God Bless Arielle Keyes-Oliver - October 25, 2008

It is with sadness that I announce the death of a soldier - Gunner Arielle Keyes-Oliver. Bless her family - the Keyes-Oliver family, her University Family in Ottawa and her military families in Petawawa, Ottawa and Guelph - Giving them strength to travel together during this difficult journey ahead.
May prayers also be with the wounded soldiers in Petawawa as well as the soldier injured in Afghanistan and their families - giving them strength together and strength in healing.
With sympathy and prayers,
~m.m.
Oct 25, 2008 19:59 ET
One Soldier Killed, Four Seriously Injured During Training Accident
A soldier is dead and another four are in serious condition in hospital after a training accident at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa.
At approximately 10:30 a.m. local time, a Medium Logistics Vehicle Wheeled (MLVW) carrying ten soldiers rolled over in the CFB Petawawa training area during a military exercise while riding in the back of the military truck when it rolled over in the training area on the west side of Highway 17.

Gunner Arielle Keyes-Oliver, a member of 30th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, was the soldier killed in the accident. Also injured in the accident were Second Lieutenant Ryan MacIntyre, Bombardier Jordan Anstey, Bombardier Frederic Koch, Bombardier Alexander Mullaly, all soldiers are members of 30th Field Regiment (RCA) a Reserve unit based in Ottawa.CFB Petawawa Fire Department, Military Police, and paramedics from the County of Renfrew responded to the accident. Base information officer Cpt. Andrew Hennessy said the injured soldiers were transported to the Pembroke Hospital for treatment. Everyone is currently described as being in stable condition.
The incident has stunned the base.
"Any loss is a shock. The Canadian Forces is a close-knit group, like a family," said Lt.-Col. Moore. "An incident like this strikes at the heart of all our members.
"Our condolences go out to the family of Gunner Keyes-Oliver for their loss." Approximately 50 members of the regiment were at CFB Petawawa for the weekend where they were conducting typical artillery and field craft training.
"Our focus right now is looking after the family of Gunner Keyes- Oliver and providing support to them which is followed by taking care of the injured,"Lt.-Col. Moore said. "All members of the regiment and leadership are pulling out all the stops to help."
While emphasizing that caring for the family of the deceased soldier as well as caring for the injured are the priority at this time, Lt.-Col. Moore did say an investigation into the incident has already begun.
A team from the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS) arrived in Petawawa late Saturday afternoon and is currently investigating the accident.
Following the accident, the weekend exercise was called off and the remaining members of the regiment, which had been bivouacked in the training area, were brought back to the base for a warm meal and support.
Lt.-Col. Moore said immediately after the incident, military chaplains visited the injured and the members of the unit to provide support.

The MLVW
The truck the soldiers were riding in was described as a Medium Logistics Vehicle Wheeled or MLVW. The vehicle is basically the army's standard truck. .MLVW -The Medium Logistics Wheeled Vehicle (MLVW) is the workhorse truck of the Canadian military. It is used to haul equipment, spare parts, troops and to pull artillery guns. The vehicle weighs in at roughly seven tonnes. The Canadian Forces has 2,769 of the vehicles which entered service in 1982. I found this linked story "Temporary restriction of Medium Logistics Vehicle Wheeled (MLVW)R-00.139 22 - December 22, 2000 " to be of interest.

This is the first fatality in the base's training area in six years. On Sept. 23, 2002, Sapper Mariebeth Short, 22, a member of 2 Combat Engineer Regiment, died after the light-armoured vehicle (LAV III) she was travelling in rolled over on the Mattawa Plains.
Previous to that, in 1999 Master Cpl. Don Lasante of Petawawa was electrocuted when the communications antennae he erected touched a live hydro line. The incident occurred during an exercise taking place near Beachburg. Four other troops were injured in the incident.

Arielle was part of the 11th Field in Guelph, ON before transferring to the 30th Royal Canadian Artillery in Ottawa where she attended Carlton University.

Carleton University Mourns a Student, a Soldier... a Friend
The halls of Keyes-Oliver's floor in residence seemed quiet, but a large tribute prominently displayed on a bulletin board spoke volumes. Floormates were able to leave messages along the edges of the board on bright pink paper or on paper ornamented with a rose, beside a note explaining it would go to Keyes-Oliver's family. One student wrote: "Our floor's not as fun without you. We will miss your smile and personality. Rest in peace." Her family, friends and peers remember Keyes-Oliver as an exceptional friend, student and soldier. "Arielle always put a smile on your face no matter what you were feeling," said Richard Carpenter, who met Arielle when he was 12 while they were both in Sea Cadets. "She was a great friend, a strong leader and a damn fine soldier."Shannon O'Connell said she met Keyes-Oliver on the flight to a cadet summer camp in Nova Scotia."She taught me everything from how to shine my boots, to lighting up a room with one smile," O'Connell said.She recalled one time at camp when Arielle was sent home sick."My whole division got up in the middle of the night to see her off," she said.Jhuntue Dion-Alexander Keith Grey met Arielle at summer camp where they were in the same gunnery division two years in a row."Most of the time she was positive and funny . . . she made everyone want to stay," he said. "The course we took was really stressful . . . She made me look forward to going back to summer camp."Grey remembered Arielle's determination in everything she did."A lot of the people that knew her from cadets are at a loss right now," Grey said. "They can't believe it's happened. She's always been the determined one keeping everyone going."Arielle had always been interested in doing something involved with the military, Grey said, whether it was being in cadets or joining the reserves. Keyes-Oliver was one of The Bytown Gunners of the 30th Field Regiment in the Royal Canadian Artillery while she was attending Carleton in her first year. Carleton President Roseann Runte wrote a letter to students Oct. 27 that said: "Arielle and the dedicated servicemen and women with whom she was traveling, and who were seriously injured, merit our respect and admiration for their commitment to Canada, their dedication and their courage." The school said grief counselors are available on campus for anyone who needs them.

Details on a memorial at Carleton have not yet been finalized.

Statement from the Keyes-Oliver Family:
" Arielle lit up the world with her smile and sense of humour. She was a wonderful daughter, granddaughter, niece, sister, cousin, girlfriend, and friend to many. She was also a wonderful soldier. She was proud to be a Canadian and proud to wear the uniform. She was amazing in everything she set her goals on, from playing the drums, piano, and trumpet, being a sea cadet and gunner, to kick-boxing and horseback riding. After graduating university she planned to travel the world and work internationally. Arielle was a natural leader and was concerned with everyone she came in contact with. In groups of friends, she was always considerate that they were taken care of. Although her life was far too short, she touched the lives of many. She will be greatly missed by all. We would like to thank our family and friends for their support in our time of mourning."

The Keyes-Oliver family wishes that the Media respect their privacy during this period of deep mourning. Information concerning the funeral service will be made later as details are known.

Obituary
ARIELLE KEYES-OLIVER 1989 - 2008 Passed away tragically, at CFB Petawawa on Saturday, October 25, 2008, at 19 years of age. Arielle is sadly missed by her loving parents, Diane and David; her beloved sister, Tressa; cherished grandparents, Ken and Catherine Richardson of Cambridge, Doug and Eileen Oliver of Grey County; and her special friend, Antoine Trabulsi. She will be forever remembered by her many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Arielle was born in Cambridge, graduated from KCI in Kitchener and was attending Carleton University in Ottawa. Among her many interests were music, horseback riding and kickboxing. Arielle was a Sea Cadet at No. 94 Warspite in Kitchener for five years and next month would have been her two year anniversary in the army. She attained her Gunner's Hat Badge this past summer. Arielle was involved in three regiments, the Highland Fusiliers of Cambridge, and the 11th and 30th Field Regiments of the Royal Canadian Artillery. Friends are invited to share their memories of Arielle with her family during visitation at the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home , 171 King Street South, Waterloo, on Thursday, October 30, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. and Friday, October 31 from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. The funeral Service will be held at Waterloo Pentecostal Assembly, 395 King Street North, Waterloo on Saturday, November 1, 2008 at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at Parkview Cemetery, Waterloo. Condolences for the family and donations to a Memorial Scholarship Fund in Arielle's name at Carleton University may be arranged by calling the funeral home, 519-745-8445 or http://www.erbgood.com/. In living memory of Arielle, a donation will be made to the Trees for Learning Program by the funeral home.

All Is Well

Death is nothing at all,

I have only slipped into the next room

I am I and you are you

Whatever we were to each other,

that we are still.

Call me by my old familiar name,

Speak to me in the easy way

which you always used

Put no difference in your tone,

Wear no forced air

of solemnity or sorrow

Laugh as we always laughed

at the little jokes

we enjoyed together.

Play, smile, think of me,

pray for me.

Let my name be ever

the household word that it always was,

Let it be spoken without effect,

without the trace of shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.

It it the same as it ever was,

there is unbroken continuity.

Why should I be out of mind

because I am out of sight?

I am waiting for you,

for an interval,

omewhere very near,

Just around the corner.

All is well.

By Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918) Canon of St Paul's Cathedral

Condolences to the Keyes-Oliver Family
If you wish to leave condolences, please place them in the comments section and I will transfer them to the area below.
Regards,

Military Mom

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of Gunner Arielle Keyes-Oliver, who was killed yesterday in a training accident in Petawawa, Ontario. On behalf of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces, I would like to offer our utmost sympathies to her family and friends during this very difficult time. I would also like to wish a quick recovery to the four other Canadian soldiers injured in the accident. Our thoughts are with you.Canada and the Canadian Forces have lost a bright, young and talented soldier. Her loss is a tragedy and she will be missed."
Peter Gordon MacKay
Minister of National Defence

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"My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I were deeply saddened to learn of the accident which claimed the life of Gunner Arielle Keyes-Oliver, who was stationed with the 30th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. Our thoughts are also with the four others injured in this accident, as well as with the soldier injured in Afghanistan over the weekend.
The dedication of our Canadian Forces knows no limits, and it is now, as we come together to grieve this loss, that we can attest to it. Gunner Keyes-Oliver devoted her life in service of this country and today I join with all Canadians in supporting her family, friends and colleagues as they mourn her passing."
Michaelle Jean,
Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada

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"Any day we lose one of our Canadian soldiers either overseas or in Canada is a sad day. "
Anonymous

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"Prayers to this family!
Airman Mom

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"My husband, and several of our friends knew her...they trained her. They will be attending the funeral on Saturday. Rest in Peace Gunner."

Anonymous

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"As the mother of three daughters, I can only imagine the loss that the Keyes-Oliver family is experiencing. My heart goes out to all of you and all of Arielle's friends and coworkers, as well. She sounds like an incredible young woman and she will be missed, I am sure."

Lana Keon Carleton University Staff

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"As the mother of a soldier, I cannot imagine the heartbreak Arielle's family and friends are experiencing. My prayers go out to you. Your inspiring daughter will not be forgotten."

wjcatnip

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"Arielle...30th field just isn't the same without you around. We all love and miss you so very much. Your time at the unit was short but we are filled with so many great memories from such a beautiful, talented, determined and friendly soldier. May you find rest up there in heaven. Arielle...End of Mission, Stand Easy."

Anonymous

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