Corporal Vijayalayan Mathiyalaghan (Vijay) joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2011 and served with 2 Combat Engineer Regiment. He notably served in Ukraine in 2018 as part of Operation Unifier, where he used his expertise in explosive ordnance disposal to train local forces in mine clearance. These skills undoubtedly helped save the lives of many Ukrainian soldiers and civilians in the appalling war that followed. Vijay also qualified as a paratrooper shortly after his deployment to Ukraine. In total, he served nine years in the Canadian Armed Forces.
In 2020, Vijay joined the Ottawa Police Service and was assigned to front-line operations with Central Platoon A. Sadly, he died in a motorcycle accident. Sadly, he died in an off-duty motorcycle accident. Vijay was highly respected by his fellow officers and the Ottawa community, and is remembered by many for his kindness and selflessness.