One of the workhorses of the Canadian military now has a place to rest forever, thanks to the efforts of former Tsawwassen resident Jayson Wood.
Wood led the campaign to get a LAV III troop carrier installed at a new monument at the entrance to Morinville, AB, a 20-minute drive from where he served in the army at CFB Edmonton. Members and employees of the base will be able to see the vehicle on their commutes back-and-forth from home to work.
“Finally, after so many years … it was really rewarding personally, to see a community come together for something like this,” he said.
There were offers for the project to be sponsored, but he and others thought it was more of a community project.
“It’s going to be an iconic reminder that the community is here to support them,” he said.
Wood started the project in 2016, but the pandemic intervened and money had to be raised.
Thanks to the help from the Rotary Club of Morinville Sturgeon, the $350,000-project became a reality and the LAV III now welcomes everyone to the town.
Wood also saluted the efforts of 1 Service Battalion, at the base, which converted the machine from active duty to display use.
“For myself personally, the whole project was really for my kids,” Wood said.
Wood used to live in Ladner and Tsawwassen, first joining 828 Hurricane Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron, where he served from 1999 to 2005. He later signed on with the Canadian army and retired in Edmonton, in 2015.
Wood said that many military memorials display equipment that’s 80 years old, dating from the Second World War, which is difficult to relate to for younger people.
But variations of the light armoured vehicle, the LAV 6 produced by General Dynamics Land Systems in London, Ont., are still in service, with 500 or so still on duty.
The vehicle is also used by the U.S. Army and is called the Stryker.
The eight-passenger troop carrier serves across the Canadian military as infantry support, a command or communications post or medical vehicle. While they did duty in Afghanistan, the vehicles also help civilians shocked by the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016 or the floods in Calgary in 2013.
Wood said the LAV’s ability to do multiple roles and take on a variety of tasks also resembles the training of the Canadian soldier, who’s known around the world for her or his breadth of training.
“This vehicle is a strong representation of the work ethic of the Canadian military,” said Wood. “The one thing about the Canadian military is that we’re known for being cross-trained.”
The commemoration of the LAV in Morinville is the second-last LAV to be recognized across the country.
Thanks to help from Canada Company, 32 other LAVs have also been installed across Canada under the LAV III monument program created to recognize those who served in Afghanistan.
One is on display at the Seaforth Highlanders regiment in Vancouver and another is displayed in Mission.
