One of the four Canadian Armed Forces members killed last week in the deadly CFB Wainwright fire was remembered as “one of the bravest and funniest people” as family and friends paid their respects.
Hundreds gathered Sunday at Park Memorial Funeral Home in Edmonton to say farewell to 26-year-old Sgt. Morgan Wong, who died Oct. 17.
“Long before he was the fearless soldier many of you came to know, he was one of the bravest and funniest people I’ve ever met,” said his sister, Megan Wong. “He was always making us laugh and he could always find a solution to any problem.”
The 26-year-old was born in Edmonton and graduated from the University of Alberta in 2022 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. He also held certificates in real estate and civil-military leadership.
His family said he served as a medical first responder with St. John Ambulance in 2022.
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In December 2017, Wong joined the CAF and served on Operation Reassurance in Latvia from October 2024 to June 2025.
Last Saturday, he was participating in live-fire exercises as part of training for potential deployment overseas, including in Latvia and other regions.
Lt.-Col. Bryn Wright, commanding officer of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, said he knew Wong throughout the soldier’s time in the CAF and commended him for his professionalism and commitment to the military.
“Sgt. Morgan Wong is no longer with us in body, but he remains with us in spirit,” Wright said. “He lives on in the soldiers he trained, in the standards he upheld, and the friendships he built, and in the family who loved him.
“Prepared, dependable, always on the ball. That was Sgt. Morgan Wong.”
Fellow soldiers also spoke at Wong’s funeral, including MCpl. Scott Gilroy who spoke of how the two men took courses together and were promoted to sergeant together.
“From the very beginning of our careers, we’re side-by-side, and that’s something I’ll always be grateful for,” Gilroy said. “Morgan Wong always brought people together no matter how busy in life you got or what everyone had going on … He was the kind of guy who made sure friendships didn’t fade no matter where life took us.”
Staff Sgt. Anesh Raju said he struggled writing his eulogy because he wasn’t sure how to describe someone “who was so selfless.”
“He was a warrior in the truest sense of the word, not simply because he wore the uniform but because the character with which he wore it,” Raju said.
Wong was killed Oct. 17 when a grass fire overtook soldiers during a live-fire exercise at CFB Wainwright. Pte. Aidan Goulding, Pte. Shaun Farrell and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark also died.
Another 39 soldiers were taken to hospital. As of Thursday, 27 remained in hospital, including 13 in critical condition.
An investigation is ongoing into the fire, with military officials saying Thursday that the decision to hold the live-fire training exercise later in the day during a high-risk fire month was part of the probe into the incident.
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