The family of a Canadian Forces member who recently died says they are being prevented from entering his home to retrieve his pregnant fiancée’s belongings.
Pte. Tyrell Vail died last week of a heart attack while stationed at 14 Wing Greenwood. Following a memorial service on Monday, the family wanted to enter his PMQ on the base to retrieve baby items belonging to his fiancée, Sienna Potter.
"We just wanted to get it over with," said Vail’s mother, Julie Vail. "I was more than willing to go in with M.P.s, a military escort – what they seemed fit to come with us to make sure we only took out the baby items and the things (Potter) needed."
Potter has a young son and is eight months pregnant with Vail's child.
"I've got the whole nursery set up,” she said. “I've got the crib set up and all of her clothes arranged, and for my son I've got all of his toys and his clothing … I'm going to need to be a mom to these two kids."
The two women say the base asked for an itemized list of the things they wanted from the home. The list would then be sent to Ottawa for approval.
Acting wing commander Lt.-Col. Jeff Davis says the base is following legal obligations by gathering documentation and determining the facts of the case, with the goal of allowing the family into the home.
“That is what we're trying to work on with the itemized list from the family,” said Davis. “Once we get approval to do that, we certainly will carry out that plan."
But Potter wants that process to speed up.
"It was my home too for nine months, and my son's home, and if we had known that there was going to be this much red tape, when I left I would have grabbed the stuff that I needed."
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Mike Cameron.
