Mr. Speaker, on a beautiful July 1 evening, I celebrated Canada Day at CFB Wainwright. There was music. There was dancing. A bit of rain did not stop anyone. There were games for the children of soldiers. There was an atmosphere of jubilation and fun.
As I was leaving, an energetic, rambunctious and excited group of young men came up and asked for a photo. We had a fun picture with a friendly fist pump facing the camera. I thought to myself, “What a brilliant group of young men.” Are we not lucky? Are we not blessed that in the prime of their lives, these youngsters would put it all on the line to keep us safe? I thought, “What kind of country is it that has young men who could be doing many things that are more pleasurable and easier to do but who decide to live in discomfort and danger, all in the service of their country?”
On the weekend, just like everyone else, I got the troubling news that there had been an awful incident. We learned soon after that that it was a major fire at the base. I thought, “Dear God, I hope it is not those boys.”
Sadly, yesterday, someone sent me that picture with the highlighting of a young man, Aidan Goulding, 23 years old. I remembered meeting him. He is among the dead. One of his compatriots had posted the picture with a condolence message: “Rest in peace, my brother. I'm going to miss you. Love you, man. Can't wait to see you again.”
I remember meeting Aidan, who was strong, handsome and polite, a real gentleman. His mother described him as “an exceptional athlete, a natural leader and a passionate young man who always accomplished his goals.” She said, “He really was the light of my life.” She got the news with a knock on the door. Every military family knows what that knock means. Every serving member knows that when they leave each morning, they might not come back. That is the price they pay.
That is the price that Private Shaun Farrell paid, from 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. He was a Saskatchewanian. His mother wrote on Facebook, “Love you my darling child”.
The courageous Edmontonian Morgan Wong was recently promoted to sergeant, so proud that he had climbed the ranks and that he was working toward his goals. He gave his life for us as well, as did the brave Private Hayden Lykkemark, from Langley, B.C. He was known as loyal and hard-working, with a great sense of humour.
There are also 19 patients in life-threatening condition, most suffering from severe and extensive burns, with the worst and most excruciating pain imaginable. They will require weeks and months of intensive care, and their lives will probably never be the same. Eight others are admitted to hospital and listed as stable, and 12 are being treated as outpatients. We pray for them all.
Here on the ground in Wainwright, we are hearing third-hand accounts of unimaginable heroism, with soldiers running toward danger. Imagine the courage it takes to see fire and run toward it to help their comrades.
Speaking of which, there are the firefighters. I thanked them at the Wainwright fire department as they quietly scrubbed and sprayed the dirt and ash off their equipment. They have not slept in two days. It is now three. Many are still on site monitoring fire risks.
The Wainwright hospital, where we visited yesterday, handled a massive surge of patients suffering the most horrifying wounds. Hospitals across the province in Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton continue to work miracles for these brave wounded warriors. They do it with grace and dignity.
All these heroes must be exhausted. They have lived a horror story, yet as I travel around town and the municipal district, none of them are breaking. None of them are resentful. They just keep their heads down and keep on going in that typical “get the job done and do not make a fuss” Canadian kind of way.
So do the local leaders who are banding together for the community. I join with the Conservative MP for Parkland, my national security adviser, Mayor Pugh of Wainwright, Reeve Wildeboer and local champion Damien Kurek at city hall. We agree that Parliament must support all efforts to reconstruct the base and repair all the damage done. More importantly, we must stand with the wounded. We must make sure that they get the greatest care to save their lives and make their lives as rewarding as possible in the aftermath.
The Canadian Forces, and eventually Veterans Affairs, must do whatever is needed to give them and their families the best lives possible for the long haul. We will follow through and watch the investigation and learn the lessons to ensure that we minimize the risks of these types of things happening again.
In the meantime, Canadians are asking what can be done to help.
We can give blood. Burn victims need large amounts of blood and plasma. Canadian Blood Services has issued an open call for donors, especially in clinics in Alberta and neighbouring provinces.
We can support the families on the ground. The Wainwright Military Family Resource Centre is coordinating relief with an immediate focus on helping next of kin get what they need to get through this.
We can stand with the volunteers. Grassroots groups like the Armor of Light Recovery Society have opened hubs in Wainwright offering food, rest and overnight shelter to emergency personnel and families arriving in the community.
We can donate to military families. The Support Our Troops fund, which is the official charity of the Canadian Forces, is accepting money now to help with travel grants and mental health support for families facing the sudden loss of resources, as well as ensuring that there is help for those who are lonely and need presence and company.
Finally, we can pray. We can pray for the fallen, for the victims, for their families and for all of the people in and around Wainwright. As the spotlight fades and the news moves on, there will be the dark, cold emptiness that follows the loss of a loved one. Families will nurse wounds that will never fully recover.
One can never replace a son, a brother, a family member. We must not forget those family members as they go through this dark and often lonely silence. It will follow the immediate outpouring of love that has come from across our country. There will be birthdays, Thanksgivings, Christmases, weddings and many more special events with an empty chair at the dinner table. We remember those families.
We remember the sacrifices of all of our fallen and our serving members. We wear a poppy. We show up on November 11. Through our efforts to remember and give thanks, they can live on in this world even as they have passed into the next.
We remember the country for which they died. That country is Canada. Canada is our country. It is who we are. It is our home. May God keep our land glorious and free.
