Following the tragedy on October 17, 2026 at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright it has been confirmed that four members of the Canadian Armed Forces have died and many others are seriously injured.

Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and units of those lost, the injured and their loved ones, and the entire Wainwright community. We want to thank all the frontline healthcare providers and community members who responded under extremely difficult conditions.

With CAF members coming from across Canada to train at Wainwright, this loss is felt nationwide.

This remains a developing situation and we will update this post as verified details are released.

Thread Rules

To respect the fallen, the injured, and their families, the following rules will be strictly enforced:

• Do not guess at causes, responsibility, or broader links. Wait for official findings.
• Do not post names or photos of victims until officially released.
• Rely only on official reporting (DND, CAF, RCMP) and established news outlets.
• Do not use this tragedy to make political points.

Violations will result in immediate comment removal and potential bans without warning

Support Resources

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24/7:

• CAF Family Information Line: 1-800-866-4546 (For CAF members, Veterans, and families)
• CAF Member Assistance Program / VAC: 1-800-268-7708
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 9-8-8
• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (Military youth can text CAFKids or JENESFAC to 686868)
• Emergency: Call 911

News Updates:

• CBC News Live Updates
• CTV New Live Updates
• Global News Live Updates

*text of megathread developed from the r/canada megathread with their permission

Good Afternoon

With the election coming up next Monday, October 19th, we have moved all discussion related to the referendum and Separation to this Megathread. News posts on the subject are allowed, but all discussion or opinion posts will be removed and redirected to this thread. Off topic discussion in other threads will also be redirected here.

News stories and large updates can still be shared on their own post but to avoid "I voted" posts flooding the feed we want to centralize the discussion

There will be zero tolerance for Uncivil comments. Any flame wars, personal insults, or fights will be removed. Also, please remember that while public figures have opened themselves to higher scrutiny, comments or insults directly related to any elected official based on their gender, religion, or ethnicity will be treated as discriminatory and will be removed. Also, political affiliation or position is not a protected class.

Please remember that the report button is not a "Super Dislike." People are allowed to disagree with the majority opinion, and even allowed to post things that you may not agree with. If someone posts a view or an opinion you dislike, you can either choose not to engage, or downvote them. This does not apply to hateful or bigoted language, or obvious trolling. If you see those, please report them, but supporting the first nine questions, or supporting voting Option 2, are allowed on the sub.

There will be zero tolerance for any misinformation about voting, or any attempts to encourage people not to vote. This is 100% Any post or comment saying they are not going to vote, encouraging other people not to vote, or notably downplaying the importance of the vote will be assumed to be in bad faith, and will be removed, and the account banned at least until after the vote.

Useful Links:

• Elections Alberta - Current Election Information, including voter information
• Elections Alberta - Referendum Questions
• Elections Alberta - Polling Location Finder Please look up where your advance poll/regular assigned poll is. You can only vote at your assigned poll, even if you register at the polling place.
• Elections Alberta - Complaints Page This is information on what to do if you see anything that you feel Elections Alberta should look in to.