A Calgary humanitarian and former Canadian soldier is grappling with profound grief following a catastrophic wildfire at CFB Wainwright that claimed the lives of four members of the 3 Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) on Saturday.
Paul Hughes, who trained at the sprawling Alberta base during the winters of 1983 and 1984 before serving Cold War duties in Germany, has since become a tireless aid worker. Over the past four years, Hughes and his son Mac have coordinated 600 humanitarian missions to war-torn Ukraine, where they've operated through devastating bombardment and harsh winters.
The loss hits particularly close to home for Hughes, whose own son narrowly escaped death while fighting Russian forces in Eastern Europe.
"I was a private there at Wainwright — that could have been me. Anyone who's a Patricia knows this. It's just very, very sad and heartbreaking," Hughes said, reflecting on the Saturday afternoon fire that swept across the base 420 kilometres northeast of Calgary.
The wildfire spiralled out of control when winds exceeded 100 km/h, devastating Charlie Company with four fatal casualties and dozens wounded. Military officials say the cause remains under investigation.
For Hughes and thousands of other former and current Patricia's personnel, the tragedy resonates on a deeply personal level. The regiment has long held pride of place in Canadian military culture, and losses of this magnitude send shockwaves through generations of soldiers who've worn the uniform.
"All of us, any group involved with the Patricias, is thinking about this," Hughes explained. "There are thousands of brothers out there. That hit home for me."
As Hughes and his son prepare to enter their third consecutive winter in Ukraine, providing critical aid to civilians caught in the crossfire, the weight of loss — both personal and collective — serves as a sobering reminder of sacrifice, whether on the training grounds of Alberta or the war zones of Eastern Europe.
Original reporting by Bill Kaufmann, Calgary Herald. Published October 19, 2026.