Deceased soldiers from CFB Wainwright to carry this Remembrance Day, Carney tells House

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OTTAWA — Four more names will be added to the rolls of Canadian military members who gave their lives in the line of duty.

In a late-morning address in the House of Commons on Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the four Canadian Army soldiers who perished during a training exercise at CFB Wainwright will be among the names Canadians carry with them this coming Remembrance Day.

“In a few weeks, Canadians will gather at cenotaphs across this country, including the one in Wainwright,” Carney said during the speech.

“We will remember those who’ve sacrificed so we can live freely. This year, we will carry more names with us.”

Flames travelled nearly a kilometre in less than a minute: PM

Four Canadian soldiers died in the massive blaze that swept through the training grounds on Saturday.

They include three members of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry —  Pte. Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver, B.C., Pte. Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Sask., and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark of Langley, B.C., as well as reservist Sgt. Morgan Wong of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment.

Thirty-nine soldiers were injured in the blaze, with 19 of them in critical condition.

The fire, fuelled by strong winds, jumped nearly a kilometre in less than a minute, reaching soldiers conducting a live-fire exercise.

Carney said the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

Supported by the RCMP, the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS) is leading the investigation, with 50 investigators currently on the ground gathering evidence.

Some injured troops were training ahead of Latvia deployment

Speaking in French, Carney said the soldiers taking part in the training were preparing to join the Canada-led NATO mission in Latvia, Op. REASSURANCE, as well as the Army’s Global Response Task Force (GRTF).

“These were sons, brothers, partners, and friends,” Carney said.

“Young men with bright futures who chose to serve our country and who died in that cause.”

On Sunday, officials said that range staff were aware of the fire several hours before it reached the training grounds, and that officials didn’t halt the exercise because they believed the fire had been contained.

Carney’s speech did not address these claims.

In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford said the province is ready to help, and that flags at Ontario government buildings will be flown at half-mast.

Troops showed “unimaginable heroism,” Poilievre says

Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, who is also MP for Battle River-Crowfoot (which covers CFB Wainwright), told the House he’d posed for a photo with Pte. Goulding while celebrating Canada Day at the military base.

“I remember meeting him,” the visibly emotional Poilievre said in his address immediately after the PM, joining Parliament virtually from Wainwright.

“Strong, handsome, polite — a real gentleman.”

Poilievre described accounts of “unimaginable heroism” coming from those who witnessed and responded to the tragedy — from the injured soldiers’ comrades to emergency workers who battled the blaze and rescued the injured.

“Can you imagine the courage it takes to see fire and run towards it?” he said, adding the real toll will be carried by those directly impacted.

“Families will nurse wounds that will never fully recover — a son, brother, family member — you can never replace that.”

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
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