Community gathers for vigil honoring soldiers killed and injured in Wainwright base fire
Over 100 locals attended a church vigil in Wainwright, Alberta, to mourn four soldiers killed and dozens injured in a training-fire at CFB Wainwright.
More than a hundred residents gathered inside Wainwright Church of the Nazarene on Wednesday night for a faith-based vigil honoring the four Canadian Armed Forces members who died and the 39 others severely burned during a live-fire exercise at CFB Wainwright. Ministers from seven local churches led the service, with Pastor Isaiah Mast emphasizing faith and hope, Pastor Dan Marchuk reading the names of Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte.
Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, and Father Fred Matthews performing an Indigenous honour song for grieving families.
Mayor Bruce Pugh spoke about hearing the base’s cannons fire again, and Premier Danielle Smith confirmed that Ontario is dispatching 19 burn-unit nurses, five operating-room nurses and additional equipment to assist Alberta hospitals. The incident left 27 soldiers still in care, 13 in critical condition, while 50 investigators from the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, RCMP and the military fire marshal work to determine the fire’s origin. Senior military officials are slated to brief the media later Thursday.
How this story developed
- Oct 18 Major blaze erupts at CFB Wainwright military base in Alberta
- Oct 18 Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on X to offer support to those affected.
- Oct 19 Four fatalities and 39 injuries were confirmed.
Related stories
8 in this thread