Red Deer hospital cares for soldiers from CFB Wainwright fire

Red Deer hospital cares for soldiers from CFB Wainwright fire

Published 2:16 pm Monday, October 19, 2026

Some soldiers injured during the deadly fire at CFB Wainwright on Saturday were transferred to Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre on Sunday.

On Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney told MPs in the House of Commons that medical staff in Wainwright, Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary were working around the clock to care for the wounded.

“At every hospital in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer and Wainwright, liaison officers are at the sides of the families. Mental health teams and chaplains are in Wainwright and at the hospitals and at bases across this country because this tragedy is felt everywhere in the Canadian Forces,” Carney said.

On Saturday afternoon, four Canadian Armed Forces died and 39 were injured, including 19 in critical condition, when members of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group from the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, were conducting live fire training.

“A fire was burning in the training area. Driven by ferocious winds, the fire jumped nearly a kilometre in less than a minute to where the soldier were gathered. The original cause of the fire is not yet known,” Carney said.

“The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is now leading a complete investigation into this tragedy with the support of the RCMP. Fifty investigators are on the ground.”

He said Alberta’s health care workers are carrying an enormous load with “extraordinary dedication, professionalism and skill” and the Surgeon General is co-ordinating care with the provinces so that every injured soldier receives the specialized treatment they need.

Red Deer surgeon Keith Wolstenholme said potentially some soldiers may need skin grafts down the road.

“Our system is always stressed past full capacity so any mass casualty event is going to strain already over-strained resources. But, you do the work put in front of you and take care of patients who need care to the best of your abilities,” said Wolstenholme, who was unsure how many soldiers were at Red Deer’s hospital.

In an online post, the City of Red Deer wrote, “Our thoughts are with everyone in Wainwright as the community navigates this heartbreaking tragedy.

“We know that the impact of a tragedy like this extends far beyond one community. Red Deer joins others across Alberta in holding everyone affected close in our thoughts.”

Princess Patricia soldiers were training at CFB Wainwright as part of Exercise APOLLO SHOOTER to participate in Operation Reassurance in Latvia where Canada leads NATO forces on the front lines of Europe’s defence, and for the Global Response Task Force, a rapid-deployment force capable of moving quickly to international emergencies.

The four soldiers who died were Sgt. Morgan Wong, of Edmonton; Pte. Shaun Farrell, of Prince Albert, Sask.; Pte. Aidan Goulding, of Vancouver, B.C.; and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, of Langley, B.C.

“When people see the maple leaf on the sleeve, they see hope and they get help. The soldiers who were training at Wainwright on Saturday belong to that proud tradition. For more than a century the Princess Pats have fought for freedom, for democracy, and for our way of life,” Carney said.

“Those who lost their lives were serving Canada. Today it is our turn to serve them.”