Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said residents of Wainwright and Canadians across the country are grappling with heartbreak and shock following the deadly fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright.
Poilievre, the MP for Battle River—Crowfoot, the riding that includes CFB Wainwright, said his visit to the hospital and meetings with residents had reinforced his admiration for the soldiers, first responders and medical professionals who rushed to help.
“There’s the stories of the first responders racing in to help this enormous number of people and then there’s the nurses and doctors,” Poilievre said. “We went [Sunday} to the hospital and they told us every single doctor in the region, even those who weren’t on call, immediately raced in when they heard the news. Ever since we’ve had medical professionals across the province doing heroic and miraculous work to save lives.”
He went on to share about two women he met at a local coffee shop in Wainwright who spoke about the bravery of those who ran toward the flames to help fellow soldiers.
Earlier Monday, Poilievre called for Parliament to ensure the military base could resume operations and that injured personnel received the care they needed. He said government support for families who had lost loved ones should continue well beyond the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.
“These families, they’re just starting a very long painful journey.”
“The ones who lost a loved one, they’re going to have an empty chair at the dinner table at Thanksgiving, at Christmas, at Easter, at every birthday and anniversary. So there’s nothing we can do to fill that hole but we need to do everything we can to soothe the pain, to support them, to replace any lost income, to make sure their extended family members are taken care of, give them all of the counselling and psychological support they require.”
Poilievre said injured personnel, particularly those with severe burns, could require lifelong support.
“Whether that’s training them for new jobs, whether it’s the physical and psychological rehabilitation, there should be no limit on the help that they get as they come out of this horrendous injury,” he stated.
Poilievre urged affected families to contact his constituency office for help navigating federal services and said he would advocate on their behalf.
“I feel immense pride,” he said of the young soldiers.
He told Vista Radio, the young soldiers could have spent their time travelling, pursuing hobbies or seeing friends but instead had chosen military service to protect Canadians. He urged Canadians to recognize their sacrifice and appreciate the country they serve.
“We should be grateful to be Canadian,” Poilievre said.
The Conservative leader also reflected on how he would explain the tragedy to his five-year-old child, acknowledging the difficulty of helping young children understand such events. He said he would emphasize that there are people who put themselves in danger to protect others and that their sacrifices deserve gratitude.
