October 21, 2026
SHARE
Short Cuts
#1456 What Started the Fire at CFB Wainwright?
Why was it so hard to figure out what happened at CFB Wainwright?
Jesse Brown
Host & Publisher
James Nicholson
Producer
Caleb Thompson
Audio Editor

A deadly fire killed 4 soldiers at a military base in Alberta on Saturday, but as the news was breaking, information was hard to come by. Even days afterward, basic details remain unknown. 

 

The Canadian Military is promising to release the details of its investigation to the public, but how long will it take for Canadians to learn what happened at CFB Wainwright? 

 

Jan Wong joins Jesse Brown to discuss the culture of secrecy and lack of disclosure in Canadian institutions, and why it makes it very difficult to be a journalist. 

 

Plus, former Progress Report journalist Duncan Kinney vandalizes a statue and then reports on it.

 

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Julian Abraham (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Harrison Lowman (Managing Editor), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Guest: Jan Wong

 

Additional music by Audio Network

 

Further reading: 

 

Sponsors:

 

Fizz Mobile: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25 off and 10GB of free data.

 

BetterHelp:  Visit BetterHelp.com/canadaland today to get 10% off your first month.

 

Download Mauril : Download on iOS | Download on Android | mauril.ca 

This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign managed by the agency Podpass for Mauril, developed by CBC/Radio-Canada

 

 

It’s our annual crowdfunding month! You can become a supporter starting for just $5/month by going to canadaland.com/join — we’ll even throw in a free tote bag. And be sure to stay tuned for some big announcements over the next few weeks

 

You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

More from this series
Why was it so hard to figure out what happened at CFB Wainwright?
October 21, 2026
Sarah Rieger of Betakit joins Julian Abraham to consider the tricky balance between privacy and safety in tech regulation.
October 16, 2026
CANADALAND’s previous coverage of Galloway has come under scrutiny in Quillette and from Margaret Atwood
October 14, 2026
Critics of the editorial argue that the National Post crossed the line, advocating for violence against Lewis. 
October 9, 2026
Quebec has elected Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and the Parti Québéois to a minority government, whose  platform includes a referendum on sovereignty. 
October 7, 2026
October 2, 2026
Mark Carney sat down for a wide-ranging hour-long interview with the New York Times.
September 30, 2026
The announcement that the EU is “opening the door” to Canada for associate membership overshadowed how the story initially broke. 
September 25, 2026
all podcasts arrow All Podcasts
Short Cuts