The two soldiers killed Wednesday in Afghanistan were experienced military men who believed in the mission, military officials told reporters on Thursday.

Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier, a member of the 2nd Battallion, Royal 22nd Regiment, commonly known as the Van Doos, and Master Cpl. Christian Duchesne, a member of the 5th Field Ambulance, were killed in a blast about 50 kilometres west of Kandahar city. The explosion, following a fierce battle with insurgents in the area, also killed an Afghan interpreter.

Their deaths bring the total number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2002 to 69.

Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier, a member of the Van Doos, was identified Thursday as the second soldier killed in the explosion.
(Cpl. Martine Morin/Department of National Defence)

At a news conference at the men's Valcartier, Que., base., Lt.-Col. Hercule Gosselin, the commander of the 2nd Battallion, said in French that he knew Mercier throughout his 19 years of service, adding that the moment he heard of the soldier's death "was an absolute chasm in my life."

"This was an officer that was an unbelievable personality," he said of the father of three. "He was just an amazing guy, so committed to his country, to his regiment, to his peers, to the men and women to whom he had to look after."

He said that while he did not deliver news of the soldier's death personally, he was told that Mercier's family "took that horrific news with dignity and courage."

Master Cpl. Christian Duchesne was a medic with the 5th Field Ambulance based out of Valcartier, Que.
(Cpl. Martin Long/Department of National Defence)

Duchesne, a father of three from Montreal, was a medical technician with 14 years military service.

Capt. Patrice Carriere, who paused from emotion several times during his comments, described Duchesne as dedicated and motivated.

"I'm told that he was an excellent military person, totally devoted to offer health services to his comrades in arms and where the need arose," Carriere said. "Master Cpl. Duchesne was proud to be on this mission in Afghanistan, he believed in what he was doing."

Carriere delivered the grim news to Duchesne's widow. He said it was a very difficult experience, "but she took the news as well as I could have hoped for … she was quite stoic."

Master Seaman Yanick Fournier, a medic who worked with Duchesne, said his colleague was endearing, loyal and respected.

"I was deeply, deeply saddened. For the members of the health services and the ambulance corps, we had just lost a very dear individual, a good person, somebody who had lots of experience … it's really, really sad," Fournier said. "[He] was an example to be followed."

Radio-Canada cameraman Charles Dubois was injured in the blast and had to have surgery on his seriously injured leg.
(Radio-Canada)

The blast also wounded a third soldier and Ottawa-based Radio-Canada cameraman Charles Dubois. Dubois suffered a serious leg injury and underwent surgery at a military hospital. His injury was not life-threatening.

His colleague, Radio-Canada Ottawa bureau chief Patrice Roy, was not hurt, but was suffering from shock.

Highway of Heroes proposed

In another development, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said he would consider a call to rename Canada's busiest highway in honour of the country's soldiers.

An online petition with more than 12,000 signatures was started calling on the province's Transportation Ministry to change the name of a section of  Highway 401 to the "Highway of Heroes."

The  renaming would affect a 170-kilometre stretch of the higway from CFB Trenton, where the bodies of repatriated soldiers arrive, to Toronto.

The highway's overpasses have become the scene of impromptu gatherings in recent months, as people wave flags while motorcades pass by bearing the remains of soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield said there were no barriers to renaming the highway.

"There's no reason not to do it. All we need to do now is get into the process of how quickly we can do it," she said. 

Cansfield said she would meet with McGuinty on Friday to discuss how soon the highway could be renamed.

With files from the Canadian Press