A Canadian soldier lost in the wildfire disaster at CFB Wainwright was laid to rest in front of hundreds of mourners in Edmonton on Sunday.
Final farewells for Sgt. Morgan Xishen Wong were given at the Park Memorial Funeral Home at 9709 111 Ave. and livestreamed online.
At the traditional Chinese Buddhist funeral, offerings of rice and fruit were presented to his coffin. Ceremonial bowls were rung and traditional sutras and mantras were sung to guide his spirit to rest, as the sanctuary was packed with men and women in uniform giving their respects to their fallen comrade.
He was sent off with a playing of O Canada and salutes from his fellow soldiers before being cremated following the service.
“Thank you for the kind words, prayers and support you have given us in the past few days,” said his sister Megan Wong. “It means the world to us to see how people knew and loved Morgan.
“Our family did not have a lot of money when we were growing up, but Morgan was always determined to work hard to become a man who could serve his community and his country. Long before he was the fearless soldier many of you came to know, he was one of the bravest and funniest people I have ever met. He was always making us laugh and he could always find a solution to every problem.”
She said she hoped holding onto memories of Morgan would remind people to live with courage and integrity like he did.
Wong was 26 years old.
He is survived by his wife Laura, his sister Megan, his father Chek Ming and Ming’s spouse Kelly, and many grandparents, aunts, uncles and extended family.
Morgan Xishen Wong stands guard at the cenotaph in front of Edmonton City Hall during a Remembrance Day ceremony on Nov. 11, 2022.
Wong joined the Canadian Armed Forces right after graduating from Harry Ainlay High School in 2017, serving as a reservist with The Loyal Edmonton Regiment.
He also completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree through the University of Alberta while in the military, alongside certificates in civil-military leadership and real estate. In addition to his military service, he worked for the Alberta government as a financial analyst and manager from 2023 to 2026, and volunteered with St. John Ambulance, the Canadian Ski Patrol and Big Brothers and Big Sisters. He was also accepted to join the RCMP.
“Morgan Wong always brought people together,” said fellow soldier Scott Gilroy. “He was the kind of guy who made sure friendships didn’t fade, no matter where life took us.”
He completed a tour of duty in Latvia, where he met his wife Laura, between 2024 and 2025. He was training for a second European deployment at CFB Wainwright last week when high winds caused a wildfire to jump an entire kilometre in a minute, overtaking his unit and killing him and three others.
Mourners leave a funeral for Sgt. Morgan Wong at Park Memorial Funeral Home on Oct. 25 in Edmonton. Wong was one of the four Canadian Armed Forces members killed last week in the CFB Wainwright fire.
In a statement given to media outside the funeral, Wong was described as an “incredible soldier and person” by Lt.-Col. Bryn Wright, commanding officer of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment.
“The love that Canadians have shown for Sgt. Wong means more to all of us than we could ever explain. We will always remember him, and his family will forever be part of our family.”
As of Saturday, 27 other Canadian Armed Forces members were still in hospital as a result of the fire, while 12 others with injuries had been released.
ebowling@postmedia.com
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