Jordan Caldwell described as “rock star,” Evan remembered as a gifted engineering student

Support is being offered to students, their families, and staff after twin brothers were killed and six of their friends were injured following an after-hours toboggan ride at Canada Olympic Park early Saturday morning.

The Calgary Board of Education said they have a whole range of responses, including counselling, to deal with tragedies like this.

17-year-old twins Jordan and Evan Caldwell both attended Westmount Charter School before Evan transferred to Ernest Manning High School.

Superintendent of Westmount Charter School, Joe Frank, said they have been talking with teachers about how they should discuss what happened with students.

“It’s important for us to remember that the students involved in this event are teenagers. They make some decisions about the kind of activities that they want to get involved in. Sometimes it will be a bad decision, which can lead to a tragic ending and I think we need to have our students, as much as possible, think about (how) that can happen to anybody. It can happen to them and it’s not about judging what decisions this group of students made,” said Frank.

He added Jordan was a great role model.

“He was our student’s council president. A very active, very popular student right from grade 5 to 12. The little guys called him a rock star. Evan started here in grade 5 and then he went to Ernest Manning, primarily because there was an engineering program there. In fact, he’s been accepted at Queen’s (University) to pursue engineering. He left for grade 11 and 12 and went to Ernest Manning.”

Max Niu came to the two memorials Sunday to remember his classmate at Ernest Manning High School.

He says Evan was creative and a really nice guy.

“I was kind of shocked. You’ve never been through this kind of thing before,” he told CityNews.

Adam Najmmedine was also there to pay his respects.

“He was in my calculus class, and physics class, we actually always sat together and did exams together. We always like, talked answers,” he said. “It’s not going to be the same no more.”

Liability lawyers are split as to whether WinSport could be held responsible for the boys’ deaths.

Scott Cozens says the facility’s argument that the boys were trespassing isn’t necessarily a slam-dunk defence.

“As a principle of law, you can be negligent if somebody drowns in your swimming pool, even though you didn’t let them in. Even if you had a fence,” he said.

For now, Najmeddine is left speechless: “I just broke down. I was really sad.”

Memorials have also been set up on each floor at Westmount Charter School.

Photos courtesy of Darren Wright, City