Church leaders in Wainwright, Alta., are hosting a vigil Wednesday night for military members killed and injured in a fast-moving grass fire during training on Saturday.
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Nearly every church in Wainwright, Alta., has a parishioner serving at the nearby military base, and local faith leaders are preparing to gather in a public vigil after a grass fire during training killed four soldiers and injured dozens more.
Ryan Wood, pastor of the Church of the Nazarene, said the vigil is meant to help service members feel supported as they process the loss and injuries. “They’re hurting. They’re struggling just like everybody else,” Wood said. “We want to have a message that we’re together in supporting our military. We’re together in grieving. We’re together is seeking a sense of peace and even hope in all of this.”
Wood said the vigil is organized by local faith leaders for the town of about 7,000 people and is expected to be the first formal opportunity for members of the public and those on the base to gather and grieve.
Isaiah Mast, pastor of the Evangelical Free Church, said he hopes the community can provide ongoing support. “These things will live with the person,” Mast said. “I think what we hope to do is to be available for those who are going to be wrestling with this for a few weeks. “This isn’t something that just goes away.”
The four people killed have been identified as Pte. Shaun Farrell, 23, of Prince Albert, Sask.; Pte. Aidan Goulding, 23, of North Vancouver; Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, 19, of Langley, B.C.; and Sgt. Morgan Wong, 26, of Edmonton.
In the wake of the fire, flags were lowered to half-mast in Wainwright, across the country and on all federal buildings to honour those who died, and a pile of flowers has been growing at the Wainwright cenotaph.
Mayor Bruce Pugh said he was relieved church leaders are organizing the vigil and called the gathering an important step for healing. “I think this will be a big piece. We are doing things for our first responders. We’re supporting them, our health-care professionals, by just going and visiting,” Pugh said. “I think for some, it won’t close the book, but it will help close this chapter in a sense.”
Pugh added that the vigil will also reflect the community’s resilience. “I think for some it will be a recognition of the strength of this community and allows us to hear messages of faith.”
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