WAINWRIGHT, Alta. - Remembrance Day carried added significance in the Alberta town of Wainwright on Wednesday, as the community gathered to honour Canada’s fallen soldiers while mourning four military members killed in a training fire at a nearby Canadian Forces Base last month. The fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright on Oct. 17 left dozens of soldiers injured. Twenty-one remain in hospital, including nine in critical condition. The tragedy cast a shadow over Wednesday’s ceremony, where residents, veterans and military personnel gathered to pay their respects. “Their loss has deeply affected this base and our entire community,” said Lt.-Col. Dustin MacLeod, base commander of CFB Wainwright. Among those killed was 23-year-old Aidan Goulding. His mother, Sonia Monk, spoke to CTV News on Wednesday about a photograph of her son shared by one of his close friends. Monk said she became emotional after seeing the image. “It was just such a beautiful photo. It looked like he was... like heaven was just behind him,” she said. “That picture is the most treasured picture that I have.” Back in Wainwright, the military’s longstanding connection to the town made this year’s Remembrance Day particularly emotional. “It’s a very large crowd today. And it’s very quiet because everyone is thinking about what happened,” said ceremony attendee Charlene Drever. Wainwright acting deputy mayor Will Challenger said he hoped the ceremony would help the community heal. “I’m hoping it brings some closure,” he said. “I’m really hoping, and I’m thinking this will maybe help bring some closure on some of the events that transpired.” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was also among those attending the ceremony, laying a wreath at the cenotaph earlier in the day. “We think of their mothers, their fathers, their sisters, their brothers, their friends,” Poilievre said. For retired warrant officer Tim Franz, who lives in Wainwright, Remembrance Day also brings back painful memories of his own military service. Franz served for more than 30 years, including a deployment to Afghanistan, where he helped carry the remains of fallen Canadian soldiers onto aircraft for their final journey home. He offered condolences to the families affected by last month’s tragedy and encouraged injured soldiers to seek support. “So sorry for your loss. Speedy recovery, and get the help you need early,” he said. Franz became tearful as he reflected on the fallen soldiers he helped bring home. “It’s bittersweet. I mean, not everybody could be standing here,” he said. Following the ceremony, people continued to leave their poppies at the cenotaph, a small gesture honouring generations of fallen soldiers as Wainwright continues to grapple with the recent tragedy.
