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A 26-year-old Edmonton man killed in a fire at a military base in east-central Alberta is being remembered as a strong leader and mentor who spent years volunteering as a medical first responder.
Sgt. Morgan Wong was one of four service members who died during a training exercise at approximately 4 p.m. local time on Saturday at CFB Wainwright, according to a news release from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
The release said Wong was from the Loyal Edmonton Regiment and was serving with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.
“We loved Morgan very much and we are extremely proud of him,” his family said in a statement the CAF shared with media Monday.
“He was an incredible person who was always there whenever anyone needed him,” the statement said.
Sgt. Morgan Wong is seen in an April 15, 2026, photo commemorating his promotion to the rank of sergeant. (The Loyal Edmonton Regiment)
Wong’s family said he graduated from Harry Ainlay High School in south Edmonton, earned a bachelor of commerce from the University of Alberta and worked for the Alberta government as a financial analyst and manager.
His family said he joined the military in 2017 and served on Operation Reassurance in Latvia from October 2024 to June 2025. According to the statement, Wong was training at CFB Wainwright to prepare to deploy on his second tour in Europe.
Wong was also a longtime volunteer, serving as a medical first responder with St. John Ambulance since 2022.
WATCH | The four soldiers killed in the CFB Wainwright fire have been identified :
Who are the 4 service members killed at CFB Wainwright?
The Canadian Armed Forces has released the names of the four service members killed on Oct. 17, after a fire swept through a military base in Wainwright, Alta. The four dead are Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark.
Rhyneice Cook, the community services and emergency response unit co-ordinator with St. John Ambulance in Edmonton, described him as a strong leader and mentor in an interview with CBC News on Monday.
Cook said Wong volunteered at “every kind of event that you can possibly imagine,” including at a Post Malone concert at Commonwealth Stadium that was cut short by a severe thunderstorm this summer.
She said Wong was always cool, calm, collected, respectful and thoughtful.
“He had this real presence about him and we’re definitely going to miss that on our team,” she said.
“He meant a lot to a lot of us.”
Morgan Wong, right, volunteered as a medical first responder with St. John Ambulance. (Supplied by Rhyneice Cook)
Cook said Wong was quiet and it took time to get to know him but he had lots to say and was excited about being promoted to sergeant and taking on that role with the military.
She said volunteers have been brainstorming ways to honour him and help other families whose loved ones are still recovering in hospital. She said she donated blood Monday morning and plans to celebrate his life in other ways with volunteers.
“I think for most of us right now, it’s just about taking some time to reflect on the moments that we had with Morgan and just trying to kind of cherish that,” Cook said.