Sarah Mills: Canada should be united in grief
Sarah Mills says the tragic set of circumstances in Wainwright that left four dead and dozens injured should make us all...
OTTAWA — Defence Minister David McGuinty said 33 members of the Canadian Armed Forces remain in hospital after a deadly fire swept through a training ground at the military base in Wainwright, Alta., on Saturday.
McGuinty was in Wainwright on Monday, where he visited both the base and CAF members who are recovering in a local hospital. He returned to Ottawa ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting Tuesday.
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Speaking before that meeting he said he will not comment on the condition of those in hospital out of respect for their privacy.
McGuinty described the situation as “delicate and evolving” for those who are still in hospital.
“We will provide all the support that we possibly can to make sure they get the help that they need,” McGuinty said.
On Sunday, the Canadian Armed Forces said four people were killed in the fire and 39 injured, including 19 critically.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday there are 50 investigators on the ground examining what happened when a grass fire tore through the area where a training exercise was taking place.
McGuinty said there are three investigations going on. This includes the RCMP working with military police on the formal investigation, the fire marshal’s work and the Canadian Armed Forces Board of Inquiry that examines matters of unusual significance or complexity resulting in the death or serious injury of military personnel.
McGuinty declined to answer reporters’ questions on if he’s learned anything more about how this tragedy occurred and said he will leave that up to the investigators.
“I was not able to visit the site of the actual fire or this tragedy, this incident, but I was able to get a bit of a briefing, maybe even a detailed briefing, but I’m going to leave those details to the actual inquiries,” McGuinty said.
McGuinty said it is “very difficult” to determine whether training protocols around high Prairie winds should be changed until they have all the facts.
Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland said Sunday leaders in Wainwright were aware of a grass fire burning about a kilometre away from a training area. He said sudden, strong prairie winds rapidly increased the fire’s intensity and it was “right on top of them” within 30 seconds to a minute.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2026.
The Canadian Press
