Fifteen Canadian soldiers remain on ventilators more than three weeks after the deadly fire at CFB Wainwright, according to information obtained by Global News.
A senior Alberta government official provided Global with a section of a confidential Alberta Health Services (AHS) briefing document after almost a week of unsuccessful attempts to get the Department of National Defence (DND) to disclose how many injured soldiers remained in critical condition.
The official referred Global to Acute Care Alberta (ACA) for further comment.
The document, dated Nov. 5, provides a detailed breakdown of the conditions of soldiers who remain hospitalized following the fire at CFB Wainwright on Oct. 17 that killed four soldiers and injured 39.
Global News sought clarification from AHS before publication to ensure the accuracy of the numbers.
The report showed that, as of Nov. 5, 21 soldiers remain hospitalized in Alberta.
Of that number, 10 were listed in critical condition, eight were stable in intensive care and three were stable in medical units.
By Nov. 9, the number of soldiers in critical condition had dropped to nine, while 12 were listed as stable across intensive care and medical units, an ACA spokeswoman confirmed.
Two weeks ago, 13 soldiers were in critical condition, according to officials.
Dr. Sayeh Zielke, interim CEO of Acute Care Alberta, told Global News that the hospitalized soldiers remained “gravely ill.”
She explained that some burn patients require prolonged ventilator assistance due to smoke inhalation or airway injuries, even when their condition is stable. Patients classified as critical typically require additional life-sustaining support, such as assistance with breathing or medications to maintain blood pressure.
The briefing document also revealed the extent of the soldiers’ burns.
Four patients have burns covering 51 to 60 per cent of their bodies, three have burns covering 41 to 50 per cent, and seven have burns covering 30 to 40 per cent. The remaining patients have burns covering less than 30 per cent of their bodies.
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Fourteen soldiers were being treated at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton and seven at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, the report said. It also recorded three discharges and six repatriations, which can include transfers between provinces or within Alberta.
Global News repeatedly pressed DND for updated figures on injured soldiers after the department had not provided a public update on their condition since Oct. 22.
On Nov. 4, three days after Global submitted questions, DND issued a statement saying 25 soldiers remained hospitalized, 14 had been released and four had been transferred to hospitals in B.C. and Ontario. It did not provide updated critical condition figures.
After further unanswered inquiries, DND said on the evening of Nov. 6 that it would not comment further as patient status fell under the responsibility of provincial health authorities and attending clinicians, despite both Acute Care Alberta and the Prime Minister’s Office having directed questions to DND.
Zielke said going forward, she would work with the CAF to provide weekly updates on the injured soldiers.
DND has declined to answer numerous questions about the circumstances of the deadly fire, citing their Board of Inquiry investigation. The military says such investigations typically take nine to 12 months, although the timeline could be longer.
The medical update comes as Ottawa moves to provide additional nursing support for Alberta.
Federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski said on Saturday she had approved a request for federal assistance from the Alberta government and ACA to provide additional nursing support for injured soldiers.
An ACA spokeswoman said 15 CAF nurses will arrive on Nov. 9 and will remain until Jan. 15, 2027, providing additional capacity and relief for staff. The deployment replaces support previously provided by Ontario nurses, who have since returned home.
“This is not a sprint, this is a marathon. We expect to be providing care for these patients all the way through December, January, and going forward,” Zielke said.
Zielke praised Alberta hospitals’ response to the disaster, saying they “would have managed without that additional support,” but bringing in extra staff was “the right thing to do” to ease the burden on health-care workers.
She said Alberta’s health-care system had been able to manage the influx of patients, with 32 critical-care beds and 567 non-ICU beds available across the province as of Monday.
Zielke also rejected suggestions of coordination failures or shortages, saying necessary skin tissue, grafts and specialized equipment had been obtained.
“Anything that we’ve asked for, we have been provided,” she said.
The federal government on Nov. 5 also announced $25 million in the federal budget for the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services to support CAF members, their families and local communities affected by the fire.
Another $3 million will be invested to support the Wainwright Military Family Resource Centre.
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