r/CanadianForces • u/CipherVegas • 2h ago
r/CanadianForces • u/WeaponizedAutisms • 3d ago
SUPPORT A summary of ongoing events related to Wainwright fire + how to help
Based on what happened over the weekend I think people want information about what is happening. There is lot of information coming out regarding the fire in Wainwright. I've done my best to provide the publicly available information below, please contribute verified, publicly released information if you wish
Members recovering in hospital
I am aware of other names shared on social media but will only post those shared to the press here.
Son of Oro-Medonte, Ont., mayoral candidate 'critically injured' in CFB Wainwright fire
GoFundMe Set Up For Local Soldier Injured At CFB Wainwright
Info about injured members in general and burn injuries
33 military members injured in CFB Wainwright fire remain in hospital: minister
CFB Wainwright fire highlights long, painful process of burn recovery, specialists say
Wainwright fire highlights challenges in caring for critical burn patients
Nurses from Ontario heading to Wainwright to assist recovery efforts
What happened and why
initial reports
'Normal' for Armed Forces to conduct training near fires: top military commander
Full interview of General Carignan
How did this deadly Alberta fire spread so fast?
Conditions for wildfire were 'extreme' at Wainwright Saturday, experts say
Fires often break out during military training. What's the protocol?
How weather may have worsened the Canadian military base explosion
Imagery of burned area
From /r/Canada megathread:
Before and after satellite photo from CBC
Response to fire and investigation
Canada Deploys 50 Investigators to Probe Military Base Fire That Killed 4 Soldiers
Findings from fatal CFB Wainwright fire investigation will be made public, top commander says
Analysis
Wainwright fire shows the importance of health‑care system resilience to Canadian security
Misinformation Spreads After Deadly Fire at CFB Wainwright and What Caused It
Fire at Canadian military base highlights need for more burn unit beds
Response by Canadians
Wainwright Health Centre director describes mass casualty event at hospital | Hanomansing Live
Calgary rallies for Wainwright through blood donations, other supports
Red Deer hospital cares for soldiers from CFB Wainwright fire
Calgary rallies for Wainwright through blood donations, other supports
Canadians respond to need for blood donations after Wainwright disaster
Canadians step up to give blood after fire at Alberta military base kills four
How to help:
Canadians called on to help Wainwright fire victims
New
Support our Troops - CFB Wainwright Support Fund
They are looking for people who live in Red Deer/Calgary/Edmonton, especially those who live near the big hospitals, to billet families of the victims. Email info@legacyplacesociety.com with your contact details and where you live.
Donate to the support our troops fund. They provide support and emergency grants to members and families.
Donate to Edmonton MFRC, they have borne the brunt of this and are working hard to support families.
Donate blood or plasma which is needed to treat burn injuries.
Support Wounded Warriors Canada
Support Together We Stand
Find out how you can help locally in your community especially families going through this. Talk to your friends and see how they are handling it. Emotions are running high right now and we need to look after each other.
How to get help
Canadian Forces Member Assistance Program (CFMAP): 1-800-268-7708 -- For 24/7 confidential professional counselling for regular and reserve members and their families
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 1-800-663-1142 For crisis and short-term counselling for employees and their families
Family Information Line (FIL): 1-800-866-4546 or email FIL-LIF@cfmws.com -- For 24/7 bilingual, confidential counselling and referral services for military families
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Assistance Service: 1-800-268-7708 -- For 24/7 psychological support for Veterans, former members, and their families
Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 988 for toll-free, 24/7 support across Canada
Help for children and youth (Catholic school link providing secular public resources)
Support Resources for Families
Edit: updated to add help resources
Edit 2: added article about 3rd soldier in hospital
Edit 3: Added analysis section
Edit 4: Corrected FIL email address, added link
Edit 5: Legacy Place is now reporting they have filled the families needs for accommodations
https://www.facebook.com//p/1FtLirw7jJ/
Updates for 21 Oct
Information on casualties
27 soldiers still hospitalized, 13 in critical condition after CFB Wainwright fire: Smith
This name was not released previously only that it was her son
Among those hospitalized due to the fire was Liam Keane, son to Cathy Keane, a candidate running for mayor of Oro-Medonte. She confirmed on Facebook she was putting the campaign aside so that she and her husband could travel to be by their side.
Three of the soldiers are from Ontario and in “dire health conditions,” and the eastern province is sending 19 burn nurses and five operating room nurses to assist Alberta medics, Smith added.
‘You just feel so helpless’: Family of soldier badly burned in CFB Wainwright fire holds onto hope
The tragedy unfolded Saturday afternoon as soldiers conducted live-fire training at the military base in Alberta. Military officials say a nearby grass fire, initially considered under control, was driven by a sudden shift in powerful winds, rapidly overtaking soldiers in the training area.
Prolonged, fragile recovery ahead for soldiers severely burned at CFB Wainwright
Doctors who specialize in treating severe burn injuries say the wounded soldiers face long, painful recoveries fraught with threats of infection, complicated wound care, respiratory issues and organ failure.
“Patients with large burn injuries will have hospital stays that will be counted not in days or weeks, but in months,” said Dr. Vincent Gabriel, medical director of the Calgary Firefighters Burn Treatment Centre at Foothills Hospital.
Support
This report states that Westjet is offering "zero based fares" to families affected by the Wainwright fire
Nurses from Ontario heading to Wainwright to assist recovery efforts
Reaction by Canadians
BMO Supports Canadian Defence Community Following CFB Wainwright Tragedy
BMO donates $175,000 to support the Canadian Armed Forces community. Funding helps CFB Wainwright Fund at Support Our Troops', Wounded Warriors Canada and Together We Stand. Contributions will help provide financial assistance, mental health resources and peer support for military members, veterans and families affected
‘Wainwright stands with you’: Residents line highway to support soldiers after fire
During the highway tribute Wednesday, two military helicopters flew over head as the two Forces buses drove slowly past the crowd.
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.
Support pours in for Prince Albert family of Pvt. Shaun Farrell
Heloise Vermeulen, a friend of the Farrell family, has also organized a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral costs and related expenses.
Other fundraising campaigns have been circulating online, but Farrell’s mother warned the public in a Facebook post to be cautious of fake donation pages, saying Vermeulen’s GoFundMe page is the only legitimate one.
Military safety rules urged early-morning training before deadly Wainwright fire
From the video Legacy Place received 800 offers of accommodation by the communities for the families of the injured soldiers.
Influx of Albertans donating blood after Wainwright tragedy
Wainwright AB FaceBook page, lots of stuff here
What happened and why
Retired major-general weighs in on what may come next after deadly fire on military base
At 1:20 states that at the time the fire index was LOW at the time of the incident.
How the deadly CFB Wainwright fire got so dangerous, so fast
At the 60 second mark the expert explains what happened to the fire that made it so ferocious in simple terms. Excellent explanation of fire behaviour.
Wainwright fire burned for hours as volatile weather closed in: analysis
The military let training continue at CFB Wainwright on Saturday even though a fire had been burning on the base since noon and forecasts had already warned of high winds, dry conditions and an approaching cold front.
Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division, said at a press conference Sunday that a fire burned on the base “for several hours” before it engulfed the units at approximately 4pm, six hours after the document recommends October live-fire training.
Training continued “for a certain amount of time,” Rutland said, because commanders believed the fire was contained.
Fires often break out during military training. What's the protocol?
But current and former military generals say it is not uncommon for training exercises to continue near active fires.
"Fires break out in all of our training areas frequently," Denis Thompson, a retired Canadian Armed Forces major general, told CBC News Network on Monday. "I mean, we're dealing with live ammunition."
Canada's chief of defence staff, Gen. Jennie Carignan, confirmed that fires are a "normal occurrence" that happen during training when soldiers are preparing to deploy overseas.
Environment Canada had issued yellow alerts for much of southern and eastern Alberta, with strong winds forecast to reach up to 100 km/h, coupled with an incoming cold front.
A cold front moved through the area around 4 p.m., Flannigan said, bringing a roughly 10 C drop in temperature and a sharp shift in wind direction that pushed the fire northwest toward the training area.
CFB Wainwright Tragedy: Building a timeline in a fast-moving fire
r/CanadianForces • u/bridger713 • 22d ago
RECRUITING, TRAINING, & LIFE IN THE FORCES THREAD
Ask here about the Recruitment Process, Basic & Occupational Training, and other questions relating directly or indirectly to serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.
This thread will be automatically renewed on the 1st of each month at 00:00 Eastern Time.
PLEASE READ THE RULES OF THE THREAD BEFORE COMMENTING (BELOW USEFUL RESOURCES SECTION)
USEFUL RESOURCES (Most linked pages are bilingual French/English):
- Official Recruiting Website (www.forces.ca)
- BMQ/BMOQ Joining Instructions, Physical Fitness Preparation, and Course Dates (Regular Force)
- The Army Reserve - Soldier Information Handbook
- Military Pay Rates & Specialist Pay
- Medical Standards for Military Occupations
- Read Rule 4 and the Medical FAQ before asking any medical questions.
- Annex A - The Medical Category System
- Annex B - Generic Task Statement - All CAF Members
- Annex E - Minimum Medical Standards for Officers and Non-Commissioned Members
- CAF Dress & Deportment Rules
- Military Laws - National Defence Act
- Various Military Policies, Orders, and Directives (Compensation and Benefits Instructions (CBI), Queen's Regulation & Orders (QR&Os), etc.)
RULES OF THE THREAD:
- Off-topic comments, outdated information, and wrong answers will be removed at moderator discretion.
- Please don't ask or answer questions through PM's. Ask and answer questions in the thread where other people seeking the same information can see it.
- Questions regarding medical eligibility are now allowed. However, be aware that nobody here is verified as able to provide a qualified answer. Respondents are reminded that it is against site wide rules to provide medical advice.
DISCLAIMER:
Community members answering in the vein of CAF Recruiting may not have specific information pertaining to your individual application status or files. The information presented in this thread should be current, but things do change. Refer to the forces.ca site or your local CFRC detachment for the current official answer. This subreddit, moderators, and users hold no responsibility or liability as to the accuracy of information, given or received. All info here is presented as "at your risk."
r/CanadianForces • u/WeaponizedAutisms • 1h ago
SCS What talking about the new CMAR feels like as a veteran
r/CanadianForces • u/clowntodd • 7h ago
Photo of the new BACS and MPS
BACS = Body Armour Carriage System
MPS = Modular Pack Systems
Just wanted to show the new system's. Sorry if it was already posted before.
r/CanadianForces • u/Longjumping_Back523 • 18m ago
SCS I'm more than my awesomely colorful obscene language!
r/CanadianForces • u/WeaponizedAutisms • 1h ago
SCS [They did not in fact treat them right]
r/CanadianForces • u/WeaponizedAutisms • 41m ago
SCS Just clean it up and somebody wake up the guy sleeping on the floor in the laundry room
r/CanadianForces • u/Watergate_Salad_007 • 21h ago
Devastating fire at CFB Wainwright started on automatic grenade launcher range, official says
theglobeandmail.comr/CanadianForces • u/rapid_toasts • 3h ago
Can a career course run with only 2 staff to teach it?
2 teaching staff, roughly 40 students and a 4 week course.
Is this possible or does it go against policy?
r/CanadianForces • u/BarWitty4728 • 1d ago
Fraudulent fundraisers, disinformation spread following CFB Wainwright tragedy
r/CanadianForces • u/New-You6405 • 9h ago
Non-commissioned to Commissioned member
I'm a HRA - Reservist, and I'm attending my weekend Basic Military Qualification (BMQ) training.
Initially, I applied to become a commissioned officer, but due to a lack of vacancies, I joined as a reservist in the HRA trade.
I have a few questions regarding the process of transferring from a non-commissioned member (NCM) to a commissioned officer:
- Can I submit a request for a transfer to the commissioned officer route while I'm still completing my BMQ?
- When would be the best time to initiate this request?
- Are there any specific eligibility requirements, such as completing certain CAF courses, gaining a minimum amount of service, or obtaining relevant experience, before I can apply for a commission?
- What is the application and approval process for this type of transfer?
- Approximately how long does the process take?
I would appreciate any guidance or advice on the best way to pursue this career path. Thank you!
r/CanadianForces • u/63Delta • 1d ago
Map we made of the Savio Bridgehead where Smokey Smith won his Victoria Cross, October 1944
Former Geo Tech with 2 CER, and I retired to map military history. This is a video of the Battle of the Savio Bridgehead, fought by the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and the West Nova Scotia Regiment.
This is an often overlooked and little understood battle, that is dwarfed by the events of DDay, Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge.
Most people know the battle because of Private Ernest "Smokey" Smith, who earned his Victoria Cross here by yeeting a Piat at a Panther tank.
We built a whole system to map out this battle down to the minute and sometimes even section level. All of it was built from war diaries, defensive overprints, aerial imagery etc.
Our goal is just to share knowledge of Canadian Military History.
Hope you like it.
PS, there is no sound or narration. I spent all night working on narration, but it didnt sync properly. And its my first long cut video. So it isnt perfect.
We will learn from what we did here, and make it better for future versions. So constructive feedback is helpful.
r/CanadianForces • u/WeaponizedAutisms • 1d ago
Carney announces trade and defence partnership with Turkey
r/CanadianForces • u/throaway_awar3n3ss • 22h ago
AMA 427 SOAS Command Team (23 October 2026)
In case RCAF folks haven't seen this on DWAN, there is a daylong AMA with 427 SOAS Command Team along with several other members of the 427 SOAS team on RCafe tomorrow (23 October 2026).
r/CanadianForces • u/hannibalwang • 1d ago
SUPPORT Donate Blood Please.
My unit 3ppcli had a wildfire incident few days ago, it has claimed 4 lives and over 30 casualties. Many whom are still fighting for their lives with over 50 percent burned.
Sorry if this wrong place to post this but.
We just had the biggest mass casualty event since Korea war, alot of my friends are 80-90% burned and might not make it, alot of them are in Royal Alexandria or U of A hospital.
Please donate blood if you are in Canada they will direct it to the right hospitals.
Thanks.
r/CanadianForces • u/SubstantialWing9238 • 1d ago
Has anyone used Air Canada's baggage allowance benefit?
Asking here instead of on an airline sub because I figure many people here will actually have done this. I'm travelling soon and I'm wondering about others' experience taking advantage of the perk.
One of my flights will be Air Canada connecting to another Star Alliance airline. Has anyone had a similar situation and checked their bag for free, and it made it to the final destination including being checked on the second leg of the trip? Feel free to share anything else interesting if you've used the perk before.
r/CanadianForces • u/PensionGrievance • 21h ago
Grievance Advice - 35 Year Max CFSA/PSSA
Cross posted to r/CanadaPublicServants please recommend any other subs, if appropriate.
I have been with the Public Service and have been paying into the PSSA since 2019. Since 2002, I have also been a Primary Reservist, and did a significant amount of time on class B/C. I currently pay into the "Reg F" pension, the CFSA Part 1.
Due to my dual remuneration, I am now in a position where I will hit my 35 years quite soon. My intent is to release from the CAF, then re-enroll once my pension has been sorted (whole different story).
I'm looking to submit a grievance over the 35 year max limit, specifically the double-counting of my class A years. Essentially wanting to get my case heard in hopes it can help change the policy, or maybe to have a denial on record for if it ever does change.
Looking for any guidance or experience on this. Should I submit through both CAF and PS? Any suggested cases I should review? Any external resources I should engage, while I'm still a CAF member, or in the period after I release, or as a public servant?
Thanks for your help.
r/CanadianForces • u/Street_Anon • 2d ago
Canadian Officers Don’t Want to Serve in the U.S. Anymore
r/CanadianForces • u/ForsakenObject5282 • 1d ago
Impact on federal union's pay on the CAF?
Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is currently in the process of contract negotiations, with wage being one of the key demands.
I heard a rumour that the CAF's pay raise is tied to one of the federal union's pay raise. Is that an official policy from the Treasury Dept? If so, does the CAF follow PSAC's pay raise or some other federal union?
r/CanadianForces • u/RocketsGoBrrrr • 1d ago
Pilot VOT-U SIP
Hello,
I recently attended CFAST and received a very competitive score for Pilot. I also have my air factor and my file is ready to be sent up my CoC.
Does anyone know whether there might be plans to have some VOT-U spots for Pilot in the new fiscal year? I’ve tried talking to my BPSO but I haven’t received any information regarding this.
I will remain untrained until September 2028 and would like to know whether this is a possibility as there haven’t been any VOT-U spots for Pilot in a while, but I was hoping that with FAcT coming online that there might be a higher intake.
I would appreciate any help regarding this topic. Thank you!
r/CanadianForces • u/Snoo9573 • 23h ago
Military Service Pay
Is the military service pay (lump sum) still being planned for December pay out? Any intel?
r/CanadianForces • u/Commandant_CFLRS • 2d ago
From the caf community on Reddit
reddit.comNEW JOINING INSTRUCTIONS COMING SOON!
Input sought.