SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — CFB Wainwright, Alberta--Victims of Tragedy

Honourable senators, it is with a heavy heart and profound sorrow that I address you today.

As a mother, it is difficult for me to imagine what the families affected by this tragedy are going through. A parent never expects to receive the kind of news that changes their life forever. This is unthinkable, yet it is the reality that these families and loved ones are now facing.

I am deeply shaken by the tragedy at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta.

Parents have lost their children. Spouses have lost their loved ones. Brothers and sisters in arms must now learn to live without those who served alongside them, with whom they shared their daily lives and a common mission to defend our freedom.

Today, our thoughts are with Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding and Private Hayden Lykkemark. To their families and everyone who loved them, I offer my most heartfelt condolences. I know that no words can ease such pain, but I want you to know that we are thinking of you and that you are not alone in this difficult time. We stand with you. The entire country stands by your side.

My thoughts are also with the 39 injured Canadian Armed Forces members and their loved ones, who are going through an especially difficult time. My heartfelt wish is that you find the strength you need to face this immense hardship.

My thoughts are also with the first responders who were called to the scene and had to carry out their duties under such trying circumstances. They have my heartfelt gratitude.

Choosing to wear the uniform and serve one’s country takes courage and involves sacrifices that we do not always fully appreciate. These women and men deserve our respect and recognition.

We will honour their memory forever.

Honourable senators, those who serve this country face a risk most of us will never be asked to face. We tend to associate this risk with overseas deployments, dangerous missions and theatres of war, but sometimes tragedy strikes here at home.

On October 17, at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, a fast-moving fire swept through a military training area, killing four Canadian soldiers and injuring 39 others. Those who died were Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding and Private Hayden Lykkemark.

Four soldiers, four lives cut short, four grieving families whose lives have been changed forever.

Honourable senators, we ask so much of the women and men who wear our country’s uniform. They must face down danger, be separated from their loved ones, endure hardship and, when circumstances demand it, put the safety of others ahead of their own.

Our colleague Senator Patterson, in a speech earlier this year, told us about the “unlimited liability” that uniformed women and men accept. Whether they are serving abroad or here at home, unlimited liability means they may be ordered or may have to order others to operate under dangerous, life-threatening conditions.

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces accept this unlimited liability out of a sense of duty and a desire to serve their country. We must never take that commitment for granted.

Military service also requires families to make sacrifices. They endure long separations, sleepless nights and uncertainty about the future. Their courage is more understated, but it is just as real and deserves the same recognition. However, no family can ever truly prepare for the loss of a loved one.

The poet Christina Rossetti wrote:

Remember me when I am gone away,

Gone far away into the silent land.

For four families, those words now carry sorrow beyond anything we can imagine. A familiar voice has fallen silent. A place at the family table is empty. Plans for the future, journeys yet to be taken, ordinary moments yet to be shared — all of it — are taken from them. No words spoken in this chamber can fill that emptiness, but we can assure those families that they do not grieve alone and that their loved ones will not be forgotten.

I offer my deepest condolences to these families, and I wish the injured soldiers courage and a swift recovery.

I also want to thank the firefighters, paramedics, medical staff and all those who came to the victims’ aid.

Their courage and dedication remind us that, even in the darkest times, there are people who are willing to risk their own lives to save others.

We must get to the bottom of what happened in Wainwright. Questions must be answered, and lessons must be learned from this tragedy to prevent anything like it from happening again.

These four soldiers accepted the risks associated with military service, but their families had every right to expect that they would return home. This trust places a unique responsibility on our institutions.

Those who serve our country deserve more than our respect. They are entitled to our vigilance, our protection and an ongoing commitment to their safety.

Honourable senators, today we remember four soldiers who set out to serve their country and did not come back. May they rest in peace. May their families find strength in knowing that Canadians mourn with them, and may we honour their memory not merely by the words we speak today but also by the duties we carry out tomorrow. Thank you.

Honourable senators, on behalf of the Independent Senators Group and the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs, I rise during this difficult time to speak to the tragedy at CFB Wainwright in Alberta. You have heard the names of our very young Canadians lost, but I will say them again: Sergeant Morgan Wong of Edmonton, Alberta; Private Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan; Private Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver, British Columbia; and Private Hayden Lykkemark of Langley, British Columbia.

There are 39 others in hospital, some in critical condition. It breaks our hearts to think of the lives that will be forever changed because of this terrible tragedy. I no doubt speak for all of you when I say our sympathies, our hopes and our fears are shared with every family member and loved one affected by this as they endure their pain and loss.

Colleagues, as we are all well aware, there are still a number of unknowns at play here. The Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP are working diligently to determine what went wrong. At this moment, it looks like it was a terrible accident that took those lives and caused so much destruction in its wake.

I have walked through the Wainwright facility. It is truly an amazing training site where the brave members of our Armed Forces take on no small amount of risk as they prepare to defend our country at home and abroad.

We must also take a moment to recognize the first responders who sustained the critical rescue efforts at CFB Wainwright and will need additional support throughout the aftermath. Thirty emergency units sprang into action, including ambulances and aircraft. Their work takes an immense toll, and in situations like this, the importance of their contributions cannot be overstated.

Colleagues, last week, here in Ottawa, upstairs in my role as the Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs, I met with the Latvian ambassador to discuss Operation REASSURANCE and our leadership role there. The gratitude and admiration from that country for our presence there cannot be overstated. Operation REASSURANCE is such a good example of what we as a country stand for: defending those who cannot completely defend themselves in the face of overwhelming odds and pushing back against the forces that would seek to rob us and others of our freedoms.

These brave individuals at Wainwright were training to deploy to Latvia in six months’ time. They represent the best of what Canada stands for in the world. While this can in no way comfort those who have experienced loss in the wake of this tragedy, we and Canada will remember what they died for, and we will be forever in their debt.

Today, I’m choosing to wear this special pin of honour for those who have served our country. This maple leaf represents Canada, and the boot represents the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have traded in their civilian shoes for combat boots to serve in times of war, military conflict and peace. On behalf of the Independent Senators Group, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to the impacted families whose loved ones were taken from them too soon. The fallen leave behind a legacy of selfless service and commitment to Canada. Thank you.

Honourable senators, on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, I too would like to offer condolences in the wake of the terrible tragedy in Wainwright, Alberta.

Private Shaun Farrell from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, was described as a generous and deeply loyal friend. Private Aidan Goulding, aged 23, from North Vancouver, British Columbia, was the guy who kept everybody’s spirits up. Private Hayden Lykkemark, aged 19, from Langley, British Columbia, was a good kid who was always looking out for everyone. Sergeant Morgan Wong, aged 26, from Edmonton, Alberta, was described by his family as an incredible person who was always there whenever anyone needed him.

It is always difficult to grapple with loss, but it feels especially heavy when it comes so unexpectedly. These four young men, along with the 39 injured, were working in service of their country. We are grateful for their service. It will be honoured.

In the wake of such tragedy, as we navigate our individual and shared grief, we are reminded that there are moments that shape us as a nation. We have all seen how collective compassion can unite us. We have witnessed how inspiring it can be to see those who step up to help during times of crisis and uncertainty.

The wounded will certainly have a long and difficult road to recovery. Their service and sacrifice will not be forgotten. As their friends and families await updates, please know that you are not alone. Our hearts and thoughts are with you.

We offer our gratitude to the military and civilian first responders who rushed to the scene and to the medical personnel who delivered compassionate care and continue to dedicate their time and skills to the wounded. To those at CFB Wainwright and beyond who stepped up to help, this profound loss will add a new layer of meaning to this year’s Remembrance Day ceremonies. To the friends, families, communities and fellow CAF members, please know that Canadians across the country share your heartache and mourn with you.

On behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, I offer our sincere condolences. We share your grief and will honour their services. We will remember them.

Honourable senators, I rise on behalf of the Canadian Senators Group to mark this dark moment. We have all seen the news reports and have been impacted by the events that took place at CFB Wainwright on Sunday that killed four members of the Canadian Army and left 39 seriously injured. I will reinforce the fact that they were training for deployment to Latvia with Operation REASSURANCE.

I join with my colleagues — past and present — to offer our deepest condolences following the tragedy and as we mourn the four members of the Canadian Armed Forces. I will say their names again and tell you who their other family is: Sergeant Morgan Wong of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment working with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, or PPCLI; Private Shaun Farrell, 3rd Battalion, PPCLI; Private Aidan Goulding, 3rd Battalion, PPCLI; and Private Hayden Lykkemark, 3rd Battalion, PPCLI. We speak their names with respect, gratitude and profound sorrow.

These four Canadians chose to serve their country. They accepted the demands of military life and the responsibility of standing beside others in service. Their deaths leave an absence felt across their units, their communities, our nation and — most importantly — their families.

To the families who have lost a cherished loved one, no words can or will ease the pain you are enduring. We mourn as a nation with you.

To those who are injured and to the families and fellow service personnel waiting anxiously beside them, know that you are in our thoughts and that your care and recovery remain a priority.

For both serving Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans, in the days ahead, please look to one another. Make room for grief. Accept support and reach out when you need it. You do not have to carry this alone. We are stronger together.

I also want to recognize those who responded: the military members, civilian first responders, medical teams and Canadian Armed Forces search and rescue personnel who worked tirelessly to help others under such challenging circumstances. We know that members of the Canadian Armed Forces ran toward danger, not away from it. We thank you.

What took place in Alberta this weekend has been described as one of the worst tragedies to occur for the Canadian Armed Forces on Canadian soil during peacetime. For many, this loss is deeply personal because the CAF is a family. These are friends, colleagues and people they trained beside and trusted. Behind every uniform is a person whose life reaches far beyond military service. This tragedy will be felt in homes, in friendships and in communities across Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces.

My next message is to the regiments of the fallen. All of Canada holds the line with our brothers and sisters of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and the Loyal Edmonton Regiment.

I wish to leave you with a few lines from D. B. Marsh’s poem “The Originals.” It was written in 1915 about the actions of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry at the Battle of Ypres Salient during the First World War:

This task was not easy

But they’d do it again

Such was the spirit

Of the Canadian men

Lest we forget.