'Comfort kills dreams': Family says soldier killed in base fire was living his dream

The mother of one of the four Canadian soldiers killed in a fire at a military base in Alberta says his lifelong goal was to join the Forces and wear his uniform with pride.

Patricia Farrell says her 23-year-old son Pte. Shaun Farrell overcame any obstacle that was put in his way.

His family moved to Prince Albert, Sask., from South Africa when he was a teen.

Farrell was diagnosed with dyslexia and Asperger's syndrome, but his mother says he consistently refused to let labels or low expectations define him.

Military officials have said a grass fire broke out Saturday on a grenade range at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, southeast of Edmonton, in a permanent danger area, which prevented firefighters from putting it out early on.

The fire was being monitored when, in the afternoon, strong winds quickly carried flames to an area where roughly 84 soldiers were training, killing four and injuring dozens more.

Officials say 27 remain in hospital, including 13 in critical condition. 

Farrell’s mother told reporters Thursday that her son was loving, and she has received beautiful messages from "his fellow brothers in the military."

"They said that Shaun was their partner … and he never left any of them behind," Patricia Farrell said. "He was always there supporting them and encouraging."

The other soldiers killed in the fire were: Pte. Aidan Goulding, 23, of North Vancouver; Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, 19, of Langley, B.C.; and Sgt. Morgan Wong, 26, of Edmonton.

She said she remembers her son when he was five years old saying, "When I grow up, I’m going to be an army man."

His personal motto was “comfort kills dreams,” the family said, adding he had the phrase tattooed on his side.

"He knew it wasn’t always comfortable for him as a person for him to achieve his dreams," she said. 

"He had to get out of his comfort zone, struggling with his personal disabilities."

Patricia Farrell said the support pouring in from people in Prince Albert and across the country has been "overwhelming."

The family now is simply trying to process the loss, she said.

"I’m just wondering what my future is going to be like without him in our lives and without him being around."

A family spokesperson says funeral arrangements are being finalized and his body will be brought back to Saskatchewan by week's end.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2026.

— By Daniela Germano in Edmonton

Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.