A Canadian flag ripples in the cool breeze above a collection of tokens and tributes that are almost sculptural in their arrangement: a weight bench and barbell, hockey sticks, bits of a car that was struck so hard a door handle was found on the other side of the highway.

Every piece means something, and has been carefully assembled twice now, as the memorial to DJ Hancock, killed this summer by a drunk driver on the southwest bypass, takes shape in a new location off a cul-de-sac near Countryside Arena.

"The biggest thing here is safety," says DJ’s father Dean on Sunday, as family and friends gather to resituate the shrine and pay their respects. "We don’t want any parents to have to go through what we’re going through. You have to be proactive."

The collection of sports gear and other items was originally put together by friends and teammates of DJ (properly Dean Jr.) at the accident site.

"We (the family) had nothing to do with it," says Dean Sr. "It was the boys who did it."

Many of those "boys" — actually young men; DJ was 18 when he died — are present on this day to make sure the tribute to their friend is properly erected anew.

"We were fully understanding that it had to be moved," says Frankie Anzil, a friend of DJ’s since childhood. "We didn’t want anyone out there getting distracted, and it was an issue of personal safety, too, because we would hang out there."

Anzil says the idea of a memorial came about almost immediately. "It was something we felt was appropriate at the time," he says. "We wanted to build something. We just didn’t know what at first."

The friends each had memories of DJ and also keepsakes that spoke to his character and their feelings about him, so it came together quickly and organically.

"We spent an afternoon out there building what we call ‘The Site,’" says Anzil. "And we would go out there a lot, especially in the first few weeks. It was a spot to reflect and tell stories."

DJ was a talented hockey player, a member of Nickel Capital Wolves midget team, and many hockey sticks adorn the site, including one that’s "actually a stick he broke, and we put back together," says Anzil.

There are also medals and trophies from his sporting feats, and protein powder, because DJ was fanatical about weight training and fitness. And there’s a Guitar Hero instrument that derives from a year when DJ and Anzil got obsessed with becoming rock gods.

Somewhat more macabre are the scraps of DJ’s Subaru that Anzil and others salvaged from the sides of the highway. "The debris field was huge," says his friend. "We all went the morning after and found some parts of his car."

DJ’s mother Kim says the new site is appropriate, as "it’s close to the arena, where he spent a lot of time." And while it might not mark the exact spot he died, "at least the boys can come here and be safe."

Kim says she has visited the memorial in the past, but only a few times, as the experience is too painful. "It’s upsetting to go there," she says. "The whole night comes rushing back to you."

She may, however, be more inclined to stop by the new location, since it isn’t tied so directly to the scene of the accident. It’s also closer to where the Hancocks live.

Mostly, though, the parents are glad their son’s friends still have a spot to honour DJ. "I just worry about the boys," says Kim. "They need a place to go."

A few of DJ’s pals, including Anzil, continue to visit the Hancock household, and that’s been a great help in moving ahead after such an incredible loss, says Kim. "They’ve been awesome," she says. "A few came to see us Friday night, just talking. It’s good therapy for us."

The Hancock household was already something of a second home for many of these young men. "We’re family people and never minded having them around," says Kim. "At least if they were at our place, you knew where they were."

On prom night last year, the Hancocks welcomed DJ and his gang to whoop it up in their garage. "They were all respectful and we made sure no-one was drinking and driving," notes the mom. "Overall, it isn’t these young kids who are doing that. It’s the 30- to 60-year-olds."

Dean’s brother Barry says it’s been difficult to adjust in the wake of DJ’s death. "It changed our lives, for everyone in the family," he says. "It’s brutal."

The uncle is angry, too, that impaired drivers who kill someone aren’t punished more severely. "If they knew they’ll get put away for life, or a minimum of 15 years, it would change a lot of people’s thoughts about drinking and driving," he says.

(The man who killed DJ, Walter Carter, 39 received five years after pleading guilty to impaired driving causing death).

DJ’s elder sister Jaymie-Lyne has become a vocal advocate for sober driving, speaking at the launch of the red ribbon campaign last weekend to remind the public that such reckless and needless behaviour can leave families like hers reeling in shock and grief.

The tragedy also affected the police officers, paramedics and firefighters who responded to the August accident, and many of them were on hand yesterday to form an honour guard for the movement of the roadside shrine.

"The community support has been overwhelming," says Dean. "It’s unbelievable. When something happens, the community really pulls through, and it opens your eyes to how people are."

Before the group disperses, Anzil arranges a few last mementos on the memorial, including a cross made from a pair of hockey stick shafts.

He’s pretty confident DJ would be pleased to be remembered this way. "He’d think this is great," he says. "He’d also be the kind of guy to laugh about it, wonder why we’re going to all this trouble. Like ‘c’mon, move on.’ But he would do the exact same thing for us."

jim.moodie@sunmedia.ca