Hundreds bid farewell to Cpl. Etienne Gonthier today, the 78th Canadian soldier to be killed in Afghanistan.
The soldiers saluted the man, called Jellybean by friends, as his body was escorted up the tarmac by eight of his brothers-in-arms.
"It is important to remember he did not die a victim but as a success in the profession he chose,'' said Padre Capt. Claude Pigeon.
The 21-year-old was killed Wednesday by a roadside bomb in the volatile Panjwaii district.
Padre Pierre Bergeron called on Gonthier's friends and family to stay strong despite the tragedy.
"Etienne, what you gave to others will live on,'' said Bergeron.
Gonthier, was based in Valcartier, Que., with the 5e Regiment du Genie de Combat.
In Gonthier's home town of St-George-de-Beauce, near Quebec City, the locals were in mourning Thursday. Many people in the tight-knit community knew the young soldier.
"Etienne was a bon vivant,'' the family said in a statement.
"Always good humoured, we could always count on him no matter the circumstances. He was a man with a big heart, the kind of man you want around you.
"The sparkle in his eyes never went out.''
Many of his friends are paying tribute online, where his girlfriend, Cinthia Morin, said a painful goodbye.
"You were my first love, and fate ended it January 23rd at 1:40 pm in Kandahar. You're forever etched in my heart, and I will never forget you," she wrote.
Two other soldiers travelling with Gonthier were slightly injured when their light armoured vehicle triggered a roadside bomb about 35 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City.
The soldiers were taking part in a road clearance operation when the bomb exploded.
Including Gonthier, 78 Canadian military personnel and one diplomat have died in Afghanistan since 2002.
Many of the deaths have been the result of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Direct engagement with NATO forces and suicide bombings have become increasingly rare.
With a report from CTV's Jed Kahane
