Two Canadian soldiers who died last month in a roadside bomb in Afghanistan were remembered in memorial services in British Columbia and Alberta on Wednesday.

At Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, in eastern Alberta, Cpl. Randy Payne was remembered for his devotion and positive attitude by family, about 800 troops and dozens of RCMP in scarlet serge uniforms.

The 32-year-old corporal spent his childhood on bases in Ontario and Germany before enlisting in the Canadian Forces. His father served 30 years in the infantry.

"Lord, please help Jody, Tristan, Jasmine, mom, dad and myself remain united to you always," said Payne's brother, Master Cpl. Chris Payne, in a prayer on behalf of the grieving family.

"Randy, your memory will live on forever. We love and miss you. Until we meet again, brother. Love you."

Cst. Charles Lambright of the RCMP described Payne as "very quiet, understanding, and very professional."

"Yet he always had a smile, never a negative thought in his mind," he added.

Payne's best friend and police partner, Cpl. Cory Gaffey, described him as a top military security expert.

"Randy took extreme pride in being a military police officer. He was not only a friend to myself, but to all my police colleagues," said Gaffey.

"He was respected by his peers and by our leaders. I'm sure he is one of the best police officers I will come across in my career."

Gaffey spoke next to a display that included Payne's helmet placed on the butt end of an upside-down C7 rifle.

Mansell 'died a hero'

Payne and the other soldiers who died April 22 north of Kandahar were part of a hand-picked group responsible for protecting the Canadian commander of the multinational brigade in the area, Brig.-Gen. David Fraser.

The group included Lieut. William Turner of Edmonton and Cpl. Matthew Dinning of Richmond Hill, Ont., whose funerals have already been held, and Bombardier Myles Mansell of Victoria, B.C.

Mansell was remembered Wednesday in Victoria's majestic Christ Church Cathedral.

"Myles died a hero in my books," said his uncle Michael, one of more than 1,000 people who turned up at the funeral service.

"He paid the supreme sacrifice to help others. . . . In his mind he was always home. In our hearts he will always be home. Myles, I love you and you will never be forgotten.''

The 25-year-old Mansell, nicknamed Smiley Miley because of his warm-hearted smile, was in Afghanistan for only two months, and he was to be married on his return.

Lt.-Col. David Ross, Mansell's commanding officer, said Mansell died among friends doing something he believed in and loved.

"While the end came too soon for us," he said, "there are worse ways to die. End of mission, Bombardier Myles Mansell. Stand easy and God bless.''

B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell attended Mansell's funeral. He said before entering the cathedral that Mansell made a "huge sacrifice on behalf of Canada and on behalf of British Columbia and certainly on behalf of the family.''

"The support of all British Columbians and certainly myself is with the family and I thought being here today was an important message to send to the family, that we're there for them."

The Canadian flag at the B.C. legislature was at half mast Wednesday to honour Mansell.

The Mansell family supports the war effort in Afghanistan and the government's decision to keep the media at a distance when the bodies of soldiers arrived home.

But Mansell's brother Matthew said the family does not support the government's decision not to lower Canada's flag to half mast on Parliament Hill each time a Canadian soldier dies in action.

"The family . . . has a hard time understanding why the soldiers who gave the most important gift do not even have the flag lowered to half-staff on the day they returned to Canada," said Matthew.

With reports from The Canadian Press, CTV Edmonton and CTV Vancouver