00:06Good afternoon and good morning. Yesterday afternoon, a violent, fast-moving fire swept
00:14through Canadian Armed Forces Base in Wainwright, Alberta. What followed was one of the worst
00:22tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime. I regret that I can confirm at
00:30this time that Forest Service members have lost their lives and their next of kin has
00:36been notified. Dozens more are seriously wounded. I can confirm at this time that Forest Service
00:45members have lost their lives and their next of kin has been notified. The nation is in
00:52mourning for those brave members of our Armed Forces whom we have lost. And I have asked
01:01that the flags on all federal buildings to be flown at half-mast to honour them. Our hearts
01:10go with and we are praying for the wounded. And we stand in solidarity and compassion for
01:17the families, the friends and the colleagues of all those affected by this tragedy.
01:27Canadians come together in crisis. That is the best of our country. Military and civilian
01:34crews fought this fire throughout the night in some of the worst conditions imaginable,
01:39risking their lives to protect their fellow Canadians. Those affected came from bases right across
01:57this country. They included reservists and soldiers from the storied Princess Patricia's
02:03Canadian Light Infantry. Throughout Canada's history, the Princess Patts have fought for
02:09freedom, democracy, human dignity, in the First World War, in the Second, in Korea, in Afghanistan,
02:18enduring numerous peacekeeping missions over decades. That is the record. That is the standard.
02:27The standard. Those are the values of the women and men who were training yesterday on the Alberta
02:35Prairie when disaster struck. And that commitment, that service, those ideals are the debts that
02:43we as Canadians owe to them. Our country depends on the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces. Our
02:52rights, our freedoms, our very way of life are fought for and defended every single day by Canadians who
03:00answer the call. And CFB Wainwright is where the women and men of our Armed Forces learn to do the
03:06hardest
03:07hardest things this country can ask of anyone. Those we lost, those who were injured, were training to defend Canada,
03:18to serve Canada. And now Canada serves them. We will be there for their families for as long as they
03:27need. We
03:28will care for the injured through every step of their recovery. And we will stand by the women and men
03:35of our Armed Forces as they
03:36bear the weight of this loss. They will not carry it alone. Because in Canada, we take care of one
03:44another.
