A federal court judge has stepped in at the eleventh hour to halt the deportation of the Calgary truck driver responsible for the catastrophic Humboldt Broncos bus crash, granting a temporary reprieve that could extend his time in Canada by several months.
Jaskirat Singh Sidhu faced removal to India on Monday morning, but his legal team successfully argued before Federal Court on Friday that the Canada Border Services Agency acted unreasonably in denying a deferral request.
The crash near Tisdale, Saskatchewan, in April 2018 claimed 16 lives and injured 13 others when Sidhu's truck drove through a stop sign directly into the path of the bus carrying members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team. The tragedy sparked an outpouring of national grief and condolence.
Sidhu, who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving charges, was sentenced to eight years in prison. Under Canadian immigration law, permanent residents convicted of crimes carrying sentences exceeding six months become ineligible to remain in the country.
Humanitarian Grounds Offer New Path
Sidhu's lawyer, Michael Greene, had requested that the Canada Border Services Agency defer deportation by 17 months while a humanitarian and compassionate application to restore his permanent resident status was reviewed. When that request was denied, Greene challenged the decision in Federal Court.
"The judge agreed with our argument, which is a very rare decision, and we now have a break of several months. In the many years this has been going on, this is the first time there has ever been a positive decision in his favour," Greene said Friday evening.
The court has issued a stay of removal pending a full Federal Court decision on whether the deferral request was handled appropriately. The delay could extend anywhere from one to eight months, according to Greene.
Family Circumstances at Heart of Appeal
Sidhu has two children, one of whom has complex medical needs requiring ongoing care. Greene noted that Sidhu himself faces significant health challenges, making the court's decision especially meaningful for the family.
Friday's ruling marks a turning point in a case that has consumed years of legal proceedings. "This is the first time there has ever been a positive decision in his favour," Greene emphasized, underscoring how rare such judicial interventions are in deportation matters.
The case now returns to Federal Court, where the broader question of whether the immigration agency acted reasonably will be examined. Legal observers note that such stays are uncommon, reflecting the judge's serious concerns about the deportation process.
This story originally appeared in the Lethbridge Herald.