‘We will remember’: Tributes pour in for soldiers killed in fiery incident at Alberta military base
The mother of one of the men killed in a deadly fire at an Alberta military base says her son was a bright light who wanted to serve his country.
Pte. Aidan Goulding, from 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, died Saturday after a grass fire swept through Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, killing four soldiers and leaving dozens more grievously injured.
Goulding's mother, Sonia Monk, told CBC News she knew exactly where her son was when she heard that a fire had broken out at the base.
“Aidan always told us where he was going, always told us that he loved us,” she said Sunday.
Monk said she learned that her son had died late Saturday night. Officers came to her door in British Columbia around 11 p.m.
At the sound of the bell, she said she and her husband knew instantly that something horrible had happened.
Monk said she had been trying desperately to reach her son all throughout the afternoon and evening but got no response.
“And I just kept hoping,” she said. “But they showed up at the door.”
'The light of my life'
Monk described her son as an exceptional athlete, a natural leader and a passionate young man who always accomplished his goals.
She said Goulding, 23, had only joined the military in February of this year.
He previously worked as a mechanic and loved the work because he was passionate about cars, she said, adding he only recently realized he had a different calling.
Goulding told his family that he wanted to serve his country. He enlisted, completed his basic training and quickly felt at home in the military, Monk said. His goal was to work for the military's special operations and then move on to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
“He was always the guy who kept everybody's spirits up,” she said. “He really was the light of my life.
“And he really, really loved his new family.”
At a news conference in Edmonton on Sunday, officials confirmed there were many people who had been taking part in the training exercise that were badly burned.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said 39 of the patients remained in hospital and at least 19 among them were in critical condition.
The loss of life and injuries are heartbreaking, Smith said.
“To the families who lost loved ones, an entire province and millions of Canadians nationwide grieve with you,” she said.
“To our injured and to our military community, and to the people of Wainwright, Alberta stands shoulder to shoulder with you, and not just today in the immediate aftermath, but every step of the way along the road to recovery.
“In the days ahead, our thoughts remain with everyone affected by this tragedy.”
The cause of the fire and reports that the flames set off a series of blasts, remain under investigation.
All four of the dead were based in Alberta but hailed from communities across Western Canada. Their names were revealed for the first time Sunday.
Sgt. Morgan Wong, from the Loyal Edmonton Regiment serving with 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), hailed from Edmonton.
Pte. Shaun Farrell, from 3rd Battalion PPCLI, was from Prince Albert, Sask. Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, from 3rd Battalion PPCLI, was from Langley, B.C. Goulding was originally from North Vancouver.
In a post on social media Sunday, 49th Battalion, Loyal Edmonton Regiment Association said its members were deeply saddened by the loss of Wong and all others who lost their lives.
“On behalf of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment Association, we extend our heartfelt condolences to their families, friends, and fellow soldiers. Our thoughts and prayers are also with the injured, their loved ones, and everyone affected by this tragedy.
“We will remember them.”
In a statement Sunday, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe offered his condolences to the victims and their families, particularly Farrell, a Saskatchewan soldier. He also thanked first responders, medical teams and emergency crews who continue to support those affected.
“This is a heartbreaking loss for the Canadian Armed Forces, the Wainwright community, and families across Canada," Moe wrote.
"Shaun was a young man full of promise who chose to serve his country. His loss will be felt deeply by his family, friends, fellow service members, and all who knew him.
“As we remember Shaun and the other service members who lost their lives, we also keep those injured and their loved ones in our thoughts.”
Shaun Farrell of Saskatchewan was among four soldiers killed after a fire swept across CFB Wainwright Saturday afternoon. (Patricia Farrell/Facebook)
Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland, inaugural commander of the revitalized 1st Canadian Division, told reporters that the fire that sparked Saturday afternoon moved rapidly across the prairie landscape amid fierce and shifting winds, catching troops at CFB Wainwright by surprise on the field.
Rutland said the grass fire was initially burning about a kilometre away from Canadian Armed Forces members during training exercises.
'A fire right on top of them'
Range control officials managing the training exercise were aware of the fire for hours but ruled that it was sufficiently under control that training exercises were allowed to continue, Rutland said.
But the winds suddenly and violently shifted, he said, pushing the fire in towards service members. Within seconds, the flames descended upon the soldiers.
"I spoke to my commander on the ground," Rutland explained. "He said, within 30 seconds to a minute, they saw no fire, and then there was a fire right on top of them."
What happened next remains under investigation, Rutland said. He explained that the training exercise taking place involved live munitions. On one range, soldiers were throwing hand grenades, while on another range soldiers were conducting what the military calls a section attack.
Rutland said the strength of the fire seen on the landscape could have been made worse by a number of munitions and weapons involved in the training exercises.
“There was a multitude of ordinances moving through the Wainwright training area,” he said.
“Grenade launchers, grenades, small arms, ammunition — quite frankly, it could have been any of that or none of it.”
Rutland said there will be a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, what caused the flames to spread, how the fire moved unseen across the landscape and if the base responded appropriately to the threat posed by the grass fire.
WATCH | Fire sweeps across training field at Alberta base:
CFB Wainwright fire started during multiple training exercises
3 hours ago|
Duration
1:59
A lethal fire broke out at CFB Wainwright in Alberta on Saturday. Authorities say four members of the Canadian Armed Forces were killed and dozens more injured.The wounded are being cared for at hospitals in Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer. Due to the severity of their injuries, provincial health officials have said many of those injured face a long and difficult recovery.
National Defence Minister David McGuinty spoke at the same news conference with Smith and Rutland Sunday. He said the soldiers and reservists involved in the tragedy at CFB Wainwright are from across the country.
"This loss reaches communities in every province," he said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has called the deadly fire one of the worst tragedies for the Canadian Armed Forces on Canadian soil in peacetime.
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