This was a major, nation-wide, sport-wide tragedy. And it involved kids. It also devastated a town and a province specifically. It involved many people dying during what has always been a very common trip on the Canadian prairies. This will continue to be a big story as this makes its way through the legal system.
People are invested in the news of it because it really hit home to many.
Personally, I'd rather read about this instead of the USA tearing itself apart on a daily basis, but that's just me.