Soldier in hospital after training accident at Alberta military base

WAINWRIGHT, Alta. – A Canadian soldier is recovering from injuries suffered in a nighttime live-fire training exercise at an Alberta military base.

The soldier, whose name has not been released, is a member of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton.

The military says he was injured late Monday or early Tuesday near Wainwright and taken to the local hospital prior to being transferred to Edmonton.

The soldier’s condition and how his injury occurred are not immediately known, but he has already been in touch with his family.

Army spokesman Fraser Logan says the exercise was a standard military training operation and is believed to have involved small-calibre weapons.

Logan says military police are looking into the cause of the accident, but foul play is not suspected.

Brig.-Gen. Wayne Eyre, commander of 3rd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force West, says in a statement that live-fire training is essential to ensure soldiers are ready for operations around the world.

“The Canadian Armed Forces takes training accidents extremely seriously and this incident is being fully investigated in order to reduce future risk. In the meantime, our thoughts are with the soldier and his family for a speedy recovery,” he said.