Remembering her “bright light,” Pte. Aidan Goulding’s mother called her son fearless and someone who loved life.
Family, friends and members of the Canadian Armed Forces gathered in Vancouver Sunday for the funeral of one of the four men killed at CFB Wainwright during a deadly fire.
The 23-year-old’s mother started her eulogy by thanking those who had reached out in the past few weeks and for the “outpouring” of support.
“Aidan was never still,” said Sonia Monk. “He loved life and wanted to experience all of it. He was fearless, sometimes more fearless than I would have preferred.
“If there was a safe, sensible way to do something, Aidan usually found a more exhilarating way.”
Goulding had been participating in live-fire exercises at CFB Wainwright last month as part of training for potential deployment overseas.
A grassfire overtook soldiers during the exercise, killing Goulding as well as Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Shaun Farrell and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark. Another 39 soldiers were taken to hospital at the time.
The funerals of Wong and Farrell have been held in recent weeks.
Monk told those gathered at Seaforth Armoury that Goulding’s best friend was his brother Wylder, who also spoke at the funeral.
Wylder recalled how the siblings would get to “all kinds of mischief” together when they were younger, from bike riding and tree climbing to skateboarding, often ending up hurting themselves in the process.
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“He was my best friend, my worst enemy, my harshest critic and my fiercest competitor,” Wylder said.
“Aidan really did live his life to the fullest. He went places, met people, had adventures, and got himself into situations that most people probably couldn’t even imagine.”
Goulding served with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (3PPCLI), which was part of the training that took place in Alberta that fateful day.
Capt. Jack O’Connell was the 23-year-old’s commander and told the gathering that Goulding was an “outgoing, confident, charismatic warrior.”
“From the warriors who had the opportunity to mentor Aidan, [they] all agreed that he embodied what it is to be a Patricia,” O’Connell said. “He had an inspiring warrior spirit and never failed to elevate those around him. He had determination that was hard to miss and when things became difficult, he was not the type of person to simply give up, rather crack a joke.”
He said Goulding had completed his infantry training in July 2026 before being posted to the 3PPCLI, adding he often saw the young man out on runs after work or going “the extra mile.”
An investigation is ongoing into the incident at CFB Wainwright, including into the grass fire that had erupted as Alberta saw “uncommonly strong winds” the day of the tragedy.
But as that probe continues, Goulding’s family is laying him to rest, with his mother saying they’ll continue on with something always missing.
“I feel like I’m driving with one headlight. The road is still there and I’ll try to keep moving forward, but it will never be quite as bright. I love you Aidy, rest in peace, my bright light,” Monk said.
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