A sign honouring military members stands near the entrance to CFB Wainwright near Wainwright, Alta., on Oct. 18, 2026. Paul Rowan Brian/The Epoch Times
Saskatchewan mother Patricia Farrell is grieving the loss of her son who lost his life in a fire that ignited on base at CFB Wainwright on Oct. 17.
Farrell, who is a real estate agent in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, posted on social media, thanking those who had offered support.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that our son, Shaun Farrell, has passed away to be with our Heavenly Father,” she wrote.
“We want to thank everyone for your love, support, and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. As our family navigates this profound loss, we kindly ask for privacy so that we may grieve together.”
The fire killed four and injured dozens, including the son of Cathy Keane, mayoral candidate of Oro-Medonte, Ont.
“Overnight, our family received the devastating news that our eldest son is among the military personnel critically injured in the incident in Wainwright, Alta., on Saturday,” she wrote in a social media post on Oct. 18.
Keane said she would be travelling to Alberta and would not be door-knocking for the rest of her campaign.
The mayoral election in Oro-Medonte is to be held Oct. 26, according to the township’s official elections webpage.
“I want residents to know that I am still in the race for Mayor of Oro-Medonte, and I stand by my commitment to our friends, families and neighbours more than ever. My belief in this community and the future we can build together has not changed,” Keane wrote.
Keane pinned her campaign rack card to the top of her Facebook profile, asking that those unfamiliar with her platform consult the materials.
“I hope these materials will help residents understand my priorities and the commitments I have made to our township as online voting continues,” she wrote, asking for understanding while she remained unavailable.
The fire, which ignited at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Oct. 17, involved what Prime Minister Mark Carney called a “violent, fast-moving fire” that spread beyond the base’s training area before being contained by military and civilian responders.
“We are deeply grateful to the first responders, paramedics, physicians, nurses and hospital teams across Alberta who have mobilized to provide care to those injured,” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wrote on social media.
“We’re also thankful to our neighbours in Saskatchewan who did not hesitate to support our response with additional air ambulance capacity, and to other provinces who have reached out offering their support and condolences.”
Smith said the government had convened its Emergency Management Cabinet Coordination Committee and the Provincial Emergency Coordination Centre had been activated to a level 3.
Flags at provincial government buildings across Alberta were lowered to half-mast on Oct. 18.
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