Canada

Retired major-general says training at CFB Wainwright 'as real as it can be'

By
The Canadian Press

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A retired Canadian Armed Forces major-general says training at CFB Wainwright in Alberta is “as real as it can be” to prepare soldiers for combat operations.

A fire broke out at the base’s training area on Saturday night, resulting in deaths and injuries, but the number of casualties hasn’t been disclosed.

Retired Maj.-Gen. David Fraser, who spent much of his over 30-year military career training at CFB Wainwright, says training can involve up to thousands of people depending on the exercise.

Fire occurred at CFB Wainwright training centre: Here’s what we know so far CTV News Military Analyst Retired Maj.-Gen. David Fraser says the military incident might be the worst he's ever seen in Canada.

He says training at the base 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton teaches regular and reserve forces to use every weapon in the military’s arsenal, including aircraft.

Fraser describes the exercises as organized and methodical and says something went wrong at CFB Wainwright on Saturday.

He adds that forces who undergo this training are well-versed in safety procedures and safety staff oversee the exercises.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2026.

Tori Fitzpatrick, The Canadian Press