Hayden Lykkemark wanted to be a cop.
“That was his biggest dream,” his foster mother, Nadine Dunford, told CTV News.
He joined the army shortly after finishing high school in Langley, B.C. Dunford had told him the military was the best road into policing. Ten months in, he was thinking about staying for good.
On Saturday, Oct. 17, Pte. Lykkemark, 19, was one of four Canadian Armed Forces members killed when a fire swept through a training area at CFB Wainwright in east-central Alberta. He was the youngest of the four.
“Just starting to grow into himself”
Dunford took Lykkemark into her home when he was a teenager. She watched a shy kid become a young man who was proud of his uniform.
She last talked to him on the Tuesday before the fire. He was excited about the training at Wainwright and was looking forward to being deployed overseas.
“He was just starting to grow into himself,” she said.
She still can’t make sense of a training exercise ending this way. “It’s just not fair.”
On Facebook, she wrote: “You were part of our family and you will be missed son.”
At the gym by 4 a.m.
Caden Orr was his best friend in high school, and the two were inseparable. They played sports and went hiking, and on most school days they were at the gym by 4 a.m. to work out before class.
“He’ll forever be my best friend,” Orr told CTV News. “He was always there for me.”
Lykkemark also volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club in Langley, the same organization that had helped him growing up.
His former high school rugby coach remembered a player who looked out for his teammates. He told The Canadian Press that Lykkemark was “everybody’s best friend.” The Langley Rugby Club remembered him as a dedicated student, athlete, teammate and friend.
Langley’s community has been sharing tributes online. “Hayden was a Langley hero who chose to serve his country,” community page Langley Strong posted. “Langley will remember Hayden.”
He joined the army with his best friend
Kane Lewis had known Lykkemark since high school, where friends called him Lyk.
They played rugby together, and they decided to join the army together. They enlisted at the same time.
They were in the same platoon for basic training in Quebec, then went through infantry school together.
“He was a true soldier who held the military values in high regard,” Lewis wrote. “He supported everyone around him and always boosted morale.”
Lewis said Lykkemark “was always there to help his family, especially his brothers.”
Friends raise thousands for Hayden Lykkemark’s family
With the family’s permission, Lewis started a GoFundMe to support Lykkemark’s family.
The goal was $10,000. By Tuesday morning, Oct. 20, it had raised $27,865 from 480 donations, according to the campaign page.
“Your generosity would allow them to focus on recovery and relieve financial stress,” Lewis wrote.
Donate to help support Hayden Lykkemark’s family
The four soldiers killed at CFB Wainwright
National Defence named all four on Sunday. All were based in Edmonton with 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.
Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, 19, of Langley, B.C.
Pte. Aidan Goulding, 23, of North Vancouver. He trained as a mechanic before enlisting and finished infantry training in August. His mother and brother said he “decided he wanted to defend his country” and called him “the guy that kept people’s spirits up.”
Sgt. Morgan Wong, 26, of Edmonton, a member of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment serving with 3 PPCLI. He had a commerce degree from the University of Alberta. His family called him “an incredible person” who was proud to serve.
Pte. Shaun Farrell, of Prince Albert, Sask. His mother shared a photo of him in uniform and asked for privacy. “Love you my darling child,” she wrote.
What happened at CFB Wainwright
The soldiers were doing live-fire training as part of Exercise APOLLO SHOOTER, according to National Defence. At about 4 p.m. on Saturday, a fire started, and high winds pushed it quickly into the unit’s administrative area.
The fire also injured 39 military members. On Sunday, Oct. 18, Premier Danielle Smith said 19 were in critical condition.
The Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP are investigating the cause.
“Canada mourns with the entire Canadian Armed Forces community during this profoundly difficult time,” Defence Minister David McGuinty said.
For more on the fire, read our coverage of the first reports from Wainwright and Prime Minister Mark Carney confirming four deaths.
Ten months in
Lykkemark had finished basic training and infantry school and joined a battalion. The week he died, he was talking about going overseas.
He wanted to be a police officer. He was 19.
Sources
National Defence, “Four Canadian Armed Forces members killed during training in CFB Wainwright”: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2026/10/four-canadian-armed-forces-members-killed-during-training-in-cfb-wainwright.html
GoFundMe, “Donate to help support Hayden Lykkemark’s Family”: https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-help-support-hayden-lykkemarks-family
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