This past weekend hundreds gathered in honour of Pte. Shaun Farrell, a Prince Albert man who was killed in the fire at CFB Wainwright. A motorcade of first responders, military members, and family members of Farrell travelled from Saskatoon to Prince Albert on Saturday, escorting Farrell home to Prince Albert. The escort included members of the Prince Albert police and fire services, Parkland Ambulance, RCMP, the Saskatchewan Marshals Service, and Buckland Fire and Rescue. Prince Albert residents came out to show support as the motorcade made its way through town. Farrell family spokesperson Andre Grobler said the support did not go unnoticed. “Quite overwhelming for the family,” he said. “They were with him, and again, they’re very happy and very, very glad for all the support they had.” On Sunday crowds showed up for a vigil held in Prince Albert’s Memorial Square in front of city hall, honouring Farrell, his three fellow service members killed in the Wainwright fire and the 39 others hospitalized after a fire broke out in a training area at the military base and quickly spread. The vigil crowd held a moment of silence for those lost at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright. Some carried Canada’s national flag, the country Farrell served, and some carried the flag of South Africa, the country where Farrell was born. Prince Albert Mayor Bill Powalinsky told reporters at the vigil that Farrell’s death has sent a shockwave through the community. “It’s a small community. People know each other, and if you don’t personally know Shaun, I’m sure that you will know who was a friend of his,” said Powalinsky. Plans for a funeral service with military honours are underway. Grobler said 23-year-year-old Farrell didn’t do anything halfway. “I think when he was a teenager, gave his parents gray hair, actually,” Grobler recalled with a smile. “He was just someone who lived life to the fullest.”
