the billet families are experiencing… is truly devastating,” said Ty.
In an emotional post on Twitter, they opened up about their connection to Haugan and Canadian hockey. They knew Haugan through Briercrest Bible College in Caronport, Saskatchewan.
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The brothers themselves played in the SJHL, WHL and NHL.
They still farm and now hit the road together as well. They’re on tour opening for country duo High Valley.
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“Growing up in a farming community the whole mentality you’re brought up with is if your neighbour’s in trouble, you go and help them,” said J.J.
“There’s that idea and that understanding that, ‘Hey, we rode buses across Canada.’ For us it was western Canada primarily — for years and years and years — and that could have been us.”
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Luke played for the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL for five seasons. The team suffered their own heartbreak in December 1986 when four players were killed in a horrific bus crash.
“We had their emblem… we wore them with us all the time. It was very prevalent and so this thing was very real when the bus accident happened with the Humboldt Broncos,” said Luke.
At an appearance in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, the band donned T-shirts in support of the Humboldt Broncos.
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“It was a local person in our small town that we asked if they could make the T-shirts … and they were available to be sold,” explained Brock.
The band said funds raised were donated to the families affected by the tragedy.
On April 27, they are slated to perform alongside Canadian country superstars for a tribute concert dedicated to the Humboldt Broncos.