I write with deep sadness that Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang and four Canadian soldiers were killed in a bomb blast Wednesday in Afghanistan. (You can pay your respect to Michelle Lang at this Facebook group.)
Reports from Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun, CBC (with video), G&M, CTV (with video), Maclean’s, and a heartbreaking portrait by Robert Remington at Calgary Herald.
An excerpt from Calgary Herald,
Award-winning Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang was killed Wednesday in Afghanistan while reporting on the Canadian mission in the southern regions of the war-torn country.
Four Canadian soldiers also died in the blast, while a Canadian civilian was injured, the Department of National Defence said late Wednesday.
Lang, 34, was on patrol with a Canadian convoy of soldiers in the Kandahar area when the military vehicle they were travelling in struck a roadside bomb.
She is the first Canadian journalist to die in the Afghan war since Canada joined the international mission in 2002, and is believed to be the first Herald reporter ever killed on the job in the paper’s 126-year history.
An excerpt from Robert Remington’s heartbreaking portrait,
As we got the horrible confirmation Wednesday from Lorne Motley, our editor-in-chief, stunned colleagues hugged and cried. We had heard the rumours earlier in the day, that Michelle had been killed by a roadside bomb en route to do a story on reconstruction efforts. She was outside the safe confines of Kandahar Airfield, and my first thought was that I wished it was me rather than her. All I ever wanted to be was a foreign correspondent. But Michelle was young, Afghanistan was a better “career move” for her, and off she went with commitment, although not without some trepidation.
We talked about it a bit, but not at length. Michelle told me that her mom was scared about her Afghanistan assignment. She also told me of the day not long ago when she filled out the Department of National Defence forms regarding next of kin, which made her feel nervous. I encouraged her, even envied her, but told her that if anything bad happened to her over there, I would be “very upset.”
Upset doesn’t begin to describe it. Like most everyone in our sad newsroom, I’m numb and haven’t stopped sobbing all day. I cannot grasp that Michelle, one of the nicest people I have ever known, is gone.
And an excerpt from Calgary Herald Don Braid’s “Michelle earned respect for fair, honest reporting“,
On May 22, Michelle won a National Newspaper Award, the equivalent of an Oscar in our business. She was deemed Canada’s best beat reporter, meaning she’s the cream of everyone who regularly covers anything, anywhere — from courts to crime, schools, city halls, legislatures, Parliament and much more.
Dec 31st, 2009 Update: The 4 soldiers have now been identified and they are,
Sgt. George Miok, 28, Cpl. Zachery McCormack, 21, both of Edmonton, Sgt. Kirk Taylor, 28, of Yarmouth, N.S., and Pte. Garrett Chidley, 21, of Cambridge, Ont.
My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of Michelle, George, Zachery, Kirk, and Garrett.
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