Funerals across country for 3 soldiers killed in Afghanistan

Relatives, friends and fellow soldiers buried three members of Canada's Afghanistan force on Saturday in funeralsin Newfoundland, Quebec and Edmonton.

The three — Cpl. Stephen Frederick Bouzane, 26,Pte. Joel Vincent Wiebe, 22, andSgt. Christos Karigiannis, 31 — died when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb on June 20 near the town of Sperwan Ghar, southwest of Kandahar.

The three were members of the3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton.

Bouzane was buried inSt. Patricks, N.L., northwest of Grand Falls-Windsor,with afull military service.

Maj. G.T. Zilkalns, commanding officer of one of the Princess Patricia'scompanies,said Bouzaneknew the difference between existing and living a life that mattered.

"Helping the Afghan people mattered. Being a friend and a soldier for his fellows from 3PPCLI mattered. Stephen never settled for just existing."

Wiebe's funeral was attended by about 50 members of the 3rd Battalion. The funeral was private, but later an officer read a statement from Wiebe's fiancée, Anna Thede, describing the family's fond memories of the soldier.

More than 500 mourners attended the service for Karigiannisat the Sainte-Rose-de-Lima Churchin Laval, near Montreal.

Twenty soldiers marched with the casket and there was a 12-soldier ceremonial guard.

Hundreds of mournerswore yellow ribbons to show their support of the troops.

A total of 60 Canadian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan.