This Valentine’s Day, The Courier asked readers to share their tales of finding love at CFB Cold Lake. This is one such story:

Retired Master Corporal Lysanne Unruh says she met her partner, Master Corporal Wesley Unruh, originally at 4 Wing but it took a trip to the United States for Cupid’s arrow to find the mark.

“In 2010, I was a Resource Management Support Clerk posted to the 410 Squadron Orderly Room. I remember this very quiet, very polite Aviation Systems Technician newly posted in to the Wing and the Squadron.”

“Fast forward to 2016, I was working with the Wing Comptroller and sent as the Aviation Petroleum Fuels, Oils and Lubricants Clerk with 410 Sqn to Key West for Exercise PUMA STRIKE. I hadn’t stepped foot in 410 in 6 years and was incredibly excited to get the chance to go on temporary duty with them, even if I wasn’t sure if I would still know anybody.”

“On the first night there, I walked up to two guys who kind of looked familiar and asked them if they were going to town and asked them to wait for me,” explained Unruh. “They agreed and I went to put my luggage away and change. Lo and behold, one of those guys was the quiet and polite AVN Tech from 2010.”

“Over the next few days I ended up helping him with his claim, and this began our friendship where we talked every single day. When we came back from Key West, we started dating.”

Unruh said just a few years later they tied the knot.

“In 2018, we got married in our RHU backyard where we even got a completely unplanned flypast during our vows when the CF-18’s were practicing for a change of command.”

“It’s funny how life happens. Although we were both posted to 4 Wing and had been for years, and had previously crossed paths several times, we had to go on TD to Key West to start dating.”

Their family includes three-year-old daughter Rose and nine-year-old son Nathan.