Christine Whelan FEO, November 9, 2023, VOL. 5 ISSUE 5

“Today, the children of Crystal Beach, Ontario enjoy a playground full of climbing gear and fun apparatus. The little folks likely don’t notice that it’s called the Corporal Albert Storm Memorial Playground but surely their parents do and hopefully, they connect Albert’s love for children with his tremendous sacrifice for children on the other side of the world,” portraitofhonour.ca

Corporal Storm was raised in Crystal Beach before joining the Canadian Armed Forces in 1990, becoming a member of the Royal Canadian Regiment in Petawawa, Ontario, 1st Battalion.

It was a 17-year military career that would take Albert to peacekeeping missions in Bosnia, Croatia and even a stint at CFS (Canadian Forces Station) Alert in Nunavut.  He deployed to Afghanistan twice, according to his tribute in portraitsofhonour.ca

He married for a time and became a father to his son Joshua and his daughter Danika.  He was a devoted dad, enjoying the time spent with his children, often fishing on the Ottawa River or just playing with them.

However, it was on that second tour to Afghanistan, on November 27, 2006, Corporal Storm and Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Girouard were driving in a Bison, an eight-wheeled armoured vehicle on the outskirts of Kandahar City when a suicide car bomber drove his vehicle into the convoy of military vehicles and detonated explosives killing both soldiers.

Corporal Albert Storm CD, 1970-2006

He was 36 years old.

Remembering “Stormy”

As published in portraitsofhonour.ca, his friends say, “he had the back of an ox and the heart of an angel”.

When most people think of their friend “Stormy” they can’t help but remember his size and almost legendary strength that the burly man often displayed, whether squatting nearly 350 lbs of weight in the gym or moving a military water trailer by hand when no truck was available.

Albert remained very close to his siblings and when asked why he chose to deploy to Afghanistan a second time, he told his brother he did it for the kids.  He said that there was a purpose to see children educated against war.

If there was ever any doubt about Corporal Albert Storm’s love of Canada, one merely needs to look at the personal effects that he carried with him in Afghanistan.

Soldiers on deployment are quite limited in what they are allowed to bring.  For Albert, he had to have two things:  his plaid lumberjack quilted jacket that he fondly referred to as his “Kenora dinner jacket” and his Canadian Tire credit card.  No, there is no Canadian Tire in Afghanistan but for Albert, it was a constant reminder of the peaceful and proud country that he left behind.

To read more about Albert and other soldiers, go to portraitsofhonour.ca

An article in the Canadian Press stated, that Corporal Albert Storm was a decorated soldier who had served in trouble spots around the globe, was three years from retirement, and had been planning for his retirement just days before.

Afghanistan was supposed to be Storm’s last tour of duty, according to his brother. In a CBC News article, his brother George was quoted as saying Albert’s retirement plan was to move to Kenora and spend his days fishing.

The Corporal Albert Storm Memorial Playground was built in September 2009 after a Playground Committee raised the funds.

Just to the west of the playground is a memorial displaying a list of the contributors. Each side displays a contribution level: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

A final quote from the memorial that bears to be included reminds us of the bigger picture, “In Special Honour to all our Veterans”.

The next time you make a visit to Waterfront Park in Crystal Beach, I ask you to stop by the red and white playground and read Albert’s tribute. And thank “Stormy”.

Photo by Christine Whelan