A community gathering for reflection and support will be held at the University of Victoria on Tuesday, Sept. 17 to provide students, faculty and staff with a space to unite and reflect in the wake of the recent bus accident in which two students died and several were injured.

Everyone is welcome to attend the event organized by UVic in collaboration with University of Victoria Students’ Society (UVSS). The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at BiblioCafé, on the ground floor of the Mearns Centre for Learning (McPherson Library), with brief remarks from university and UVSS leaders. UVic support staff will be present to assist members of UVic’s community. This venue is in the heart of campus, yet there is limited space so please arrive on time.

On Monday, the identities of the two students who died were made public.

“As the university continues to grieve and come together over the tragic accident Sept. 13, it is with a heavy heart that I share that the young people who died were first-year biology students John Geerdes, 18, from Iowa City, Iowa, and Emma Machado, also 18, from Winnipeg, Manitoba,” said Robin Hicks, acting dean of the Faculty of Science.

“Although they had just begun their academic studies at UVic, both of these students demonstrated a love of marine biology and a passion for the natural world.”

While the families of these young adults allowed the university to share their son’s and daughter’s information, they are asking for their privacy to be respected at this time.