Open this photo in gallery:
Members of the Canadian military stand at attention at the Remembrance Day ceremony in Wainwright, Alta., on Wednesday.Megan Albu/The Globe and Mail
As the sun began to shine in Wainwright, melting away frost on the face of the Memorial Clock Tower, members of the local Legion walked down the Alberta town’s main street on Wednesday to lay a wreath at the base of the monument that commemorates fallen soldiers.
Just weeks earlier, flowers of all colours were placed on the same cenotaph to honour the four military members who died, and dozens more injured, during the Oct. 17 fire at the nearby Canadian Forces Base Wainwright. It was one of Canada’s worst peacetime tragedies on home soil, bringing new meaning to Remembrance Day this year.
The community, still trying to make sense of the devastating event, showed up in droves to ceremonies hosted by the local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, where military and political dignitaries offered their condolences to the affected families and wished the injured a swift recovery.
Alberta Senator Scott Tannas, at the Wainwright Legion where a large Canadian flag at half-mast flapped in the wind, said Remembrance Day is a time to commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice in wars and conflicts of the past. But he said there was a deeper poignancy in Wainwright this year.
“The grief you carry is not found only in history books or memorials. It’s personal, it’s recent,” he said.
“We remember those who served Canada and did not return home from battlefields far away and we remember those very close to home whose lives ended too soon, whose service to Canada was cut short and whose memory remains close to our hearts.”
The small Prairie town of Wainwright and the Canadian military have a rich history stretching back nearly a century. In 1940, an army training camp was established just outside of town under a wartime order, eventually evolving to what is known today as CFB Wainwright.
With no more than a kilometre between the base and the town, the lives of soldiers and civilians have been intrinsically woven together, making the October fire a shared tragedy. On Wednesday, some people let tears fall down their cheeks as speakers honoured the young men killed last month: Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding and Private Hayden Lykkemark.
Victims of Wainwright fire remembered as young people dedicated to service
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, whose federal riding covers Wainwright, spoke about meeting Pte. Goulding and other young soldiers in the summer. He said they were in the prime of their lives – rambunctious, excited and strong – and chose bravely to serve their country.
Mr. Poilievre said he has heard stories about firefighters running into the flames on Oct. 17, of nurses and doctors who worked around the clock to help burn victims and of soldiers peeling off the scorched uniforms of their wounded friends.
“We imagine hell as a ball of flames, which means that these men literally went to hell and back to save their brothers and sisters in harm’s way,” he said.
Open this photo in gallery:
Participants of the Remembrance Day ceremony pin poppies onto a cross. Wainwright, a small Prarie town, has a rich history with the Canadian military, stretching back nearly a century.Megan Albu/The Globe and Mail
Scattered on tables inside the Legion were Remembrance Day-themed postcards with handwritten messages from kids at Wainwright High School.
English teacher Mary Claire Belanger said her Grade 7 students have been penning such cards annually for seven years but that the messages have evolved from generic thank-yous to more thoughtful notes, especially after the recent tragedy.
She said her students, many of whom have close ties to the military, wrote their cards after watching community members line the roads in a Highway of Heroes-style vigil after the fire. This helped the kids “take it more to heart,” said Ms. Belanger.
One card read: “As a Canadian, I acknowledge the sacrifices you all made to make this country free and safe. When I’m older, I would love to follow your footsteps and serve this country.”
On the military base, charred ground stretches into the horizon, a scar left behind by the smouldering grass fire that transformed into a wind-whipped “wall of flame,” overwhelming soldiers from The Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry last month.
Within minutes, the local hospital became a scene of horrors and heroism as staff worked to stabilize and treat soldiers with severe burns and other critical wounds. More than half of the 39 soldiers who were injured still remain in hospital.
Several people laid flowers and wreaths at the cenotaph in Wainwright, Alta., on Remembrance Day. Some said the day was different this year as they paid their respects to the four so…Full Caption
Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was in Ottawa on Wednesday, said in a statement that Canada will remember the four soldiers who died at CFB Wainwright.
“With their bright futures still before them, they chose to safeguard ours. We mourn their loss, stand with those recovering from their injuries, and hold their families and fellow service members in our thoughts,” he said.
Ottawa proposes $28-million to support those affected by CFB Wainwright fire
Inside Wainwright’s Peace Memorial Multiplex, residents filled the circular arena to pay respect to Canada’s fallen soldiers, watching as red poppies were pinned to a cross covered in white fabric, which said, “Lest we forget,” as the names of fallen soldiers echoed in the rink.
CFB Wainwright Base Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Dustin MacLeod, speaking to the crowd, said the recent losses have deeply affected the military base and surrounding community but also revealed acts of “extraordinary compassion and generosity.”
“You have reminded us that service and care are not exclusive to any particular uniform and that the strength of community is most evident in how it comes together during difficult times,” he said.
“As we remember those who have given their lives, let us recognize that their legacy lives on in the values we uphold, the choices we make and, most importantly, how we care for one another.”
Open this photo in gallery:
A dress made by Chelsey McBride is displayed outside her shop, the Wainwright Flower Cart. Attached are four white flowers, one each for the soldiers killed on Oct. 17.Megan Albu/The Globe and Mail
Steps down the road, a symbol of the community coming together was outside for all to see.
Days after the fatal blaze, Chelsey McBride went into a wooded area near her home to cut down limbs and branches from trees, taking “from Mother Nature for what it took from the fire.”
She then hand wired each piece of greenery to a metal mannequin to form a dress and train before meticulously covering it with roughly 250 red silk poppies. Attached to a black bow that drapes across the skirt are also four white flowers, one each for the soldiers killed on Oct. 17.
The figure, which Ms. McBride calls “Poppy,” is displayed outside of her shop, the Wainwright Flower Cart. She says it is a symbol of remembrance, love and the lives that will not be forgotten.
Holding back tears on Tuesday, Ms. McBride said the fire has rattled the close-knit community, especially those who saw firsthand the horrific injuries suffered by soldiers. She said many questions must still be answered surrounding the tragic event.
There are multiple investigations under way into the fire, including by Alberta’s Chief Medical Examiner and the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, a military police unit.