Wife of the 'Humboldt Driver' pleads for mercy

In an exclusive interview with W5, the wife of Jaskirat Sidhu says she is ‘devastated’ that he has lost his bid to stay in Canada.

What should have been a proud moment is now marred by the reality of just how far she is from the Canadian dream. On March 3, her husband’s bid to stay in this country was denied. After a 15 month review, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) rejected Jaskirat Singh’s argument against deportation to India.

Sidhu is the man etched in the minds of Canadians as “The Humboldt Driver.” On April 6, 2018, he was behind the wheel of a transport truck when he ran a stop sign and collided with the Humboldt Broncos hockey team bus. Sixteen people died and 13 others were injured.

Jaskirat Sidhu is not a Canadian citizen and, under immigration laws, anyone convicted of a crime that carries a sentence of more than six months is subject to deportation. In 2021, Sidhu’s lawyer, Michael Greene submitted a 415-page binder with his arguments against deportation, citing his client’s extreme level of remorse, no criminal history, no drugs, alcohol, excessive speed, or pattern of reckless driving, and his low risk to re-offend. CBSA has rejected Sidhu’s bid to stay in Canada and offered no substantive reasons for the decision beyond restating the laws surrounding criminal convictions and deportations.

In an exclusive interview, Sidhu’s wife Tanvir says she is devastated: “I think Canada has always believed in mercy and second chances. And I really wish that Jaskirat would be given that chance too. He has been remorseful from day one. We just really want one second chance to prove that we can be good Canadian citizens.”