2 British Columbian soldiers among 4 killed in fire at CFB Wainwright in Alberta

2 British Columbian soldiers among 4 killed in fire at CFB Wainwright in Alberta

Published 11:14 am Monday, October 19, 2026

The four men killed in the training exercise at the Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta have been identified and honoured in the House of Commons.

Prime Minister Mark Carney gave an update in the House Monday (Oct. 19) about what is currently known and what is not yet known about the fatal fire that occurred during a training exercise. He spoke about the situation following a moment of silence and leaders of the other parties also spoke to the situation after him.

“On Saturday afternoon, at CFB Wainwright, four members of the Canadian Armed Forces were killed and dozens more were seriously wounded during a training exercise,” he said, adding that the tragedy “touches every corner of our nation.

The four killed all served with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and were all based in Edmonton. They are Sgt. Morgan Wong from the Loyal Edmonton Regiment from Edmonton, Pte. Shaun Farrell from Prince Albert, Sask., Pte. Aidan Goulding from North Vancouver, B.C. and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark from Langley, B.C.

Carney said Wong served with NATO allies in Latvia and was preparing for a second term in Europe.

“His family remembers him as someone who was always there for those who needed it.”

Farrell, Carney said, was planning to make the Canadian Armed Forces his career.

“Pte. Farrell was a generous and deeply loyal friend, known in his battalion as the grand master of chess.”

Carney said Goulding met every hardship with a joke.

“When others struggled, he shouldered more than his share without ever being asked.”

Lykkemark was known for his gift of lightening a hard day and his quick wit, Carney said.

“He dreamed of a career in law enforcement. He and Pte. Farrell were best friends, seldom seen apart.”

Thirty-nine others were injured in the fire and continue to receive treatment. Carney said many are “still fighting for their lives” and for many the recovery will be long and difficult.

Carney said the surgeon general is coordinating care with provinces, so that every injured soldier receives the specialized treatment they need.

He added that mental health teams are on site in Alberta and at bases across the country “because this tragedy is felt everywhere in the Canadian Forces.”

“For more than a century, the Princess Pats have fought for freedom, for democracy and for our way of life,” Carney said.

“From the trenches of the First World War to the mountains of Korea to peacekeeping missions to the front lines in Afghanistan and to wildfires and disasters across Canada, the Princess Pats have always been there when Canada has needed them.”

The training was for the Canadian Forces global response task force and they were preparing to go to Latvia.

What is known about the fire

Carney said that on Saturday afternoon soldiers with 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and members of the army’s reserve were training alongside them while conducting live fire exercises.

“A fire was burning in the training area, driven by ferocious winds, the fire jumped nearly a kilometre, less than a minute to where the soldiers were gathered.”

Wainwright RCMP responded to a request for assistance at CFB Wainwright on Saturday around 4 p.m., with early reports that there was a fire at a training area.

Little was known about the situation in the hours after the fire.

READ MORE: Fatalities, injuries after fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta

Carney said that military and civilian crews fought the fire in “some of the worst conditions imaginable.”

He said the original cause of the fire is not yet known.

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is now leading the investigation with support from the RCMP. There are 50 investigators on the ground, Carney said.

“We will ensure that they have all the resources they need to complete their work thoroughly and expeditiously.”

National Defence Minister David McGuinty is in Wainwright with the soldiers’ commanders, while the federal emergency management minister works alongside Alberta’s public safety minister at the provincial emergency operations centre.