CFB Valcartier mourns fallen soldier

The widow and two small children of Maj. Yannick Pépin looked on as more than 200 people gathered to remember the fallen soldier Wednesday at CFB Valcartier, Que.

Pépin, 36, died in a roadside bomb attack last week in the volatile Panjwaii district of Afghanistan.

Cpl. Jean-Francois Drouin, 31, was also killed in the attack.

Both men were members of the 5 Combat Engineer Regiment and were stationed in Valcartier, near Quebec City.

Pépin's close friend and fellow soldier, Eric Fortin, said he plans to be present in the children's lives.

"It's certain they're not realizing everything, but they are well taken care of and surrounded," he said.

Padre Jason Kouri said he tries to be there for the families.

"They need a listening ear," Kouri said. "They need our presence, our support — they need our prayers."

Pépin, who was on his second mission to Afghanistan, had been set to return home Oct. 21.

A funeral service for Cpl. Drouin will be held Saturday.

In total, 22 soldiers from CFB Valcartier have been killed since the war in Afghanistan began in 2002.

The body of Pte. Patrick Lormand, the 130th Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan, returned to Canadian soil on Wednesday.