Mourners gathered in a Prince George church Saturday for the funeral of Alan Little, one of two workers who died in the explosion and fire at the Lakeland mill earlier this week.

Little, a 43-year-old shift supervisor, was remembered as a gentle giant who embraced life to the fullest, as well as for being a talented writer and good friend.

"Al, you were a hero, and today we are taking care of you," Little's friend Cappi Bowers said in a eulogy.

"He's always been there to look after us, everyone, and make everything OK. And of course he died doing just that," she added.

Len Whitehead spoke through tears as he remembered Little at the funeral.

"Some people you know your whole lives, you see them on a daily basis, and you never know really who they are," he said. "Five minutes with Al and I felt like I'd known him my whole life."

Whitehead bid his friend farewell with another touching sentiment.

"Do not be dismayed at goodbyes, for goodbyes are necessary for good friends to meet again," he added.

Little's memorial service took place just a couple hours after an annual ceremony for the National Day of Mourning for Workers Injured or Killed on the Job.

There, Prince George Mayor Shari Green acknowledged how tough the tragedy has been on the community.

"We all have reflected upon what this means, and for those of us that are lucky enough to have been able to go home and hug our loved ones and feel lucky that we're able to do that," she said.

Donna Wilson of WorkSafe BC recognized the strong emotions felt by residents.

"I understand that some of you may be angry, we all should be very angry because we should not die at work," she said.

Glenn Francis Roche, 46, also died of injuries resulting from the Prince George sawmill explosion.

Last January, Robert Luggi, 45, and Carl Charlie, 42, were killed after a fireball slammed through a mill in Burns Lake.

The cause of both mill explosions is unknown, although excessive dust has emerged as a possibility.

These tragedies have prompted the provincial government to announce safety inspections of all B.C. mills this week. WorkSafeBC has also informed all mills they have less than two weeks to carry out a thorough inspection.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Maria Weisgarber and files from The Canadian Press