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A photo of Hayden Lykkemark

Hayden Lykkemark

Hayden Lykkemark, 19, always looked out for everyone

By Rainer Fehrenbacher
6 min read

Most mornings, Hayden Lykkemark was up at 4 a.m.

He and his best friend would meet at the gym and train before class. Then they would head to school in Langley.

Lykkemark dreamed of becoming a police officer. He joined the army after high school as a first step.

On Saturday, Oct. 17, Pte. Lykkemark was killed at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta. A fire swept through a training area during a live-fire exercise.

He was 19, the youngest of the four soldiers who died.

From shy teen to proud soldier

Nadine Dunford took Lykkemark into her home as a teenager. She was his foster mother.

She told CTV News she watched a shy teen grow into a young man who was proud to serve. When he said he wanted to be a police officer, she told him the military was the best way in.

He enlisted shortly after graduating. Ten months later, family and friends say, he was already thinking about making the army his career.

Dunford last spoke with him on the Tuesday before the fire. He told her he was looking forward to the training at Wainwright.

Four days later, he was gone.

“It’s just not fair,” she told CTV News.

She is still trying to understand how a training exercise could end this way.

A Thunderbird who looked out for everyone

Lykkemark went to Langley Secondary School, home of the Thunderbirds. Opened in 1949, it is the oldest high school in the district. It is also the only one that serves both Langley City and the Township of Langley.

He played rugby there. Trevor Plater coached him in his senior year.

Plater told The Canadian Press that the whole team, and his schoolmates, saw Lykkemark as their best friend. He didn’t talk much, Plater said. But he listened, and when he did speak, it mattered.

On the field, he was fast and fearless. He led by example, Plater said, and made everyone feel connected to the team.

“He wasn’t afraid to make tackles or get in or do his part,” Plater said.

Plater told The Globe and Mail that Lykkemark’s biggest gift was how much he cared. Some days, Plater would worry about a player and plan to check in. Often, Lykkemark was already there, talking with them.

The Langley Rugby Club posted its own tribute. It called him a dedicated student, athlete, teammate and friend. The club said he was committed to public service and lifted up the people around him, on the field and in the classroom.

“Hayden’s legacy of service, friendship, and compassion will not be forgotten,” the club wrote.

Showing up for people

Caden Orr was the friend at the gym with him before dawn. The two were inseparable in high school. They played sports and went hiking together.

“He was always there for me,” Orr told CTV News.

Like Dunford, Orr is wrestling with how a training exercise could take his friend.

Lykkemark showed up in his community, too. He volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club in Langley.

The club had helped him while he was growing up, CTV News reported. Volunteering there was his way of giving back.

Brothers in the same platoon

Kane Lewis met Lykkemark on the rugby team in high school. Shortly after graduation, the two friends enlisted together.

They ended up in the same platoon for basic training. In his fundraiser post, Lewis wrote that this is where Lykkemark “became more than just a friend; he became a brother.”

Lewis told CBC News his friend was funny and bright, and got along with everyone, staff and soldiers alike.

They were side by side again during their first field training exercises, Lewis told CBC News. He said it is hard to accept that his friend died on Canadian soil, in training meant to prepare him for deployment.

After training, Lykkemark joined the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, in Edmonton. In October, he was at CFB Wainwright for a live-fire exercise called APOLLO SHOOTER. The base sits about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton and is one of Canada’s largest army training areas.

In his battalion, Lykkemark found another best friend: Pte. Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Sask. Farrell also died in the fire.

Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke about both men in the House of Commons on Monday. He said the two were rarely seen apart, and that Lykkemark dreamed of a career in law enforcement.

Carney said he was “known for his gift for lightening a hard day.”

Langley remembers

Flags flew at half-mast this week in Langley City and the Township of Langley. The Royal Canadian Legion’s Aldergrove branch lowered its flag, too.

The Township said the community “mourns their loss and honours their service and dedication.” Langley City sent its condolences to the families, friends and fellow soldiers of those killed and injured.

The Legion said its flags would fly at half-mast in remembrance. It also offered help to the families of those killed and injured.

Lewis started an online fundraiser for Lykkemark’s family, with the family’s permission. By Wednesday afternoon, it had raised more than $30,800.

The fire also killed Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton and Pte. Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver, along with Pte. Farrell. All four served in the same battalion. Another 39 soldiers were injured.

B.C. Premier David Eby honoured Lykkemark and Goulding, the two British Columbians killed, in a social media post. He asked people to “wrap our arms around their families.”

Online, people across Langley have been posting tributes. The community page Langley Strong put it in four words.

“Langley will remember Hayden.”

Sources

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Tagged in:

Community, National

Last Update: October 21, 2026

About the Author

Rainer Fehrenbacher Langley, BC

Rainer and his family live in the Nicomekl area of Langley City. During his free time, he enjoys going for bike rides with his amazing partner and laughing with his 2 year old son.

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