Wainwright's Remembrance Day: two poppy-clad CN engines honour veterans across the border

Two CN locomotives decorated as veteran tribute engines stood back to back on Remembrance Day in Wainwright. The engines, CN 32 and CN 33, sat across from the Peace Memorial Complex hockey arena, where thousands gathered for the ceremony.

The locomotives were decorated by a veteran in Winnipeg and brought to Wainwright for the November 11 ceremony. One carries a red poppy; the other a yellow ribbon over green and brown camouflage, on CN's red and black livery. A veteran is among the crew on board.

Four soldiers died in the October 17 training fire at CFB Wainwright, and dozens of others were injured. According to the Department of National Defence, the fire spread rapidly in high winds during Exercise APOLLO SHOOTER and overtook the unit administrative area. The dead were Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark.

Among the injured is Cpl. Sean Hyatt, 24, a Loyal Edmonton reservist who also works for CN. Hyatt is recovering from severe burns at the University of Alberta hospital. Jeff Fafard, who works out of CN's Walker Yard on Edmonton's Yellowhead Trail, said the company wanted a presence in Wainwright on the day.

"CN's got a long history with Wainwright and the Army, and we wanted to have a presence here today," Fafard said. "That was a small gesture we could do today in Wainwright. It's a small token. It's not going to bring the people back or anything like that. But it's just to say 'hey, we're with you. We're pausing with you. We're remembering with you.'"

Ashley Michnowski, a CN spokesperson, said the company's ties to the Canadian Armed Forces date to the First World War. "The Veterans Employee Resource Group carries that connection forward, supporting veteran employees and military communities where we live and work," Michnowski said. "CN's Veterans Locomotives are an expression of that commitment, honouring those who have served and continue to serve."

CN announced the veteran-tribute locomotive design in November 2020, when it said the engines honoured veterans across North America.