Invasion of Quebec

Premier Danny Williams

I visited Newfoundland last year and was absolutely amazed at the affection and respect that the average person on the street had for their Premier. I wish we were all so fortunate in Canada. As he resigns, I thought he was worthy of a posting here and of a small tribute to a man who loves and served his home province.

Early life and education


Williams was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. He first attended Saint Bonaventure's College then Gonzaga High School in St. John's, before studying at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he received a degree in political science and economics. In 1969, he was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship and went to Keble College, Oxford University, earning a Degree in Arts in Law and playing for the Oxford University Ice Hockey Club. He then earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Career in law and business

Williams practised law from 1972, becoming a financially successful lawyer, and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1984. While still in law school, Williams led a consortium of businesspeople that was granted one of Newfoundland's first cable television licenses and started the company "Avalon Cablevision". Through major acquisitions and the very early adoption of the Internet ISP business (via theZone dial-up and later RoadRunner high-speed cable Internet services), he built Cable Atlantic into one of the largest communications companies in Atlantic Canada. As the principal owner, he sold the telecommunications portion of the business for $76 million dollars in April 2000 to "GT Group Telecom Inc." (who were bought by Bell Canada Inc. in 2006). Then 8 months later the cable TV portion of Cable Atlantic was sold to Rogers Cable Inc. for $152 million in November 2000. This sale plus the success of his extensive law practice gave him the nickname of "Danny Millions" during the early 2000s.Williams also served as president of OIS Fisher, an oil and natural gas company (later renamed Spectrol Group). He also opened three golf courses in Eastern Newfoundland.

While he was the owner of Cable Atlantic Williams purchased the naming rights to Mile One Centre in St. John's for $600,000 from Molson. Before the centre opened, however, Williams sold Cable Atlantic to Rogers Communications in order to pursue his political career, but retained the naming rights. Ultimately he chose to name the centre based on the venue's geography, which is at the begining of the Trans Canada Highway.

 Leader of the Opposition

Williams became the Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador in April 2001. In June 2001, he won a by-election in the Corner Brook riding of Humber West.Support for the Tories saw a big bounce when Williams became leader, four by-elections were held during the two years he was the Official Opposition Leader with each seat being won by a Progressive Conservative candidate, as well in September 2001, Liberal MHA, Ross Wiseman crossed the floor of the house to join the Progressive Conservative caucus. During his time as Opposition Leader, Williams donated his legislative salary to charity.

Map showing the ridings, which party they supported and by how muchOn September 29, 2003 Premier Roger Grimes called for an election to be held on October 21, thirty months after succeeding Brian Tobin as Premier of Newfoundland. The opposition had been demanding that Grimes call a snap election after winning the leadership of the Liberal Party, after the resignation of Tobin, saying that his government was not legitimate.

Since 2001 when Williams took over the leadership of the Progressive Conservatives the party's popularity rose, polls leading up to and during the election showed that his party had a substantial lead over the Liberals and New Democrats.Williams campaigned for change and promised to control spending, streamline the public service and create jobs.In the general election Williams led his party to victory becoming the province's ninth Premier, this win marked only the third change of government in the 54 years since the province joined Canada. The Tories took nearly 59% of the vote, winning 34 of the 48 seats in the House of Assembly, ending nearly 15 years of Liberal Party rule.

Lunar rover to be built by Ottawa company

By Emily Chung, Devon Goodsell CBC News

Neptec Design Group has previously developed and built moon rover concepts, including one called Juno that was tested in 2009. (Neptec Design Group) An Ottawa-based space technology company has won an $11.5-million contract to build a lunar rover prototype for the Canadian Space Agency. The lunar light exploration rover will be designed to be able to carry equipment, cargo and astronauts during moon exploration, Neptec Design Group said in a news release announcing the contract.

The company is collaborating on the project with Ontario Drive and Gear Ltd., COM DEV Canada, McGill University, Northern Centre for Advanced Technology Inc. and NGC Aerospace.Iain Christie, president of Neptec Design Group, said Tuesday the goal of the project is to be able to "test some ideas about what a utility tractor rover for the moon should do, can do, would do and how it could be built."

The solar-powered vehicle will have an original eight-wheeled, skid-steer locomotion system designed to help it navigate the moon’s rugged, steep slopes. Depending on the technology and tools it carries, it might be able to map the lunar surface, drill for water, perform excavation and prepare landing sites for lunar landers, the company said on its website.It will be equipped with a vision system, communication system and software that will allow it to be operated remotely from Earth or the moon and perform some activities without human intervention.

No plans for space

According to the Canadian Space Agency, there are no plans to send the rover into space. However, it will be tested at sites on Earth that are similar to the moon, such as Antarctica, before the contract ends on Dec. 30, 2012.

Lunar rover vs. Mars rover

A lunar rover differs from a Mars rover because of the following critical variations between the moon and Mars:

The company has previously developed and built moon rover concepts, including one called Juno that was tested in 2009. But this contract is a big step forward from those because the earlier rovers never had to show their technology was capable of flying to the moon, Christie said."In the space business, there's a big difference between stuff that you build to test concepts and stuff that you build to fly."Canadian Space Agency spokesperson Julie Simard told CBC News in an email the Juno rovers were quick prototypes for a CSA-NASA deployment in Hawaii. The new vehicles are more sophisticated rovers for research on the moon or Mars.Simard added that the lunar rover is larger than the Mars rover, with a higher payload, and can also be upgraded to carry people.

The new prototype to be tested on Earth will still have some differences from a potential version slated for the moon, Christie said, because the Earth's gravity is six times stronger. The Earth has an atmosphere, while the moon is surrounded by a vacuum. However, the team must show how their rover could be modified to make it qualified for space.In September, the Canadian Space Agency awarded Richmond, B.C.-based MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates a $6-million contract to build a Mars rover prototype.Simard said the $11.5-million lunar rover is more expensive because it is larger than the Mars rover, and the human upgradability feature is new and will require more research and development.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/11/23/neptec-lunar-rover-csa.html#ixzz1697iYHnY

Santa gives Canada's postal elves stamp of approval to answer kids' letters

OTTAWA - Canada Post has received a stamp of approval from Santa Claus to help field letters and emails sent from children around the world.

More than 11,000 volunteer postal elves will help reply to what's anticipated to be more than one million letters in more than 30 different languages, including Braille. Canada Post says that since 1982, Santa’s Post Office has answered more than 18.5 million letters.Emails were introduced in 2002, and since then, more than 300,000 emails have been answered directly. Letters to Santa should be addressed to: Santa Claus, North Pole, H0H 0H0, CANADA.

Emails can be sent to Santa atwww.canadapost.ca/santascorner.

The Canada Post Santa Letter Writing Program is an employee-led volunteer initiative that supports literacy by encouraging kids to write letters to Santa and by promoting correct addressing and use of the postal code.

The Canadian Boy who was Raised as a Girl- Failed Experiment

One of the most interesting and courageous traits of Canadians, as I see it, is the dedication to acknowledging our mistakes and ensuring we do not do them again. Here is one example.

When anyone has a baby the first question everyone asks is: "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Biologically it is sex hormones, physical appearance and the sex chromosomes - XX for a woman, XY for a man - which dictate whether someone is male or female. But what happens if you bring up someone who was a boy as a girl? There was a case just like this in the 1960s, a case which ended in tragedy. Twins Bruce and Brian Reimer were born in Canada as two perfectly normal boys. But after seven months, both were having difficulty urinating. Acting on advice, the parents, Janet and Ron, took the boys to the hospital for a circumcision. The next morning, they received a devastating phone call - Bruce had been involved in an accident.

Doctors had used a cauterizing needle instead of a blade, and the electrical equipment had malfunctioned and the surge in current had completely burned off Bruce's penis. "I could not comprehend what he was talking about," Janet Reimer remembered."I thought they were going to use a knife. I didn't know there was electricity involved." Brian's operation was cancelled, and the Reimers took their twins home.

Ideal experiment

Months passed, and they had no idea what to do until one evening they met a man who would change their lives, and the lives of their twins, forever.Dr John Money was a psychologist specialising in sex changes.He believed that it wasn't so much biology that determines whether we are male or female, but how we are raised. "We just happened to be watching TV," remembers Mrs Reimer. "Dr Money was on there and he was very charismatic, he seemed highly intelligent and very confident of what he was saying." Janet wrote to Dr Money, and within a few weeks she'd taken Bruce to see him in Baltimore.

For Dr Money the case provided the ideal experiment.

Here was a child he believed should be brought up as the opposite sex, who even brought his own control group with him - an identical twin. If it worked this would provide irrefutable evidence that nurture could over-ride biology - and Dr Money genuinely believed that Bruce had a better chance of living a happy life as a woman than as a man without a penis.

And so, when Bruce was 17 months old, he became Brenda. Four months later, on 3 July 1967, the first surgical step was taken - with castration.Dr Money stressed that, if they wanted the sex change to work, the parents must never let Brenda or her twin brother know that she had been born a boy.

From now on they had a daughter, and every year they would go and visit Dr Money who was keeping track of the twins' progress in what became known as the John/Joan case. Brenda's identity was kept a secret."The mother stated her daughter was much neater than her brother and, in contrast with him, disliked to be dirty," Dr Money recorded at one of these yearly meetings."She was very rebellious. She was very masculine, and I could not persuade her to do anything feminine. Brenda had almost no friends growing up. Everybody ridiculed her, called her cavewoman.”Janet Reimer

Although, in contrast, he also noted: "The girl had many tomboy traits, such as abundant physical energy, a high level of activity, stubbornness, and being often the dominant one in a girl's group."By 1975, the children were nine years old, and Dr Money published a paper detailing his observations. The experiment, he said, had been a total success."No-one else knows that she is the child whose case they read of in the news media at the time of the accident. "Her behaviour is so normally that of an active little girl, and so clearly different by contrast from the boyish ways of her twin brother, that it offers nothing to stimulate one's conjectures."

Suicidal

Yet by the time Brenda reached puberty at 13, she was feeling suicidal."I could see that Brenda wasn't happy as a girl," Janet recalled."She was very rebellious. She was very masculine, and I could not persuade her to do anything feminine. Brenda had almost no friends growing up. Everybody ridiculed her, called her cavewoman."She was a very lonely, lonely girl." Faced with their daughter's sadness, Brenda's parents stopped taking her to see Dr Money. Soon after, they did the one thing Dr Money had warned them against: they told her she had been born a boy.

Within weeks Brenda had chosen to become David. He had re-constructive surgery and eventually he even married. He couldn't have children himself, but he loved being a stepfather to his wife's three children.Yet what David did not know was that he had still been immortalised as 'John/Jane' in medical and academic papers about gender reassignment, and that the "success" of Dr Money's theory was affecting other patients with similar gender issues."He had no way of knowing that his case had found its way into a wide array of medical and psychological textbooks that were now establishing the protocols for how to treat hermaphrodites and people who lose their penis," said John Colapinto, a journalist for the New York Times who uncovered David's story."He could hardly believe that this was out there as a successful case and that it was affecting others like him."

Depression

Now well into his thirties, David had become depressed. He'd lost his job and he was separated from his wife.In the spring of 2002 his brother died from a drug overdose. Two years later on 4 May 2004, when David was 38, Janet and Ron had a visit from the police. David had committed suicide."They asked us to sit down and they said they had some bad news, that David was dead. I just cried."Cases like "John/Joan" - where an accident had taken place - are very rare. But there are still decisions being made about whether to bring children up as male or female if they suffer from what is called Disorders of Sex Development.

"We now have well-functioning multi-disciplinary teams around the country so that the decision will be taken by a variety of professionals," explained Polly Carmichael from Great Ormond Street Hospital. "The parents would be much more involved in terms of the decision making process. In her experience, these decisions have been successful in helping children to grow up to lead a happy and fulfilling life."One of the wonderful thing about working with children and their families is that children are amazingly resilient. "With support, I'm constantly amazed at what children are able to take on and manage."

War of 1812 (comical song)

Justin Bieber- AMA's big winner

A kid from a small Canadian town makes it BIG.

Alex Trebek’s TV audition

Giant maple leaf discovered by 9-year-old gets new Guinness World Record

Joseph Donato's giant maple leaf might not last forever, but the nine-year-old from Pickering, Ont., will probably remember it forever. He marked Guinness World Records Day on Thursday by proudly displaying the giant specimen that he picked up on his way home from a park last month. Without the stem, the leaf measures more than 34 by 29 centimetres, bigger than some serving platters. Joseph is trying to preserve it in a picture frame. "It's wrinkled up. It's shrunk about a teeny weeny bit, but still really big," said the Grade 4 student, describing how the leaf has changed since he discovered it on a bike ride in mid-October. "It's kind of lost some of its colour, but we can still tell it's a leaf." Joseph said he was really excited when he saw the leaf. He's a fan of the "Guinness World Records" books — they're in his school library — and he searched online to see if there was a category for his leaf, but couldn't find one.

Instead, the family took photos of him in the backyard with the leaf and sent them to the local paper.
Before long, Joseph said he got a call from a television station and then from Guinness representatives.
"They're going to start a new category for my leaf," he said."So I'm setting that new record and it's a better chance of getting that in the book because they always want new records."All the attention has one possible downside. "People are jealous at school," he confided, and they're trying to find bigger leaves. His mom, Angie Donato, said she doesn't think the whole experience would have gone anywhere except the backyard if it wasn't for Joseph. "The reason why this all happened is because he dreamed big," she said. "I think if it was an adult or someone else, we might have looked at it, maybe picked it up, but didn't think about, you know, 'Could it be Guinness big?' and 'How big is it?'"

Around the globe, more than 275,000 people attempted records.

In Canada, a large group of elementary and high-school students in Ancaster, Ont., set the record for the largest Macarena dance to raise awareness for diabetes. Altogether, 1,861 students took part in the dance Thursday, said a statement from the Guinness organization.

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/

Arctic winter Games

Arctic Winter Games




Bob Rae and Rick MErcer

Rick Mercer and Bob Rae

Poorly housed Canadians face same challenges as homeless: study

By NORMA GREENAWAY, Postmedia News November 20, 2010 For every homeless person in Canada, 23 others are barely keeping a roof over their heads, according to a new study that paints a bleak picture of what it calls the country's "hidden emergency."

While there are 17,000 shelter beds available across Canada every night, as many as 400,000 men, women and children are living in inadequate, unsafe housing where rent alone eats up more than half of the household income, the study says.

Authors say the study documents for the first time that poorly housed Canadians experience the same severe health and security worries as people living on the street.

The numbers of people suffering the devastating health outcomes associated with inadequate housing could be "staggering" and go far beyond previous estimates based on shelter and street counts, the study says.

People who don't have a healthy place to live -regardless of whether they are homeless or housed in substandard conditions -are at high risk of experiencing hunger, physical and mental health problems and hospitalization, the study says. They also have problems accessing needed health care.

"The real gulf in health outcomes doesn't lie between people who are homeless and people who aren't homeless. It's between those who have continued access to healthy housing and those who don't."

Stephen Hwang, a medical doctor and the lead researcher from the University of Toronto, called on the federal government to recognize the problem and develop "national housing standards that ensure universal, timely access to decent, stable and appropriate housing."

The recommendation echoes one made earlier this week by an all-party Commons committee, which told the government an effective strategy to end poverty must include steps to guarantee an adequate supply of affordable housing.

Regardless of whether those interviewed were poorly housed or homeless, the study found:

- ¦Almost one in four said they had been beaten up or attacked in the past year.

- ¦More than one in four, or 28 per cent, of people said they have lost a limb, have trouble walking or other mobility problems.

- ¦ More than half, 52 per cent, reported a past diagnosis of mental health problems.

- ¦Sixty-one per cent said they had a traumatic brain injury at some point in their lives.

- ¦Thirty-three per cent reported having trouble getting enough to eat.

- ¦ Fifty-five per cent said they had visited an emergency department in the previous year.


© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Poorly+housed+Canadians+face+same+challenges+homeless+study/3859359/story.html#ixzz15r9KU6dF

152 Canadians who died in Afganistan

Canadian soldiers carry out the directions of the Canadian government and thus each citizen. We should all know their names and faces. This site is dedicated to Canadians who make a difference and no matter what we all feel about the war itself, we must respect and support these men and women. I found this list of 152 young lives lost on our behalf on the CBC site and have placed it here to honour them.

August, 2010: Soldier dies from IED injuries


A corporal died from wounds he sustained in an IED blast on Aug. 22 while on foot patrol in the violent Panjwaii district of Kandahar province.

Ian Pinksen

Cpl. Brian Pinksen was a member of 2nd Battalion, The Royal Newfoundland Regiment, based in Corner Brook, N.L.e was serving in Afghanistan with 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group.

'It is with utmost sorrow that I extend the condolences of all Canadians to the family and friends of Corporal Brian Pinksen, a brave soldier who died due to injuries sustained in Afghanistan,' said Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

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July 20, 2010: Soldier killed by explosive device

Sapper Brian Collier was killed by an IED blast after he dismounted from his vehicle. He was 24 years old.

Sapper Brian Collier

Brian Collier, 24, was a member of 1 Combat Engineer Regiment based at CFB Edmonton. It was his first deployment to Afghanistan. 'Previously injured in a separate IED strike, Sapper Collier fought hard to overcome his injury in order to get back to doing his job with his comrades,' said Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance. Born in Toronto and raised in Bradford, Ont., he was serving with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group.

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June 26, 2010: IED claims lives of two Canadian soldiers

Two medical technicians working with a unit that was on its way to deal with a land mine were killed on their travels, about 20 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City, when the vehicle they were in detonated an improvised explosive device. The incident occurred at 11 a.m. local time about 20 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City. Another soldier was injured in the blast.
MCpl. Kristal Giesebrecht

Kristal Giesebrecht, 34, was a medical technician attached to the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group. She was a member of 1 Canadian Field Hospital, based at CFB Petawawa.
'Kristal loved life to the fullest. She was a wonderful friend, always opening her heart to everyone in need,' said Brig.-Gen Jonathan Vance. Giesebrecht, originally from Wallaceburg, Ontario and who was married, becomes the third Canadian woman to be killed in a combat situation.

Pte. Andrew Miller

Andrew Miller, 21, was a medical technician attached to the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group. He was a member of 2 Field Ambulance, based at CFB Petawawa,
He was called 'Caillou' by his friends. 'Andrew was very confident in both his soldier and clinical skills. He wanted nothing more than to be part of the Health Services Unit for ROTO 9, in Afghanistan,' said Brig.-Gen Jonathan Vance. Miller was born in Sudbury, Ontario

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June 21, 2010: Soldier killed on joint foot patrol with ANA

An IED blast claimed the life of a soldier who was on a joint foot patrol with members of the Afghan National Army near the village of Nakhonay. He was killed after dismounting from his armoured vehicle.
Sgt. James Patrick Macneil

From the 2 Combat Engineer Regiment based at CFB Petawawa, MacNeil was serving with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group. Brig.-Gen Jonathan Vance said Macneil was on his fourth deployment to Afghanistan. He called him a 'proud Cape Bretoner' with a great sense of humour who was always 'the life of the party.'

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June 6, 2010: Soldier killed while searching for weapons

A Canadian soldier was killed when he was struck by an improvised explosive device while on a mission to find a stockpile of insurgent weapons southeast of Kandahar. Sgt. Martin Goudreault

Sgt. Martin Goudreault, 35, was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan when he was killed. A member of the Edmonton-based 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, his latest deployment in the Afghan theatre began only one month ago. He was killed on June 6, 2010 by an improvised explosive device while searching for insurgent weapons southeast of Kandahar.

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May 24, 2010: Soldier killed by IED near Kandahar city

A Canadian soldier has been killed by an improvised explosive device, while on a combat resupply patrol southwest of Kandahar city.
Trooper Larry Rudd

Trooper Larry Rudd, 26, was killed while on a combat resupply patrol southwest of Kandahar city. He was from the Royal Canadian Dragoons and served with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, based in Petawawa, Ont. Larry was a go-to soldier who always put the needs of his family, his friends and his fellow soldiers before those of his own,' said Col. Simon Hetherington, deputy commander of Task Force Kandahar.

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May 18, 2010: Suicide car bomber kills Canadian officer

A Canadian soldier has been killed in Afghanistan after a suicide car bomber detonated an explosive device in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing 18 people in total.
Col. Geoff Parker

Col. Geoff Parker, of Oakville, Ont. was killed in Kabul, Afghanistan on May 18, 2010 when a suicide car bomber detonated his explosive device. The highest-ranking member of the Canadian Forces to be killed in Afghanistan, Parker was the commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment. Parker was married with two children.

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May 14, 2010: IED blast kills Canadian soldier

A Canadian soldier has been killed in Afghanistan after an improvised explosive device detonated about 15 kilometres west of Kandahar City while he was on foot patrol.
Pte. Kevin McKay

Pte. Kevin McKay, 24, of Richmond Hill, Ont., was killed when an IED exploded while he was on foot patrol near Kandahar City. Known to his friends as 'Mickey,' he was remembered as a generous, dependable, quick-witted young man who embodied the spirit of the Canadian soldier.

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May 5, 2010: Canadian soldier killed in IED explosion southwest of Kandahar City

A Canadian soldier has been killed in Afghanistan after an improvised explosive device detonated 25 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City.

Petty Officer (second class) Craig Blake

Craig Blake, 37, was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated about 25 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city.
A native of Simcoe, Ont., he was a member of Fleet Diving Unit (Atlantic), based in Shearwater, N.S. and was trained in improvised explosive device disposal.
Blake leaves behind a wife and two young children.

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April 11, 2010: Canadian soldier killed in IED explosion

A Canadian soldier has been killed by a roadside bomb while on foot patrol in Afghanistan.

Pte. Tyler William Todd

Pte. Tyler William Todd, 26, of Kitchener, Ont., died near the community of Belanday, about eight kilometres outside the provincial capital.Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard said Todd was a pillar of strength to the other young soldiers he served with. 'He never allowed the small things to get to him and was often the rock upon which his comrades depended,' Menard said. 'His enthusiasm and strong will was an inspiration to his platoon.'

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March 22, 2010: Canadian soldier dies of wounds after Afghan attack

A Canadian soldier died in an Edmonton hospital as a result of injuries sustained Mar. 6 during a foot patrol in Zhari District, west of Kandahar city, when an improvised explosive device blew up near his patrol.
Cpl. Darren James Fitzpatrick

Cpl. Darren James Fitzpatrick, 21, of Prince George, B.C., was on his first tour in Afghanistan, serving with the Operational Mentor Liaison Team.He was treated in Kandahar, transferred to Germany and to the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton. He passed away surrounded by his family.

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Feb. 12, 2010: Soldier killed during weapons training

A Canadian soldier was killed during a routine weapons training accident northeast of Kandahar City. Four other soldiers were injured in the incident.
Cpl. Joshua Caleb Baker

Cpl. Joshua Caleb Baker, 24, was known for a laugh that 'would find your ears and bring a smile to your face,' according to Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard.
Baker was serving in Afghanistan as a member of The Loyal Regiment from Edmonton, as well as with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team

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Jan. 16, 2010: Canadian sergeant killed on foot patrol

A Canadian soldier was killed on foot patrol, near the village of Nakhoney, southwest of Kandahar city, by a buried bomb. No one else was injured in the explosion.
Sgt. John Wayne Faught
Sgt. John Wayne Faught, 44, was a seasoned section commander, who was respectfully known as 'Toast' because of his hard and crusty personality. A native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., he planned to retire in two years. He was on his third tour in Afghanistan.

Dec. 30, 2009: Four soldiers, journalist killed in Kandahar blast

Four Canadian soldiers, all reservists, were killed along with a Canadian journalist in Kandahar City by a powerful insurgent bomb on Dec. 31, 2009. Their deaths marked the second deadly incident for Canada in a week.
George Miok

Sgt. George Miok, 28, from Edmonton, was with the 41 Combat Engineer Regiment.
Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard described Miok as a meticulous planner who was 'always available' to his troops. 'The welfare of his soldiers came first and they knew they could turn to him for advice and guidance,' said Menard.



Cpl. Zachery McCormack

Cpl. Zachery McCormack, 21, of Edmonton was with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment.
He was described as a caring, 'outstanding soldier' who was always ready to help his comrades.



Sgt. Kirk Taylor

Sgt. Kirk Taylor, 28, was from Yarmouth, N.S. and was a member of the 84 Independent Field Battery.

Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard said Taylor was a 'true gunner' who was known to his troops as 'Sgt. Morale.' He always spoke fondly of his loved ones back home, where he mentored trouble youths.


Pte. Garrett Chidley

Pte. Garrett Chidley, 21, of Cambridge, Ont., was with the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
Known as an avid video game player, Chidley also made 'tough tasks seem easy by joking around,' said Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard.

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Dec. 24, 2009: Canadian lieutenant killed in IED attack

Andrew Nuttall, a 30-year-old Canadian lieutenant, died when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was on foot patrol in the village of Nakhoney, in the volatile Panjwai district of south Afghanistan. He died along with an Afghan army soldier.


Lt. Andrew Nuttall

Lt. Andrew Richard Nuttall, 30, was on a routine foot patrol in south Afghanistan when he and an Afghan National Army soldier were killed in an IED attack.
Nuttall, from Prince Rupert, B.C., was praised as a fine young leader -- a generous man with a winning smile who believed in what he was doing.

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Oct. 30, 2009: Canadian soldier killed in Afghan IED attack

An IED blast has killed a Canadian solider in Afghanistan, the second such death in less than a week.

Sapper Steven Marshall died while on patrol about 10 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City. Marshall was a member of the 1st Combat Engineering Regiment, which is based in Edmonton, Alta.


Sapper Steven Marshall

Sapper Steven Marshall, 24, had only been in Afghanistan for a week before the blast. His death comes just as the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry begin their rotation in the country.

Marshall was described as a popular soldier in his unit who had a great sense of humour and smile that was 'contagious.'

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Oct. 28, 2009: Canadian soldier, 26, killed by IED blast

A 26-year-old Canadian soldier was killed and two others injured in an IED blast, in southern Afghanistan.

The victim was identified as Lt. Justin Garrett Boyes, a member of 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton.



Lt. Justin Garrett Boyes

Lt. Justin Garrett Boyes, a member of 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, was training local Afghan police. He was struck by an IED blast just 10 days into his deployment.



'So early in the deployment, Justin's death is going to be difficult to accept by his brothers in arms, but will not deter any of us from continuing with our mission,' said Brig. Gen. Jonathan Vance, the commander of Task Force Kandahar.



Boyes grew up in Saskatchewan and leaves behind his wife, Alanna, and son, James.

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Sept. 17, 2009: Canadian soldier killed in IED strike, 11 injured

Another Canadian soldier has been killed and 11 others injured in an IED strike in Afghanistan.

The victim was identified as Pte. Jonathan Couturier, 23, of 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Regiment, based in Valcartier, Que.



Pte. Jonathan Couturier

Pte. Jonathan Couturier, 23, of 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Regiment, based in Valcartier, Que. Couturier was described as the 'little brother' of certain members of his section, a soldier who never lost his sense of humour, even in stressful times. 'He never missed an occasion to talk about his passions -- hockey, his (Ford) Mustang and last but not least the love of his life -- Andreanne,' his commanding officer said.

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Sept. 13, 2009: Soldier falls victim to roadside bomb

For the second time in a week, a Canadian soldier has fallen victim to a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan. Four other Canadian soldiers were injured when their armoured vehicle was hit by an IED 13 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City.



Pte. Patrick Lormand

Pte. Patrick Lormand, 21, was with the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, also known as the Van Doos. Known as 'Lorm' to his friends, he was well liked and was credited with raising the morale of his section and his platoon. He is survived by his parents Jacques and Sylvie Lormand.

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Sept. 6, 2009: Two soldiers killed in roadside blast

A powerful roadside bomb blast hit an armoured vehicle that was part of a Canadian convoy on a road southwest of Kandahar, killing two soldiers. Five others were also injured but their conditions were not serious.



Maj. Yannick Pepin

Maj. Yannick Pepin, 36. With the 5 Combat Engineer Regiment, stationed in Valcartier, Que.Pepin had been in the Canadian Forces for a decade and took great pride in the mission. He leaves behind his partner Annie and two children, Alexandra and Charles.



Cpl. Jean-Francois Drouin

Cpl. Jean-Francois Drouin, 21, with the 5 Combat Engineer Regiment, stationed in Valcartier, Que. He was known as 'Big Drou' to his friends and is remembered as somone who liked to make others laugh. He received an accelerated promotion to corporal just before his last mission. Survived by his partner Audrey.

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August 1, 2009: Two soldiers killed in IED blast

Two soldiers were killed when their re-supply convoy was struck by two improvised explosive devices in the Zhari district.



Cpl. Christian Bobbitt

Cpl. Christian Bobbitt, 23, was a member of the 5th Combat Engineer Regiment with the 2e Batallion of the Royal 22e Regiment, also known as the Van Doos. He was based in Valcartier, Que.

Bobbitt, known as �Bob� to his friends and fellow soldiers, was known for both his sense of humour and his technical expertise. He is credited with playing an integral role in Task Force Kandahar�s efforts to clear roadways of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

He is survived by his spouse, Felicia, his brother, Jonathan, and his parents, Liane and Yvan.



Sapper Matthieu Allard

Sapper Matthieu Allard, 21, was a member of the 5th Combat Engineer Regiment with the 2e Batallion of the Royal 22e Regiment, also known as the Van Doos. He was based in Valcartier, Que.

Allard was known as a hard-working soldier and a team leader. �If you didn�t say stop, he�d always continue working,� said Maj. Yannick Pepin, commander of the 51 Field Engineering squadron.

Allard is survived by his parents, Rene and Christine.

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July 16, 2009: Soldier killed in fall from cliff

A soldier died during a counterinsurgency mission in the Panjwaii district of Kandahar province, when he fell from a high position on a cliff.



Pte. Sebastien Courcy

Pte. Sebastien Courcy, 26, was a member of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal 22e Regiment, also known as the Van Doos. Courcy is survived by his mother, Ginette, and his sister Julie.

Courcy was described as a 'fine soldier' by his commander Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance.

'Sebastien gave his life for Canada. Such is the price soldiers must sometimes pay to honour their obligation to their country and to the missions set before them,' Vance said.

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July 6, 2009: Two Canadians killed in helicopter crash

Two Canadian soldiers died when a Griffon helicopter crashed near a U.S. base, 80 kilometres northeast of Kandahar.

Another coalition soldier also died in the incident, and three Canadians injured. Insurgents were not involved in the incident.



Master Cpl. Pat Audet

Master Cpl. Pat Audet served with the 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, and was based in Valcartier, Que.

He was on his first deployment to Afghanistan.

Canadian commander Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance said Audet, 38, �played a valuable role in reducing exposures to (improvised explosive devices), and by providing aviation support to combat operations.�

He is survived by his wife Katherine and his parents.



Cpl. Martin Joannette

Cpl. Martin Joannette served with the 3e Bataillon, Royal 22e Regiment, based in Valcartier, Que.

The 25-year-old soldier was on his third deployment to Afghanistan.

Canadian commander Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance said Joannette �played a valuable role in reducing exposures to (improvised explosive devices), and by providing aviation support to combat operations.�

He is survived by his wife, Marie-Eve.

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July 4, 2009: Soldier dies from injuries from IED blast

A Canadian soldier died from injuries sustained in an IED blast several weeks prior.

The incident occurred on June 23 while on foot patrol in the Panjwaii district, southwest of Kandahar city. He died in Quebec City in hospital.



Master Cpl. Charles-Philippe Michaud

Master Cpl. Charles-Philippe Michaud was from the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment based at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier.

He was on his second tour of Afghanistan.

Col. Jean Marc Lanthier, commander of the 5th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, called Michaud a mentor to other soldiers, as well as a model soldier.

He is survived by his wife, parents and brother.

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July 3, 2009: Soldier killed, 5 injured in roadside bomb blast

A Canadian soldier travelling in a convoy carrying the senior commander in Kandahar province was killed Friday when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.

Five other soldiers were hurt, but Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance, who commands coalition forces in Kandahar, escaped injury.



Cpl. Nicholas Bulger

Cpl. Nicholas Bulger, 30, was a member of 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton.

Bulger started basic military training in November of 2000 in Saint Jean, Quebec, underwent trades training for the infantry in Wainwright, Alberta, and then in 2001 became the rifleman and armoured vehicle driver for the First Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Edmonton. He took a break from the forces and returned in January 2008.

He leaves behind a wife and two children.

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June 14, 2009: Soldier killed trying to defuse bomb

A Canadian soldier was killed in Afghanistan when one of two roadside bombs he was trying to defuse exploded. The explosion also killed an Afghan police officer and gravely injured a local interpreter.



Cpl. Martin Dube

Cpl. Martin Dube, a combat engineer, was from 5e Regiment du Genie de Combat based at CFB Valcartier near Quebec City. Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance described Dube as someone who enjoyed life and was good at making others laugh. He said Dube, a skilled perfectionist, was 'one of the best guys to be around.' Dube is survived by his girlfriend, Julie, his parents, Marie-Paule and Roger and his brother Vincent.

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June 8, 2009: Soldier killed on foot patrol

A Canadian soldier on foot patrol in southern Afghanistan was killed by an improvised explosive device in the volatile Panjwaii district.



Pte. Alexandre Peloquin

Pte. Alexandre Peloquin, 20, was known to his friends as 'Pelo.' He served with the 3e Bataillon, Royal 22e Regiment, based at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier near Quebec City. He is survived by his mother, Monique.

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April 23, 2009: Major found dead on military base

Enemy action is ruled out in the death of a soldier found at Kandahar Airfield, who had served at Joint Task Force Kandahar headquarters. Circumstances of death under investigation.



Maj. Michelle Mendes

Maj. Michelle Mendes, who was 30, hailed from a small town near Colborne, Ont. She served in a previous tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2006. At that time she served as a captain with the Ottawa-based 154 Squadron. She had graduated from Kingston's Royal Military College in 2001 with a history degree. Her mother told a community newspaper in 2006 that her daughter had opted to work in military intelligence.

'Her tragic death has left many of us stunned,' Padre Martine Belanger during her ramp ceremony in Kandahar.

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April 13, 2009: Canadian killed, 4 hurt in Afghan blast

A Canadian soldier died and four others were wounded when their armoured vehicle rolled over an improvised explosive device north of Kandahar city on Monday.



Trooper Karine Blais

Blais served with the 2nd Battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment Battle Group -- the famed Quebec regiment nicknamed the Van Doos -- based at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, near Quebec City. Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance described Blais as an energetic soldier who gave '100 per cent to every challenge she faced.' Vance said Blais demonstrated qualities of a future leader, adding she had a 'unique sense of humour' and that she was respected by all members of her squadron. Blais leaves behind her mother Josee, her grandmother Laurette and her brother, Billy.

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March 20, 2009: 4 soldiers killed in 2 separate attacks

Four Canadian soldiers were killed and another eight injured in Afghanistan in two separate improvised explosive attacks.



Master Cpl. Scott Vernelli

Vernelli, 28, served with November Company, 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group.

Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance described him as a 'superb soldier' -- who junior soldiers looked up to and respected.

'He was an enthusiastic and dedicated father,' said Vance. 'He was a terrific athlete, very funny, and ironically enough, always able to joke at the worst of times.' Vernelli is survived by his wife and six-month-old daughter.



Cpl. Tyler Crooks

Crooks, 24, served with November Company, 3rd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment.

He is remembered as a 'keen and motivated soldier, and also a great athlete,' said Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance.

He had an affinity for dirt-biking and was a 'Texas-hold'em cardshark.' 'He's remembered by his friends as the kind of guy who will do anything for you without even being asked,' said Vance. He is survived by his parents, his fianc�e Kelly Maxwell, and his brother Tage Crooks.



Trooper Jack Bouthillier

Bouthillier, 20, served with the Reconnaissance Squadron, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group. His home unit was The Royal Canadian Dragoons based at CFB Petawawa.

Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance said Bouthillier enjoyed challenges and was an athlete who practised martial arts.

'He was a joker who made everyone laugh. His enthusiasm and ardour at work inspired everyone,' said Vance. He left behind his parents and a companion.



Trooper Corey Hayes

Hayes, 22, was a 'proud and dedicated soldier who always put his friends and family before himself,' said Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance. 'His friends remember him not only as a friend and a comrade-in-arms, but a brother who inspired them to stand up in the face of danger, and do what was right.'

Hayes was a member of Reconnaissance Squadron, 3rd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group. His home unit was The Royal Canadian Dragoons. He is survived by his parents.

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March 8, 2009: Soldier killed by roadside bomb

A Canadian soldier is killed and four others injured when their armoured vehicle strikes a roadside bomb. The group had been patrolling an area northeast of Kandahar city.



Trooper Marc Diab

Diab served with the Royal Canadian Dragoons and was a was a member of the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group.



Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance said he was a passionate soldier who �loved to make people laugh� and �never stopped giving.� Diab was also deeply committed to his church, loved playing soccer, and had a close relationship with his family and girlfriend.

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March 3, 2009: 3 soldiers killed on patrol in Arghandab District

Three Canadian Forces personnel are killed after an improvised explosive device detonated near their armoured vehicle during a patrol in the Arghandab District. Two others were injured in the attack.



Cpl. Dany Olivier Fortin

From 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron at 3 Wing Bagotville. Fortin, an ardent supporter of the Montreal Canadiens, was known to his fellow soldiers as 'Danny-O.'



Warrant Officer Denis Raymond Brown

From the Lincoln and Welland Regiment. Brown was a husband and father of four children. In his civilian life, Brown serves as a police special constable. He was described as cheerful and upbeat, no matter the challenge he was facing.



Cpl. Kenneth Chad O'Quinn

From 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron. O'Quinn, known as 'Chad' by his friends, was described as a 'proud, dedicated soldier who had a bright future ahead of him' and believed he could accomplish anything in life -- a belief shared by those who knew him.

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Jan. 31, 2009: One soldier killed by roadside bomb

A Canadian soldier was killed in Afghanistan as he participated in a major operation to locate bomb-making factories in Taliban territory. The soldier was killed at the tail end of the mission when his vehicle was struck by a improvised explosive device.



Sapper Sean Greenfield

Greenfield was a member of 24 Field Engineer Squadron, 2 Combat Engineer Regiment based out of Petawawa, Ont., serving with the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group.



Greenfield, 25, was described as exceptionally fit and aspired to join JTF2, Canada's elite and secretive special forces team. His fellow soldiers said he had a great sense of humour and he loved to sing and play guitar.

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Jan. 7, 2009: One soldier dead, 3 injured in IED blast

One Canadian soldier was killed and three injured after an improvised explosive device detonated near their armoured vehicle in Afghanistan's Shah Wali Kowt district. Col. Jamie Cade, acting commander of Task Force Kandahar, called IEDs a "plague" that is difficult to fight. Over the last month alone, 10 Canadian soldiers have been killed by IEDs.



Trooper Brian Richard Good

Member of the Royal Canadian Dragoons based at CFB Petawawa, Ont., serving with the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment.



Good, 42, is described by fellow soldiers as an easygoing man with a distinctive laugh, and who was active in his community. He was remembered for his devotion to his wife, Sandra, and two daughters.

Dec. 27, 2008: Two soldiers killed by bomb blast

Two Canadian soldiers died in Afghanistan after a bomb exploded west of Kandahar city. An Afghan policeman and interpreter were also killed in the blast. The violence happened on the same day Defence Minister Peter MacKay wrapped up a trip to meet Canadians serving in the war-torn country.



Warrant Officer Gaeten Joseph Roberge

A member of the Royal 22nd Regiment who was serving with the Irish Regiment of Canada in Sudbury, Ont. He was stationed in Afghanistan to help train the country�s national police force.



Roberge�s commander described him as a man with a good sense of humour who had the respect and admiration of his colleagues.



�His men loved him. He loved his men. You could count on him at any point in time to do anything.�



Sgt. Greg John Kruse

24 Field Squadron, 2 Combat Engineer Regiment based in Petawawa, Ont. He was serving as a member of 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment battle group.



Kruse was known as a quiet, gentle man who loved his family and his job, his commander said.



�He absolutely loved this job. This is what he wanted to do.�

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Dec. 26, 2008: Soldier killed by roadside bomb

A soldier was killed and three others were wounded after an improvised explosive device went off in the Zhari District of Kandahar Province. That same day, Canadian Forces reported that a Taliban leader behind the planning and planting of recent IEDs had been killed in a NATO operation.



Private Michael Bruce Freeman

N Company, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment from CFB Petawawa, Ontario.



Freeman, 28, was on his first tour of Afghanistan. He was described as dedicated to the mission. An avid golfer, he set up a driving range on a forward operating base and gave candy to children who returned golf balls.

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Dec. 12, 2008: 3 soldiers killed on highway outside Kandahar

Three Canadian soldiers are killed after their armoured vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. A fourth soldier was injured in the blast.

They were members of the Quick Reaction Force, or QRF, a team of soldiers that are usually called out to emergency situations. They were responding to a call that a bomb was being planted along the highway that runs from Kandahar city to the border of Helmand province.



Private John Michael Roy Curwin

2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment from CFB Gagetown, N.B.



Curwin was described as a family man, who had three children and considered his wife, Laura Mae, his best friend.



Corporal Thomas James Hamilton

2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment from CFB Gagetown, N.B.



Hamilton, or 'Hammy,' was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan and had a young daughter, named Annabella. Hamilton had previously served in Haiti.



Private Justin Peter Jones

2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment from CFB Gagetown, N.B.



Jones, or 'Jonesy' as he was called, was originally from Newfoundland and was known for his kindness and his love of the guitar.

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Dec. 5, 2008: 3 soldiers killed by an improvised explosive device

Canada's death toll in Afghanistan has hit 100 with the deaths of three soldiers who were killed by an improvised explosive device. They were travelling in a vehicle in Arghandab district, west of Kandahar city.



Pte. Demetrios Diplaros

1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based out of Petawawa, Ont.



Diplaros, 24, was on his first tour in Afghanistan and was 'an exceptional driver and gunner,' his commander said. He had a longtime girlfriend.



His father, Jerry Diplaros, also served in the army and said he wanted his son to follow in the family tradition.



Cpl. Mark Robert McLaren

1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based out of Petawawa, Ont.



McLaren had served in Afghanistan earlier and was wounded in a 2006 incident. Alan McLaren said his son was engaged to be married, and was a man who died believing strongly in what he was doing.



'A few weeks ago Mark risked his life crawling towards an Afghan soldier who had been shot in order to provide him first aid under fire,' his commander said.



Warrant Officer Robert John Wilson

1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based out of Petawawa, Ont.



Known as R.J. to all, Wilson was on his second tour of Afghanistan. His wife, also a soldier, was in Afghanistan as well at the time of his death.



'He loved his work, and dearly loved his wife and children,' his commander said. 'He will be sorely missed by all.'

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Sept. 7, 2008: Roadside bomb attack kills infantryman

A roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan killed a soldier with the 2nd battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Seven others were wounded in the attack in Kandahar province's Panjwaii district.



Sgt. Scott Shipway

2nd battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Man.

Home: Saskatchewan



Shipway was nearing the end of his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, and had served in the military since 1991. He had previously completed tours of duty in Cyprus, Bosnia, and Kosovo.



'Scott was a seasoned veteran ... a dedicated father and a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan,' Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson said.



Fellow-soldiers called him 'Papa Shipway' and his motto was 'never let a comrade down.' His dedication was apparent when he helped save a fellow soldier's life during a roadside bomb attack in 2006.

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Sept. 3, 2008: Three soldiers killed in ambush

Three Canadian soldiers in their early twenties, who had nearly finished their tour of duty, were killed during a fatal ambush in Afghanistan's volatile Zhari district. Five others were wounded.



Cpl. Andrew Grenon

Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Man.



Grenon, 23, was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson described him as an experienced soldier who had a calming effect on his comrades.



'He brought confidence to those around him and inspired the first-tour guys, making them feel safe,' said Thompson.



Cpl. Mike Seggie

Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry



Seggie, 21, followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle, who had also served with the Princess Patrica�s. Thompson described him as a great communicator, who learned Pashtun phrases to work with local Afghans.



He was also considered to be 'cool under fire,' and often joked with his comrades to lighten the mood.



Pte. Chad Horn

Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry



Horn, 21, was greatly admired by his peers and was considered one of the best Light Armoured Vehicle gunners -- the soldier who has to leave himself open to possible attack by manning the LAV�s large weapon.



Thompson said he had 'unlimited potential' and that his 'ability to act under fire saved many lives during the tour.'

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Aug. 20, 2008: Three killed in roadside bomb attack

Three Canadian soldiers were killed by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Afghanistan's Zhari district, and another soldier was injured in the blast.



Sgt. Shawn Eades

12 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, Second Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group.



Eades, a highly trained combat engineer, was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan.



'He was a veteran soldier and this was his third tour in Afghanistan,' said Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson. 'He was a devoted father who liked to share stories of his children with his colleagues and friends.'



Eades, 33, is survived by his wife, Lisa, and two young daughters, seven and four.



Sapper Stephan John Stock

12 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment from Edmonton, Alberta and attached to the Second Battalion Princess Patricia�s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group.



Everyone who knew him called him 'Stock,' said Spr. Jonathan Allison.



'I always admired Stock. He was a very competent soldier. He was the kind of guy and the same rank level that I could look to for reassurance. He was just a really solid soldier.'



Allison said, 'it�s always difficult when�a friend, dies,' but he is proud of his fellow soldier.



'When I first heard his name mentioned initially, I was quite shocked. You never really expect it to be someone who you are close to, but after a few minutes once it started sinking in I was very proud that he did that.'



Cpl. Dustin Roy Robert Joseph Wasden

12 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment from Edmonton, Alberta and attached to the Second Battalion Princess Patricia�s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group.

Cpl. Dustin MacCreedy called Wasden, who he referred to as �Wozzy,� a �good guy� and a farm boy from Saskatchewan.



'I was sad, but proud at the same time because he loved what he did. He was a good soldier and I�m proud of him.'

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Aug. 11, 2008: Soldier killed at remote base

A Canadian soldier has died in Afghanistan after insurgents attacked a remote outpost in the volatile Panjwaii district. It's the second death in three days.



Master Cpl. Erin Doyle

3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton.

Hometown: Kamloops, B.C.



Doyle was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson described him as a 'big, tough, mountain of a man' who was a 'true warrior and just the person you would want beside you in a firefight.' In 2002, he received the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal for community service. Doyle is survived by his wife Nicole and daughter Zarine.

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Aug. 9, 2008: Soldier killed in firefight in Zhari district

A Saskatchewan-born soldier was fatally shot during a firefight in Afghanistan early Saturday, as Canadian troops fought insurgents in the volatile Zhari district. Civilian security personnel were also in the area.



Master Cpl. Josh Roberts

2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Man.

Hometown: Saskatoon



Roberts had transferred to the regular Forces from the North Saskatchewan Regiment in 2006. His superiors promoted him to master corporal only two weeks ago. He leaves behind a fiancee who was expecting their first child.

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July 18, 2008: Slain Winnipeg soldier was on 2nd tour

A Canadian soldier died in Afghanistan after he was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) buried in the ground during a night patrol in the Panjwaii district.



Cpl. James Hayward Arnal, 25

2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Man.



Hometown: Winnipeg

Arnal died in Afghanistan after he was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) buried in the ground during a night patrol in the Panjwaii district.



Arnal had given up a career in the private sector to join the military four years ago.

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July 6, 2008: Explosion kills Canadian medic

A Canadian medic out on foot patrol in Kandahar province's Panjwaii district died following an explosion.



Pte. Colin William Wilmot

1st Field Ambulance, Edmonton Garrison



The Edmonton-based medic had demanded to go Afghanistan. 'He was selected to fill a vacancy soon after, because he was motivated, he was skilled, and because he was eager to make a difference in the lives of ordinary Afghans,' said Brig.-Gen. Dennis Thompson, Canada's top soldier in Afghanistan. Friends spoke of Wilmot's sunny disposition and willingness to help others.

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July 4, 2008: Military policeman dies in 'non-combat incident'

A military policeman was found dead in his sleeping quarters in the early morning hours at a Canadian base in the Persian Gulf that is used to provide logistical support for the Afghan mission. The military quickly said the death wasn't combat-related.



Cpl. Brendan Anthony Downey, 37

Military policeman

17 Wing Detachment, Dundurn



Downey was based in Dundurn, Sask. His family said he was overjoyed to hear of his wife's recent pregnancy, and that he will be sorely missed by her, their two-year-old son and the rest of his family. They described him as a 'committed patriot' who joined the military after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States.

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June 7, 2008: Officer dies in freak accident

A captain leading a night patrol in Zhari district died after falling down a well, known locally as a kariz, in a grape field. A rescue team extracted him, but he was pronounced dead at Kandahar Airfield's military hospital.



Capt. Jonathan Sutherland Snyder

1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton

Hometown: Penticton, B.C.



Snyder, who worked with the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT), was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. His superiors praised him for the leadership he showed under fire. He is survived by his father David, mother Anne, a fiance and a brother.

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June 3, 2008: Platoon commander dies in firefight

Taliban militants ambushed a joint Canadian-Afghan foot patrol in the Panjwaii district. The platoon commander was shot about 30 minutes into the firefight. He was airlifted to the hospital at Kandahar Airfield, but a doctor there pronounced him dead.



Capt. Richard (Steve) Leary, 32

2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Man.

Hometown: Brantford, Ont.



Leary was on his first overseas mission. 'Captain Leary was what we in uniform are expected to be. Captain Leary was a soldier and Captain Leary was a leader,' Col. Jamie Cade said at a June 3, 2008 news conference. Leary leaves behind his wife Rachel, his parents Richard and Gail and his sister Brandi.

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May 6, 2008: Medic dies during Taliban ambush

Taliban militants attacked Canadian soldiers out in the village of Pashmul in Zhari district west of Kandahar City. The Canadians were there on a rapport-building mission. Two soldiers were wounded. One would die of his wounds in hospital.



Cpl. Michael Starker, 36 (reservist)

15 Field Ambulance, Edmonton (Calgary detachment)

Hometown: Calgary



In his civilian life, Starker worked as a paramedic in Calgary. However, he had previously been a paratrooper with the Canadian Airborne Regiment. Thousands turned out for his funeral in Calgary. 'I think he would be laughing his ass off right now saying, 'I don't know why you guys are making such a big deal of this,'' his sister Carolyn Straub told reporters about her self-effacing brother. Starker also leaves behind his wife Nicole.

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April 4, 2008: IED blast kills soldier

A Canadian soldier died in the Panjwaii district west of Kandahar City after his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.



Pte. Terry John Street, 24

2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Man.

Hometown: Hull, Que.



Outside his April 12, 2008 funeral in Surrey, B.C., friends described as a honourable, dedicated and dependable person. When his body was being shipped home, army Padre Jim Short described Street as described Street as 'a vibrant, keen, energetic, personable young soldier, a team player born to be an infantryman.'

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March 16, 2008: IED kills soldier on foot patrol

A Canadian soldier on foot patrol in the Panjwaii district about 35 kilometres west of Kandahar City stepped on an improvised explosive device, dying in hospital of his injuries. He would be the first Canadian killed on foot patrol in nearly a year.



Sgt. Jason Boyes, 32

2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Man.

Hometown: Napanee, Ont.



Boyes was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. 'His idea was not to give candy to children, but to kill insurgents,' said Regimental Sgt. Maj. Brian Semenko. 'We are devastated by this news. Jason loved his job, he loved the military, and his fellow soldiers loved him back. His world was his daughter, Mackenzie, his wife, Alison, his dogs and his family,' Boyes' family said in a statement distributed by the military.

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March 11, 2008: Soldier found dead in room

A Canadian soldier was found dead in an accommodation room at Kandahar Airfield. Brig.-Gen. Guy Laroche told reporters that the death "is not related to combat."



Bombardier Jeremie Ouellet, 22

1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Shilo, Man.

Hometown: Matane, Que.



Ouellet had only recently arrived in Afghanistan. His family released a statement said Ouellet was a 'a dedicated and professional soldier' who was 'serving his country with a lot of honour and pride.'

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March 2, 2008: Roadside bomb kills soldier

An armoured vehicle out on a resupply mission in the Mushan region of the Panjwaii district about 45 kilometres west of Kandahar City struck an improvised explosive device. One soldier died.



Trooper Michael Yuki Hayakaze, 25

Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) , Edmonton, Alta.

Hometown: Edmonton, Alta.



Hayakaze graduated from high school in 2001, and reportedly foundered a bit before finding a home in the army in 2006. He trained as a driver. His mother Inoue told her son's March 15, 2008 funeral that he once told her: ' 'It would be lying if I said I was not scared, But I fight with the belief that we are protecting our country, the people and our families doing this.' These words of Mikey's resonate in my heart right now.'

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Jan. 23, 2008: Roadside bomb kills soldier

A Canadian armoured vehicle was travelling on a rough, unpaved road as part of a road-clearing operation in the Panjwaii district about 35 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City when it struck an improvised explosive device. One soldier died and two others were injured.



Cpl. Etienne Gonthier, 21

5e Regiment du Genie de Combat, Valcartier, Que.

Hometown: Quebec City



The combat engineer's father reportedly didn't want his son to enlist, fearing something terrible would happen to him. 'You were my first love, and fate ended it January 23rd at 1:40 pm in Kandahar. You're forever etched in my heart, and I will never forget you,' Cinthia Morin, Gonthier's girlfriend, wrote in an online posting.

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Jan. 15, 2008: Roadside bomb kills soldier

A Canadian soldier died when his Coyote reconnaissance vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the Arghandab district about 10 kilometres north of Kandahar City. Another soldier was wounded. They were on a routine "presence patrol."



Trooper Richard Renaud, 26

12th Regiment, Blinde du Canada, Val Cartier, Que.

Hometown: Alma, Que.



Renaud's wife was pregnant when he died. He also left behind a four-year-old stepson, his parents and a sister. 'He loved his country. He defended his convictions with vigour. He was proud ... and for me, he was a hero,' Renaud's father, Jean-Marc, said after the Jan. 6, 2008 funeral in Saguenay, Que.

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Jan. 6, 2008: Rollover kills two Canadian soldiers

Two Canadian soldiers die after their armoured vehicle rolled over in rough terrain in Zhari district, about 40 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City. The men were in the turret of their LAV III. The dirt track on which the vehicle was travelling had been made slippery by rain.



Cpl. Eric Labbe, 31

Royal 22nd Regiment, Valcartier, Que.



Hometown: Rimouski, Que.



Labbe had been in the military for six years. He had previously served overseas in the former Yugoslavia. He had reportedly been considering leaving the military when he paid a visit home shortly before he died.



Warrant Officer Hani Massouh, 41

Royal 22nd Regiment, Valcartier, Que.

Hometown: Alexandria, Egypt



Massouh had spent 17 years in the military and was the veteran of several overseas missions, including Haiti, Croatia, Somalia and the former Yugoslavia. He had a five-year-old daughter and was weeks away from retirement. With files from The Canadian Press

March 6, 2007: Soldier dies in non-combat shooting

A Canadian reserve soldier died after being shot in the chest while in his tent at the Kandahar airfield. Charges against another soldier were eventually laid in connection with the incident.



Cpl. Kevin Megeney, 25

1st Battalion, Nova Scotia Highlanders, Truro, N.S.

Hometown: New Glasgow, N.S.



Megeney, a reservist and the youngest of three siblings, had been in Afghanistan with the Nova Scotia Highlanders since Dec. 8, 2006. Generations of the Megeney family have enlisted with that regiment. Megeney had hoped to become a paramedic one day. 'Every time he put on the uniform, wearing the Canadian flag on his shoulders, Kev was proud,' Cpl. Brent Bowden told Megeny's March 16, 2007 funeral.

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April 8, 2007: Roadside bombing kills six soldiers

Six Canadian soldiers were killed on an Easter Sunday when a massive roadside bomb detonated, striking their LAV III armoured vehicle as they guarded a convoy about 75 kilometres west of Kandahar.

The event was described as the single largest one-day death toll suffered by Canadian troops since the Afghanistan campaign began in 2002.



Sgt. Donald Lucas, 31

2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Gagetown, N.B.

Hometown: Burton, N.B.



Lucas was considered a leader by his fellow soldiers, but also something of a prankster. He spoke often of his love for his wife and children.



Cpl. Aaron E. Williams, 23

2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Gagetown, N.B.

Hometown: Lincoln, N.B.



Williams was a sniper. His comrades considered him to be a quiet, competent soldier.



Pte. Kevin Vincent Kennedy, 20

2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Gagetown, N.B.

Hometown: St. John's, N.L.



He was good friends with Pte. David Greenslade, who also died that day. Kennedy's brother had preceded him into the military.



Pte. David Robert Greenslade, 20

2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Gagetown, N.B.

Hometown: Saint John, N.B.



The youngest soldier to die that day, Greenslade was remembered at his April 19, 2007 funeral as a sweet-tempered young man who loved his family, hockey and life. He was good friends with Pte. Kevin Kennedy, also killed in the blast.



Cpl. Christopher Paul Stannix (reservist), 24

Princess Louise Fusiliers, Halifax, NS

Hometown: Dartmouth, N.S.



He gave up a civilian job to serve in Afghanistan.



Cpl. Brent Donald Poland, 37

2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Gagetown, N.B.

Hometown: Sarnia, Ont.



'We lost a man who loved his country, his regiment, his family and his friends, but we ought not hang our heads and wallow. That is not what Brent would have wanted,' Maj. Mark Poland told his brother's funeral, held April 20, 2007.

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April 11, 2007: Roadside bomb kills two soldiers

There were three attacks on Canadian Forces personnel in Afghanistan this day. Two soldiers died in one of the incidents, when a roadside bomb exploded near their Coyote light reconnaissance vehicle about 38 kilometres west of Kandahar City.







Master Cpl. Allan Stewart, 31

Royal Canadian Dragoons, Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: Trout Brook, N.B.



Stewart was a husband to Christa, and a father of two girls, ages 9 and 12. He had been in the military for nine years. He was on his second tour in Afghanistan and on his third overseas mission, after having been deployed to Bosnia in 2001.



Trooper Patrick James Pentland, 23

Royal Canadian Dragoons, Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: Geary, N.B.



Pentland had joined the military three years ago and was working as a driver on his first deployment. His father Jim had been a soldier. Patrick was born on the Canadian military base at Lahr, Germany, and grew up near CFB Gagetown, N.B. Patrick had spent some of his recent leave time with his mother, Gabriele, in Germany. He loved children, and had considered adopting an Afghan orphan.

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April 18, 2007: Soldier dies in fall from tower

A Canadian Special Forces soldier died after falling from a communication tower while out on a surveillance operation somewhere within Kandahar City.



Master Cpl. Anthony Klumpenhouwer, 25

Canadian Special Operations Forces

Hometown: Listowel, Ont.



The second-oldest of 13 siblings, Klumpenhower was remembered by his aunt Judi as having bright blue eyes and a 'beautiful smile.' She also described her nephew as a natural soldier. She said he originally planned to enlist for a short term, but found the military to be such a good fit that he decided to stay.

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May 25, 2007: IED kills soldier

A Canadian soldier taking part in Operation Hoover, a large offensive launched against the Taliban in Zhari district north of the Arghandab River, died after detonating an improvised explosive device.





Cpl. Matthew McCully, 25

2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron, CFB Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: Orangeville, Ont.



McCully, a signals operator, was a member of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan, Operational Mentor and Liaison Team. His comrades described the redhead as a perfectionist with a good sense of humour.

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May 30, 2007: Soldier dies in helicopter crash

A Canadian soldier was one of seven people who died in a helicopter crash near Kajaki in Helmand province. Helmand adjoins Kandahar province, where Canadian troops are based.





Master Cpl. Darrell Jason Priede, 30

Army News Team, 3 Area Support Group, CFB Gagetown, N.B.

Hometown: Burlington, Ont.



Master Cpl. Darrell Jason Priede a military photographer and had been in Afghanistan about six weeks when he died. Born in Ontario, he grew up around Grand Forks, B.C. 'Our son was exemplary ... He didn�t have one black mark in the military ... He enjoyed what he did because he always wanted to capture as much good as possible,' his mother Roxanne said.

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June 11, 2007: Roadside bomb kills soldier

A Canadian soldier in the lead vehicle of a "combat logistics patrol" died after the vehicle struck a roadside bomb. The convoy was bringing supplies to a base in Khakriz district in the northwestern part of Kandahar province. His family had expected him to call home that day to wish his brother a happy birthday.



Trooper Darryl Caswell, 25

Royal Canadian Dragoons, Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: Bowmanville, Ont.



'A mother can never prepare for this,' Caswell's mother, Darlene Cushman, told her son's funeral on June 20, 2007. Darryl liked tattoos and had planned to get a small pair of angel's wings. Darlene said she would get a similar tattoo to honour him.

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June 20, 2007: Roadside blast kills three soldiers

Three soldiers travelling in an open-topped, unarmoured Gator ATV die when the vehicle hits an improvised explosive device. The soldiers were shuttling between two checkpoints less than a kilometre apart on a road that had been considered secure. The blast occurred near Sperwan Ghar, in the Panjwaii district southwest of Kandahar City.

The military suspended the use of Gators outside secure compounds.



Cpl. Stephen Frederick Bouzane, 26

3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alta.

Hometown: Springdale, NL.



Bouzane grew up in Scarborough, Ont. He enlisted in 2003 and had a fianc� in Edmonton, where he was based. He is also survived by his parents and a sister.



Pte. Joel Vincent Wiebe, 22

3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alta.

Hometown: Edmonton, Alta.



'Every since he was a little kid, Joel has said 'I want to be in the army',' Anna Thede, Wiebe's fianc�, told reporters on June 22, 2007. He had proposed to her four hours before he shipped out to Afghanistan. He was buried in Edmonton.



Sgt. Christos Karigiannis, 30

3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alta.

Hometown: Montreal, Que.



'It was always Chris' dream to be part of the Canadian forces, to serve and defend his country. He has a big Canadian flag covering an entire wall in his room. We have always encouraged him to follow his ambitions,' his brother Spiro told reporters on June 22, 2007. Karigiannis is also survived by his mother Niki and another brother.

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July 4, 2007: Roadside bomb kills six soldiers

A roadside bomb kills six Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, as well as an Afghan interpreter, in the Panjwaii district southwest of Kandahar City. The soldiers were travelling in a RG-31 Nyala armoured vehicle with the interpreter when they struck the bomb. The total toll exceeded that of an April 8, 2007 blast that left six dead.



Capt. Matthew Johnathan Dawe, 27

3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alta.

Hometown: Kingston, Ont.



Dawe died on the same day as his son Lucas's second birthday. He comes from a military family. His father Peter, a retired lieutenant-colonel, told reporters that his son had been frustrated by the guerrilla tactics Canadian troops faced in Kandahar.



Master Cpl. Colin Bason (reservist), 28

Royal Westminster Regiment, New Westminster, B.C.

Hometown: Burnaby, B.C.



A seven-year veteran who had served in Bosnia, Bason took a demotion in rank to serve in Afghanistan. Comrades and friends remembered his frantic energy and sense of humour. Bason was in a relationship and had an infant daughter with his girlfriend.



Cpl. Cole Bartsch, 23

3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alta.

Hometown: Whitecourt, Alta.



Remembered by his family as a young man who loved the outdoors. An aunt called him 'the reliable one.'



Pte. Lane Watkins, 20

3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alta.

Hometown: Clearwater, Man.



At his July 16, 2007 funeral, one comrade recalled that Watkins loved to hand candy out to Afghan kids while on patrol. His mother Wanda said the poverty in which Afghan children lived appalled Lane.



Cpl. Jordan Anderson, 25

3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alta.

Hometown: Iqaluit, Nunavut



Anderson grew up in Inuvik. He is believed to be the first northerner to die in Afghanistan. His widow Amanda accepted a posthumous degree in political science on his behalf from the University of Manitoba. He'd been studying online while serving overseas.



Capt. Jefferson Francis, 37

1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1 RCHA), Shilo, Man.

Home province: New Brunswick



Francis grew up in the Halifax area. Comrades described him as a quiet professional with a dry sense of humour. He left behind a wife, Sylvie, and a son who was only eight months old when his father died.

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Aug. 19, 2007: Roadside bomb kills soldier

Quebec's Royal 22nd Regiment, the Van Doos, suffered its first death in Afghanistan when a soldier died in a roadside bombing about 20 kilometres west of Kandahar City.



Pte Simon Longtin, 23

3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, Valcartier, Que.

Hometown: Longueil, Que.



At his funeral, Longtin was described as a courageous, professional soldier. His mother Johanne said in a statement that her son really wanted to serve in Afghanistan.

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Aug. 22, 2007: Roadside bomb kills two soldiers

Two Canadian soldiers and an Afghan interpreter died after a roadside bomb struck their LAV-III armoured vehicle in Zhari district about 50 kilometres west of Kandahar City.

The blast also injured another soldier, a Radio Canada reporter and his cameraman.



Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier, 43

2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, Valcartier, Que.

Hometown: Weedon, Que.



Mercier was known as 'Papa Bear' to his troops. After his death, some of them strapped stuffed teddy bears to the front of their LAV armoured personnel carriers to honour his memory. He had also served in the Balkans and Haiti. His is survived by his wife Lucie and three children.



Master Cpl. Christian Duchesne, 34

5th Field Ambulance, Valcartier, Que.

Hometown: Montreal



Duschesne, a medic with 14 years of service in the military, was married and the father of three young girls.

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Aug. 29, 2007: Soldier found dead of gunshot wound

A Canadian officer was found in his room at International Security Assistance Force headquarters in Kabul suffering from a gunshot wound. He later died. The death was later ruled a suicide.





Major Raymond Ruckpaul, 42

Armoured Corps, The Royal Canadian Dragoons, serving at the NATO coalition headquarters in Kabul.

Hometown: Hamilton, Ont.



Those who knew Ruckpaul said suicide would have been completely out of character. He is the highest-ranking officer to die in Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife Natasha and two children.

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Sept. 24, 2007: Soldier killed in Taliban mortar attack

A Canadian soldier who had been working to repair the broken tread on a Leopard tank died during a mortar attack by the Taliban. Another soldier was wounded.





Cpl. Nathan Hornburg (reservist), 24

King's Own Calgary Regiment, Calgary, Alta.

Hometown: Calgary



At his Oct. 4, 2007 funeral, the crowd was told of a young man seen as a humorous, supportive, solid soldier. Some of his artwork was on display.

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Nov. 17, 2007: Roadside blast kills two soldiers

A roadside bomb killed two Canadian soldiers and their Afghan interpreter. Three other Canadian soldiers were wounded and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The blast occurred in Zhari district about 40 kilometres west of Kandahar City.





Cpl. Nicolas Raymond Beauchamp, 28

5th Field Ambulance, Valcartier, Que.

Hometown: Lived in Pont-Rouge, Que.



Beauchamp's spouse, Cpl. Dolores Crampton is a medical technician who had been based with Beauchamp's unit in Kandahar. She accompanied her husband's body home, sprinkling flowers on his casket during the repatriation ceremony. She may be the first Canadian soldier to accompany a spouse's body home.



Pte. Michel Levesque, 25

3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, Valcartier, Que.

Hometown: Riviere-Rouge



His neighbours from his home town recalled Levesque as a 'very nice little boy.' He once took the town's flag to Afghanistan and promised to fly it on the base. When he returned home on leave about two weeks before his death, he showed the mayor photos of the flag flapping in the breeze at Kandahar Airfield.

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Dec. 30, 2007: Roadside bomb kills soldier



As they headed back to base looking forward to a New Year's Eve celebration, their T-LAV armoured vehicle struck a roadside bomb. One soldier died and four others were wounded. The blast occurred in Zhari district about 20 kilometres west of Kandahar City.



Gunner Jonathan Dion, 27

5th Regiment d'Artillerie legere du Canada, Valcartier, Que.

Hometown: Val D'Or, Que.



After Dion's funeral on Jan. 12, 2008, a friend, also a military member, described him as a quiet, generous guy who excelled at sports in high school. 'Jonathan was proud to be a soldier. He loved his work,' Ronald Marcil, Dion's uncle, said after the funeral.

Jan. 15, 2006: Canadian diplomat killed in suicide bomb attack

Glyn Berry, political director of Canada's provincial reconstruction team, dies when a suicide bomber attacks a Canadian convoy about one kilometre southeast of Kandahar City. Three soldiers with Berry suffer severe injuries.



Glyn Berry, 59

Director, Foreign Affairs Canada



The veteran Canadian diplomat had volunteered for Afghanistan. 'He was a guy made for difficult assignments,' former Canadian UN ambassador Paul Heinbecker told The Globe and Mail.



Berry was the first Canadian foreign service officer in more than 40 years to die in the line of duty. He is survived by his wife, Valerie, and two sons, Rhys and Gareth.



Hometown: Barry, South Wales

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March 2, 2006: Armoured vehicle crash kills two Canadian soldiers

A LAV III armoured vehicle crashed into a taxi on the outskirts of Kandahar City. The LAV rolled. One soldier died at the scene, and another would die later. Five other Canadian soldiers would suffer injuries, as would an Afghan interpreter.



Cpl. Paul Davis, 28

2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Man.

Hometown: Bridgewater, N.S.



Dedicated soldier remembered for his bravery and camaraderie with fellow soldiers. His father Jim Davis recalled that his son loved playing hockey and had been nicknamed 'Smiley' by his young teammates. Davis is survived by wife Melanie, young daughters, mother Connie Davis, father Jim, and stepmother Sharon Davis.



Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson, 30

2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Man.

Hometown: Grand Prairie, Alta.



Wilson died in a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany about three days after the crash. His wife Daphne and mother Jane were at his side. His organs were donated. 'Tim's selflessness earned him the respect and admiration of all who knew him, we have always supported Tim's military career,' said Jane. 'He died doing something he both loved and believed in, in both life and in death.'

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March 29, 2006: Canadian dies in 'friendly fire' incident

A Canadian soldier dies during a vicious firefight with Taliban forces at Forward Operating Base Robinson in Helmand province, about 110 kilometres northwest of Kandahar City. It would later be determined that Pte. Robert Costall died as a result of fire coming from U.S. special forces. A U.S. soldier and eight Afghan National Army soldiers would also die from friendly fire that day.



Pte. Robert Costall, 22

1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alta.



Hometown: Thunder Bay, Ont.



Costall, a machine-gunner, is remembered as a dedicated soldier who loved his wife and newborn son. 'What I can remember, a bright blue-eyed child always smiling, always happy,' Pte. Robert Costall's older brother Buddy said at the April 6, 2006 funeral service in Gibsons, B.C.



Costall is survived by wife Chrissy, son Colin, who was one when his father died and parents.

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April 22, 2006: Roadside bomb kills four soldiers

Four Canadian soldiers travelling in a Mercedes G-Wagon in the Gumbad region about 75 kilometres north of Kandahar City died when a roadside bomb destroyed their vehicle. Gen. Rick Hillier, Canada's top soldier, said the explosive power of the bomb would have killed the quartet no matter what vehicle they had been in.



Cpl. Matthew Dinning, 23

2nd Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: Richmond Hill, Ont.



'I distinctly remember him saying: 'If I'm going to be killed, it will be by a roadside bomb and I'll die instantly.' How right he was,' father Lincoln Dinning said at the April 29, 2006 funeral service.



Matthew loved hockey and hoped to become an Ontario Provincial Police officer like his father some day. He is survived by his parents and brother Matt.



Bombardier Myles Mansell, 25

5th Field Artillery Regiment, Victoria, B.C.

Hometown: Victoria, B.C.



Mansell loved being a soldier. He sent flowers and a teddy bear to fiancee Lindsay Sullivan just three weeks before his death.



'Myles died a hero in my books. He paid the supreme sacrifice to help others,' his uncle Michael Mansell said at the May 3, 2006 funeral service in Victoria, B.C. Myles is survived by Lindsay and his parents.



Cpl. Randy Payne, 32

CFB/ASU Wainwright Military Police Platoon, Wainwright, Alta.



Born: Lahr, West Germany, Hometown: Gananoque, Ont.



Born into a military family, Payne was a military police officer. 'Randy took extreme pride in being a military police officer. He was not only a friend to myself, but to all my police colleagues,' Cpl. Cory Gaffey said at the May 3, 2006 funeral service in Wainwright.

Payne is survived by his wife, two young children, parents and a brother in the Canadian Forces.



Lieut. William Turner, 45

Land Force Western Area Headquarters Edmonton, Alta.



Hometown: Toronto, Ont.



Turner was a reservist who worked as a liaison officer in Afghanistan, meeting with local elders. He left a bottle of whisky with a friend to be opened upon his safe return. A competitive cyclist celebrated for his team spirit, Turner was described as a courageous and hard-working soldier.

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May 17: Canadian woman the 16th soldier killed in Afghanistan

A Taliban ambush during a firefight in the Panjwaii region of Afghanistan leaves a Canadian soldier dead. Capt. Nichola Goddard, an artillery forward observation officer, had her head outside the hatch of her vehicle when a rocket-propelled grenade struck.



Capt. Nichola Goddard, 26

1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Shilo, Man.



Born: Papua, New Guinea.

Hometown: Calgary, Alta.



Goddard was the first Canadian woman to die in a combat role. A dog-lover and active volunteer for the Calgary girl guides, Goddard loved being in the thick of the action. Her nickname was 'Care Bear.'



She is survived by her husband Jason Beam, himself a soldier, parents and sisters. Her father Tim told her May 27, 2006 funeral in Calgary that his daughter was 'a good soldier who died a soldier's death.'

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July 9, 2006 : Firefight leaves soldier dead

A Canadian soldier died and two injured in a firefight with Taliban insurgents, in Pashmul, a village west of Kandahar City that has historically been a Taliban stronghold.



Cpl. Anthony Boneca, 21

Lake Superior Scottish Regiment, Thunder Bay, Ont.

Hometown: Thunder Bay, Ont.



Fellow soldiers described Boneca, nicknamed 'T-bone,' as a courageous man. He was three weeks away from returning home when he died. The fun-loving Boneca played football in his high school days.



His girlfriend Megan DeCorte claimed Boneca had been unhappy in Afghanistan, but the soldier's father rejected that claim. Boneca is survived by his parents.

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July 22, 2006 : Suicide bomber kills two soldiers

Two Canadian soldiers died and eight others were wounded when a suicide bomber rammed into a Bison armoured vehicle, the last vehicle in a massive coalition convoy near Kandahar City, before blowing himself up. The convoy had been returning from a 12-day mission that saw heavy combat but no Canadian deaths. The nickname for the stretch of highway where the attack occurred is "IED Alley."



Cpl. Francisco Gomez, 44

1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alta.

Born: Trinidad and Tobago. Hometown: Edmonton, Alta.



Gomez was a career officer who served in the Canadian army for 23. 'It's a dangerous job,' father George Gomez told CTV Edmonton. 'It's a job you choose to do, so you have to take the consequences, too. But I think if they're successful, the people in Afghanistan will appreciate it.'



He is survived by his father, mother Joan and brother Richard, who also serves in the military.



Cpl. Jason Warren, 29

The Black Watch, Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, Montreal, QC

Hometown: Quebec City, QC



Army service was a long-time tradition in Warren's family; his sister is a corporal and his grandfather is a retired brigadier-general. He was the first member of the Black Watch to die in combat since the Second World War.



Warren, who also served in Bosnia, was described as a natural leader keen to make a difference in the lives of those hurt by the Taliban.

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August 3, 2006: Four soldiers die in series of attacks

Four Canadian soldiers were killed and 10 wounded in a combination of Taliban attacks and roadside bombings. Three died in a rocket-propelled grenade attack near a burned-out school and one in a roadside bombing that hit a LAV III armoured vehicle.



Pte. Kevin Dallaire, 22

1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alta.

Hometown: Calgary, Alta.



'It's not one of those things I thought would ever happen to my son, even though I knew and I realized that he was in a war environment,' father Gaetan Dallaire told CTV News.



In the wake of their son's death, Gaetan and wife Diane began a network for those parents who have lost children in Afghanistan.



Sgt. Vaughan Ingram, 35

1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alta.

Hometown: Burgeo, N.L.



Described as a fearless soldier and completely dedicated to his mission. He is survived by wife, two young daughters, and mother.



At his funeral in Burgeo, his daughters released white balloons. As they drifted skyward, his youngest daughter said, 'There's my daddy going to heaven.'



Cpl. Bryce Keller, 27

1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alta.

Hometown: Regina, Sask.

Keller devoted six years of his life to the military. He was also an avid animal lover who dedicated time to the humane society.

Keller is survived by his parents, two brothers and his wife, Sarah, whom he met on a military training course in 1998.



Cpl. Christopher Reid, 34

1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, AB

Hometown: Truro, N.S.



Dedicated to the vocation of soldiering, Reid was described as a man with an adventurous spirit who loved camping with friends or driving fast in his four-by-four truck.



He is survived by parents Tom and Angela.

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August 5, 2006: Collision leaves Canadian soldier dead

A Canadian soldier was killed and three others injured when a G-Wagon armoured jeep, in the lead of a convoy, collided with a civilian in a vehicle about 35 kilometres southeast of Kandahar city.



Master Cpl. Raymond Arndt, 31

The Loyal Edmonton Regiment, Edmonton, Alta.

Hometown: Edson, Alta.



'He was a very good soldier, very dedicated, very hard-working. He loved to smile, loved to tell jokes,' Lt.-Col. Hans Brink said at Arndt's funeral, held in Edson on Aug. 15, 2006.

Arndt had been days away from returning home. He is survived by Darcia, his wife of nine months.

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August 9, 2006: Accidental firearm discharge kills soldier

A Canadian soldier died after by being shot by the accidental discharge of a comrade-in-arms' rifle. The shooting occurred inside a G-Wagon on patrol in the Kandahar City area. The military laid charges against Cpl. Robbie Fraser in connection with the incident.



Master Cpl. Jeffrey Walsh, 33

2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Man.

Hometown: Regina, Sask.



Walsh was a police officer's son. Friend Norman Yeo told Walsh's Aug. 17, 2006 funeral in Regina that a sense of adventure and a desire to serve led Jeffrey to join the army.



Walsh is survived by wife, Julie Mason, and their three children, and parents Ben and Margie.

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August 11, 2006: Suicide bombing leaves soldier dead

A Canadian soldier was killed after a suicide bomber drove his explosives-laden vehicle into a military convoy in southern Afghanistan.



Cpl. Andrew Eykelenboom, 23

1st Field Ambulance, Edmonton, Alta.

Hometown: Comox, B.C.



A medic, known as Boomer and affectionately described by colleagues as brave and goofy. 'Even with a self-directed mission as great as helping others he found time to enjoy the life he was given, hanging out with friends, camping, fishing, snowboarding or surfing. All of which still involved his unspoken drive to educate everyone he could touch with his passion for the Lord and the ideals of care and good deeds,' the family said in a statement.



He is survived by father Hans, mother Maureen and brothers. They set up a fund, Boomer's Legacy, to help Afghan women and children.

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August 22, 2006: Soldier killed in attack on supply convoy

A Canadian soldier was killed and three others were wounded when a suicide bomber drove an explosives-packed vehicle into a resupply convoy near a Canadian compound in Kandahar City.



Cpl. David Braun, 27

2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, MB

Hometown: Raymore, Sask.



Braun dreamed of a military career from the age of 12. His comrades remember him as a brave and supportive soldier. He is survived by his mother Patty and three siblings.

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Sept. 3, 2006: Four Canadians die during Operation Medusa

Four Canadian soldiers died and six wounded during a major NATO offensive called Operation Medusa in the volatile Panjwaii district of southern Afghanistan. British, U.S. and Afghan forces were all involved in the effort to push the Taliban out of the area. Military analysts would call this period some of the fiercest combat Canadian troops had seen since the Korean War.





Private William Jonathan James Cushley, 21

1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Petawawa, Ont. Hometown: Port Lambton, Ont. His friends and comrades said he exhibited strong leadership qualities, a fierce love of family and a sense of fun. He is survived by parents Errol and Elaine and three sisters.



Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish, 38

1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Petawawa, Ont. Hometown: Truro, N.S. A long-time auto racing fan and dedicated soldier, Mellish is survived by his parents, wife Kendra -- who still serves in the Canadian air force -- and two young boys. He was buried in Summerside, P.E.I.



Warrant Officer Richard Francis Nolan, 39

1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Petawawa, Ont. Hometown: Mount Pearl, N.L. Nolan was described as an adventurous soul who enjoyed riding bulls. He had a strong belief in family values and loved playing with his children and stepchildren. Friends said he would help anyone in need. He is survived by partner Kelly, three sons, a stepdaughter and mother.



Sgt. Shane Stachnik, 30

2nd Combat Engineer Regiment, Petawawa, Ont. Hometown: Waskatenau, Alta. Former high-school buddy Randy Trenchuk remembered playing hockey with Stachnik, a combat engineer, and the frustrations with Shakespeare that they shared in English class. Stachnik, described as being dedicated and fun-loving, was to be married next summer. He is survived by parents Hank and Avril.

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Sept. 4, 2006: U.S. warplane accidentally strafes Canadian soldiers

One Canadian soldier is killed and 36 others are wounded when a U.S. warplane accidentally strafed their position in southern Afghanistan. The Warthog A-10 aircraft, which specializes in low-level attacks and had been following up on a bombing run, honed in on a small fire the soldiers had lit. A U.S. Air Force report would later say the pilot "lost his situational awareness." The soldiers were taking part in Operation Medusa in the Panjwaii district.





Pte. Mark Anthony Graham, 33

1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: Hamilton, Ont.



Graham was a member of Canada's Olympic 4x400 metre relay team in 1992. Comrades talked about his imposing physical size, warm smile and great singing voice. He had three brothers, one of whom also joined the military, and a young daughter. He wasn�t married.

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Sept. 18, 2006: Suicide bomber kills four soldiers

Four Canadian soldiers were killed and 10 injured while on foot patrol in the Panjwaii district after a man on a bicycle rode detonated a suicide bomb packed with ball bearings. The attack came after an end was declared to Operation Medusa, a major effort to push the Taliban out of Panjwaii.



Cpl. Glen Arnold, 32

2 Field Ambulance, Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: McKerrow, Ont.



Arnold was a medic who had served in Bosnia-Herzogovina and the Disaster Assistance Relief Team in Sri Lanka following the 2004 tsunami. He loved playing hockey and was a devoted family man. He is survived by his wife Kerry, four children, parents, three brothers and a sister. ' 'We miss you so much... and we can't wait to see (you) home for Christmas,'' Kerry Arnold wrote Sept. 6, 2006 on a Department of National Defence website that relays messages to Canada's soldiers.



Pte. David Byers, 22

2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Man.

Hometown: Espanola, Ont.



A friendly man and video game enthusiast in his high school days, Byers was killed before his fiance� Chantelle Roy was to give birth to their child. He is survived by Roy, his parents and a brother. Espanola is quite close to McKerrow, the home town of Cpl. Glen Arnold.



Cpl. Shane Keating, 30

2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Man.

Hometown: Dalmeny, Sask.



Keating was described by his comrades as good-humoured and hard-working. He is survived by his mother, Judith Budd. 'Nothing is worth losing a son but everything - everything - is worth a man willing to take that risk and to die for what he believes in,' she told reporters in Saskatoon three days after her son's death.



Cpl. Keith Morley, 30

2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Man.

Hometown: Winnipeg, Man.



An animal lover and proud owner of a dog, Lokie. He is survived by sister Shannon and his mother Della.



'Keith served two tours of Bosnia in 2001 and 2003. He served his country with pride and certainty that missions there and in Afghanistan would better the lives of the people in those troubled nations,' Della Morley told reporters before her son's Sept. 29, 2006 funeral in Winnipeg.

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Sept. 29, 2006: Soldier killed on patrol by booby trap

A Canadian soldier out on a routine foot patrol along a Canadian-built road in the Panjwaii district died after stepping on a booby trap and triggering an explosion. Another soldier was injured.



Pte. Josh Klukie, 23

1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: Shuniah, Ont.



Charming and charismatic with a passion for sports, Klukie was an enthusiastic member of his high school basketball team. Klukie is survived by his mother and brother.

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Oct. 3, 2006: Taliban attack kills two soldiers

Two Canadian soldiers were killed and five injured after coming under attack in the Panjwaii district of Kandahar province. The Taliban were armed with mortars and possibly rocket-propelled grenades. The soldiers were working on clearing a route for a future road construction project.





Sgt. Craig Gillam, 40

Royal Canadian Dragoons, Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: South Branch, N.L.



A man who led his troops by example and whose bravery saved many lives on the day he died. He participated in sports such as hockey and taekwondo with his children. 'Craig was a loving father and husband, a dedicated soldier and a proud Newfoundlander,' Gillam's wife Maureen said in a statement before his Oct. 14, 2006 funeral. Gillam is survived by Maureen, two teenage children and his parents.



Cpl. Robert Mitchell, 32

Royal Canadian Dragoons, Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: Owen Sound, Ont.



Known to his friends as Jim, Mitchell strived to be the best. He is survived by wife Leanne, two sons and a daughter, and his parents.

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Oct. 7: Roadside bomb kills soldier

Canada's death toll in Afghanistan reaches 40 when a soldier is killed after a Nyala RG-31 armoured vehicle was struck by a roadside explosion in the Panjwaii district.



Trooper Mark Wilson, 39

Royal Canadian Dragoons, Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: London, Ont.



Mourning for Wilson was marked by a campaign to deck London with yellow ribbons. He is survived by wife Dawn, sons Josh and Benjamin and parents Carl and Carolyn.

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Oct. 14, 2006: Ambush leaves two soldiers dead

Two Canadians were killed and two injured as they patrolled a road construction project in the Panjwaii district west of Kandahar City. Insurgents attacked with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.



Sgt. Darcy Tedford, 32

1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Petawawa, ON

Hometown: Calgary, AB



Quietly confident, and trusted for wise advice, Tedford earned respect among peers over his several tours of duty. He was buried in the national military cemetery in Ottawa. Tedford is survived by his wife Charmaine, two young daughters and his parents.



Pte. Blake Williamson, 23

1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: Kemptville, Ont.



Described as a funny guy who made others laugh with his array of Chuck Norris jokes. Williamson, buried in the national military cemetery in Ottawa, is survived by his father, mother, stepfather, and siblings.

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Nov. 27, 2006: Suicide bomber kills two soldiers

Two Canadian soldiers died in a suicide bomber's attack on a military convoy in southern Afghanistan. The attack occurred about one kilometre outside Kandahar City. The two were the driver and crew commander of a Bison armoured personnel vehicle.





Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard, 46

1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: Bartouche, N.B.



A career soldier, CWO Girouard was a father of three. Two of his children are in the Canadian military. He celebrated an early Christmas with his family just days before his death. His Dec. 6, 2006 funeral heard: 'In (wife) Jackie's own words: 'Bobby was what a man should be.''



Cpl. Albert Storm, 36

1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: Niagara Falls, Ont.



Only three years away from retirement, Cpl. Storm was a decorated soldier who had been deployed to many parts of the world. He was buried at the foot of his mother's grave. At the Dec. 8, 2006 funeral, Col. Peter Scott said Storm was 'a model soldier who gave his all in everything he did.''

Nov. 24, 2005: Soldier dies in armoured vehicle rollover

One Canadian soldier was killed and four others injured in Afghanistan when a light armoured vehicle rolled over near Kandahar. The driver reportedly swerved to avoid an oncoming car that was driving without its headlights on.



Pte. Braun Woodfield, 24

2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Oromocto, N.B.

Hometown: Eastern Passage, N.S.



Woodfield's family had a history of military service. Woodfield had also served as a peacekeeper in Haiti. He is survived by sister Lyndi and parents Daniel and Beverley.

Jan. 27, 2004: Suicide bomber kills Canadian soldier

A routine patrol on the streets of Kabul turned deadly when a suicide bomber leaped onto the hood of an Iltis jeep, detonating a bomb apparently strapped to his chest. One soldier died in the blast and three others were injured. The incident happened relatively close to Camp Julien, the compound housing Canadian soldiers.



Cpl. Jamie Murphy, 26

1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Petawawa, ON

Hometown: Conception Harbour, N.L.



A practical joker whose smile and winning nature kept him out of trouble, Murphy had planned to propose to his girlfriend upon return. He had been only days from returning to Canada. He is survived by his parents and three siblings.

Oct. 2, 2003: Bomb blast kills two on patrol

Two Canadian soldiers are killed and three injured when a jeep strikes an explosive device while patrolling the Afghan capital of Kabul. They were travelling in an Iltis jeep, which is unarmoured, but military officials said a better vehicle wouldn't have saved them.



Cpl. Robbie Beerenfenger, 29

3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: Ottawa, Ont.

Described as always ready to take charge and give his all in battle, Beerenfenger is survived by wife Tina, baby daughter Madison and mother.



Sgt. Robert Short, 42

3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Petawawa, Ont.

Hometown: Fredericton, N.B.



Short was an ardent Toronto Maple Leafs fan who believed Stanley Cup glory was just around the corner. Friends described him as a practical, optimistic man who, through devotion and determination, accomplished extraordinary things on a regular basis. He is survived by his wife Susan.

April 18, 2002: Four Canadian soldiers die in 'friendly fire' incident

Four Canadian soldiers are killed and eight others wounded after an American F-16 fighter aircraft attacks their position with a 500-pound bomb, mistaking them for Taliban militants. The soldiers were taking part in a nighttime, live-fire training exercise 14 kilometres from Kandahar airbase. The U.S. pilot, Maj. Harry Schmidt, was later disciplined. He apologized for his mistake.



Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, 24

3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, AB

Hometown: Montreal, QC



Known for astonishing endurance, Dyer once finished a military triathlon with a broken foot. He is survived by father Paul, sister Carolyn and fiance� Jocelyn Van Sloten.



Pte. Richard Green, 21

3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, AB

Hometown: Mill Cove, N.S.



His intense work ethic earned him parachute jump wings before he headed to Afghanistan. Known as Ricky, Green kept quiet about his achievements. Green had a girlfriend whom he had wanted to marry. A friend made sure the engagement ring Green had purchased for Miranda Boutilier, Green's high-school sweetheart, made it back to her from Afghanistan.



Sgt. Marc Leger, 29

3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, AB

Hometown: Lancaster, ON



Leger had also served in Bosnia and dedicated himself there to rebuilding a shattered village in the Livno Valley. He is survived by his wife and parents.



Pte. Nathan Smith, 26

3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, AB

Hometown: Tatamagouche, N.S.



Optimistic and good natured, friends say Smith faced all situations with a lovable, goofy smile