B.C. victim of Wainwright fire was everybody’s best friend, says rugby coach

The former rugby coach for Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, one of four soldiers who died in a fire at CFB Wainwright on Saturday, says all of the teenager’s team and his schoolmates thought of him as their best friend.

Trevor Plater, who coached Lykkemark in his senior year at Langley Secondary School in Langley, B.C., says Lykkemark was “always looking out for everybody.”

Canada’s military says officials were aware of a wildfire in the area but didn’t consider it a threat before a violent windstorm blew in, killing four and sending scores of soldiers to hospital with bad burns.

Pte. Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver, Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton and Pte. Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Sask. also died in the fire.

Plater says Lykkemark, who was 19, was particularly close to former teammate Kane Lewis who has set up an online fundraiser for his friend’s family.

Lewis says in a statement on the donation page, which has raised more than $20,000, that he and Lykkemark joined the army at the same time, and were in the same platoon for basic training.

“That’s where he became more than just a friend; he became a brother. He was always looking out for everyone and always kept himself in check,” Lewis’ statement says.

The Langley Rugby Club says in an online statement that Lykkemark was a dedicated student, athlete and friend who made a positive impact on people around him.

“Hayden’s legacy of service, friendship, and compassion will not be forgotten,” it says.

The victims of the fire served in the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry based at Edmonton

Plater says in an interview on Monday that Lykkemark “wasn’t afraid to make tackles or get in or do his part.”

“He wasn’t necessarily somebody who talked a lot but he had a big impact when he did and he was always listening and paying attention,” he says.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2026.

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press