A new school in Calgary is being named for Capt. Nichola Goddard, the first female Canadian soldier killed in combat.

Capt. Nichola Goddard was killed in action in Afghanistan on May 17, 2006. (CP/Canadian Armed Forces)

Goddard was killed in Afghanistan in 2006. Goddard's mother, who, along with her husand, lives and works in P.E.I., says the naming leaves her with mixed feelings.

"I sent an email out to her men, her sergeant particularly, who is now in Yellowknife, and he said, you know, it's bittersweet," said Sally Goddard.

"It's sad that the reason that the school's being named after her is because she died. But at the same time it's lovely that there's that kind of remembrance, that another generation of kids will know who she was and what she did.

She said the Calgary school board called her Wednesday confirming the grade four to nine school will be named the Capt. Nichola Goddard School. She and her husband Tim Goddard will help decide on a fitting memorial to Nichola for the school opening in September.

That it is a school taking Goddard's name is particularly appropriate. Sally Goddard said Nichola always said she was a soldier so she could help make way for people like her father, who help rebuild education systems after war.

"I think Nichola's thought was that when she went to Afghanistan she was preparing the way for Tim to go in, and look at rebuilding the education system there. Which, of course, is what he's doing now," she said.

Tim Goddard is currently in Afghanistan working on a development project to build the teacher training system there.