Oro-Medonte mayoral candidate Cathy Keane says her eldest son was among 39 injured in the fatal CFB Wainwright fire in Alberta.
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A fatal fire at CFB Wainwright on Saturday left four soldiers dead and injured dozens of others, and has now prompted an update from an Oro-Medonte, Ont., mayoral candidate.
In a Facebook post, Cathy Keane said her eldest son was among the 39 people injured in the blaze. “As a mother, right now I need to be with my son and family,” she wrote, adding that she will be travelling to Alberta and will not be able to continue door-knocking for the remainder of the campaign.
Keane said she plans to stay in the mayoral race and encouraged residents to review her platform in the pinned posts on her Facebook page ahead of online voting. She also wrote: “Right now, I ask for your understanding as our family navigates an incredibly difficult and uncertain time. We are grateful for the kindness and support of our friends and community. Please hold your loved ones a little tighter tonight.”
The fire is believed to have ignited as ongoing training exercises with live munitions continued. It reportedly began as a grass fire about a kilometre away from where soldiers were training for an upcoming deployment to Latvia in 2027.
Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division, said leaders were aware of the fire but initially did not view it as a threat. He said sudden strong winds carried flames across the prairie training area within seconds, ripping through the training location.
Early Sunday, the Armed Forces said there is no indication the fire was the result of terrorist activity.
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